Breakfast is an important meal but it can be difficult to get kids to eat – especially if you are trying to stay away from sugary, colorful cereals. Don’t give up; there are ways to make breakfast irresistible to even the most anti-breakfast child.
Roll It Up
Whole grain tortillas accept nearly any filling and rolling them up makes them more fun. If you slice the rolled tortilla, you have bite sized spirals and who could resist that? Try:
- Peanut butter and sliced bananas
- Peanut butter and granola
- Cream cheese and sautéed apple slices
- Scrambled egg, chopped bacon, and cheddar cheese
Dip It
Kids like to play with their food, so why fight it? Give your child a plate of sliced foods and a small custard cup of something to dunk them in. Add colorful sprinkles and watch your child become a breakfast aficionado
- Peanut butter and honey served with sliced apples, graham crackers, and toast sticks
- Vanilla yogurt served with sliced bananas, French toast sticks, and strawberries
- Maple syrup served with French toast sticks, toast sticks, graham crackers, and apple slices
Muffin Tins
Most kids like a lot of variety, not just from day to day but at every meal. Pique his interest with a six cup muffin tin that has a different treat in each cup.
Add bite sized fruit like grapes, cut up apple, orange sections or watermelon chunks. To another cup add cinnamon toast cut into small squares. A hardboiled egg is a great source of protein and it works well in the cups. Add yogurt, raisins, granola, bacon, or whatever you think your child will like – just make sure each cup has something in it. Don’t give them too much of any one thing. The point is to have a little of a lot of foods.
Copy Fast Food
You can easily put together healthy and inexpensive copies of your kids’ favorite fast foods. An English muffin, slice of cheese, slice of bacon, and a hard fried egg makes a quick and easy breakfast. A biscuit with a cooked sausage patty is breakfast masquerading as a snack. You can put a banana, some strawberry yogurt, honey, and a few ice cubes in your blender and get a passable milkshake. Add a straw for good measure.
Serve Dinner for Breakfast
You have probably served breakfast for dinner at some point in your life so why not serve dinner for breakfast?
Macaroni and cheese, a hamburger patty with melted cheese, or even spaghetti or left over lasagna make an unusual breakfast treat that moves breakfast beyond boring.
Don’t fight about breakfast with your kids. Find something that they will eat that you can be happy with and let them have it. Macaroni and cheese might seem like an odd breakfast food but if you child loves it, there is no reason why he shouldn’t have it.
Choose your battles – and don’t make breakfast one of them.
photo credit: Clay Irving
