Every night before bed I call for my “three little duckies,” and soon we can hear their footsteps running up the stairs. Moments later they will all line up in the kitchen, oldest to youngest, to collect their Flintstones gummy vitamins. Two for the oldest, two for the middle, and one for the ‘baby’. Like clockwork they will compare the colors and characters: “I have an orange Fred,” or simply “Dino!” (although none of them realize that the Flintstones are so much more than just a character on a vitamin). It’s like having a special piece of candy before bed, although we assure them it will ‘help make you big and strong’.
Then, one day we discovered our kindergartner was only eating one of her vitamins and hiding the other to sneak to school. Her class was scheduled to eat lunch later than her little body was used to, and although they were offered a morning snack, she usually declined if it was something she didn’t care for. She knew her vitamins were healthy, so she figured it would help satisfy her hunger until lunchtime.
Let me clarify, there are many reasons a child may show up hungry to school, but I had no excuse. I had to examine our morning routine and realized she simply was rushed in the morning and was not getting enough nutrition to last her all morning. In fact, her favorite thing to eat was buttered toast and a bowl of colorful sugary cereal. It broke my heart knowing that she was actually planning ahead at night to hide a vitamin, knowing she would be hungry the next morning, instead of being able to concentrate on the joy of learning in the classroom. That is when I realized I needed to find some quick and easy breakfast options.
As we transition into a new school year, we usually start the first few days (or weeks) motivated and putting a great deal of effort into serving healthy breakfast, packing adorable lunches, or keeping to strict routines. However, for most of us, that motivation quickly dies, leaving us desperate for some simple ideas to get us back on track.
My first suggestion is to make some of their favorites ahead of time and freeze them.
Frozen Breakfast Burritos
My daughter LOVES breakfast burritos, so I can make a bunch of them on the weekend and freeze them so she can wake up and heat them up.
Make-Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches
This also works great with any breakfast sandwich.
If you have children (like mine) who love their cereal, here are some suggestions for getting a more balanced breakfast with their cereal.
Healthy Popsicles
Fill some Popsicle molds with berries and fill with milk (I used vanilla almond milk for extra flavor) and serve with cereal. Your child will be so excited to have a Popsicle for breakfast and you know it is full of nutrition and no extra sugar.
Protein Parfait
Or create a parfait with cereal and yogurt. Try Greek yogurt for some extra protein.
Fancy Banana Split
Of course, you can pair fruit and yogurt in endless combinations. Here is a ‘banana’ split that is simple a banana sliced in half, filled with Greek yogurt and strawberries, and topped with a couple small scoops of frozen cool whip (to resemble ice cream). A little drizzle of chocolate and sprinkles, because honestly, who doesn’t want to start their day with sprinkles?
Smoothie Bowls
Finally, my new breakfast obsession is smoothie bowls. Here is just a simple one I made by blending frozen mango and strawberries with Greek yogurt then topped with fruit. But, if you have time to indulge yourself after you get the kids to school, take a look at some of my more ‘grown up’ smoothie bowl inspirations (although I never get to eat it alone, because my kids are equally obsessed with them). Check it out here!
Not only is breakfast essential to your child’s performance at school, but their morning routine can affect their attitude and behavior as well.
As we transition into a new school year, do you have any tips to help make sure your child starts their day off right?
