Healthy Breakfasts for Kids

Natalie Mikles,

Back to school means back to routine. Gone are the lazy summer days when it’s totally acceptable to eat breakfast at 10 a.m.

If you’re not a morning person, the morning routine is particularly brutal. It’s one thing to get yourself fed, ready and out the door. But throw toddlers, kids or teens in the mix, and some days it feels like you’re preparing for battle.

The thing is, we know the battle plans. We know the playbook calls for preparation and organization. We know we should be setting out the clothes, matching the socks, cutting up the strawberries and making the whole-wheat muffins before we go to bed. But some nights, no matter how much we know we’ll pay for it, we find ourselves skipping the chores and watching a Fixer Upper marathon until midnight.

That’s OK. Some days, hitting the snooze button and giving the kids a squeeze yogurt on the way out the door is inevitable.

But I do know kids appreciate when you’ve given some thought to breakfast. Make something different, something new or fun – especially the first week back to school – and it’s likely to set everyone off in a good mood.

These are some of my favorite special back-to-school breakfasts for kids. And, I always make sure there’s enough for my husband and me, too.

This isn’t the kind of breakfast I would make every day. But it’s fun for a first-day-of-school breakfast.

Bird’s Nest Breakfast Cups

  • 1 (30-ounce) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 12 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, for topping

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 24 muffin cups.

Mix hash brown potatoes, salt, black pepper, olive oil, and 2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese in a bowl. Divide mixture between prepared muffin cups and use your fingers to shape potato mixture into nests with hollows in the middle.

Bake in the preheated oven until hash browns are browned on the edges and cheese has melted, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove hash brown nests.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Whisk eggs and water in a bowl until thoroughly combined; season with salt and black pepper. Pour equal amount of egg mixture into each nest; sprinkle with bacon crumbles and 1 teaspoon cheddar cheese.

Bake in the oven until eggs are set, 13 to 16 minutes. Let cool in pans and remove by sliding a knife between potato crust and muffin cup.

This recipe is best served warm. A breakfast of this oatmeal, cold milk and fresh fruit makes a good start to the day.

Baked Oatmeal

  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine butter, brown sugar, eggs and oatmeal, mixing well. Add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.

Pour into a buttered 9-inch square baking dish. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees.

This may not sound like much, but it’s a delicious combination. It’s perfect for babies 9 to 12 months, but toddlers and older children will like it, too. This is a baby’s portion, so if you’re making it for older children, double or triple the recipe.

Baby’s First Breakfast

  • 1 small banana or 1/2 large banana
  • 1 tablespoon graham cracker crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons plain yogurt

Mash the banana. Gently stir together banana with graham cracker crumbs and yogurt.

Bert and Ernie inspired this recipe in the new Sesame Street cookbook, “Let’s Cook.”

Best Buddies Banana Pancakes

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup wheat germ
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups (16 ounces) low-fat lemon yogurt
  • 2 bananas, peeled and thinly sliced
  • Chopped fruit, for topping
  • Additional yogurt, for topping

Whisk together the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl. Add the yogurt, and whisk together the eggs and yogurt until blended.

Stir the flour mixture into the eggs mixture until blended.

Lightly grease a nonstick griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Use a ¼ cup measure to pour the batter into the skillet, pouring pancakes several inches apart. Arrange 3 or 4 banana slices over the top of each. Cook on one side until small bubbles appear on the top and the pancake starts to puff, about 1 ½ minutes. With a spatula, carefully turn the pancakes. Cook until the underside is lightly browned, about 1 minute.

Serve the pancakes topped with mixed fruit and extra yogurt.

Categories: Food

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