Last week I received a message from a frustrated mother regarding her son’s eating habits. She explained that breakfast seemed to be a particularly difficult meal of the day for her as she was running low on options and ideas. I’ve noticed that breakfast can be challenging for many parents. It really needn’t be as long as there’s some planning ahead involved and you’re able to see beyond the basics like cereals and bread. Go ahead and experiment. It’s something you definitely will not regret.
Banana bread: I like to make this on a Sunday morning with Georgie. Its such an easy recipe to involve kids in and the best part is that it looks like a cake so they’ll love eating it too. When we don’t include chocolate chips in the mix I’ll put a slice in G’s lunchbox on Monday. Next week I’ll be posting the recipe I use along with directions.
French toast: A brilliant and sweet way to sneak some eggs into their tummies, french toast is super easy to prepare too. We use brown sliced bread which we soak in a mixture of whipped eggs and cinnamon and/or vanilla extract. Then place in a skillet with a little butter and fry for a couple of minutes. Top it off with sliced fruit and maple syrup or honey.
Yoghurt with anything: You can easily replace milk with yoghurt when it comes to their cereal and remember that it also goes with most, if not all, fruit. Try layering the fruit, cereal or granola (if you’re cool with nuts) in a glass so they can see whats in it and perhaps think they’re eating dessert! You could add some honey or jam too. Another thing I like to do is mix yoghurt and oats and let it settle overnight in a jar. Again add absolutely anything you want such as nuts, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, bananas, cinnamon, etc. Instead of serving it in a bowl the next morning, you can blend the mixture and serve it as a smoothie. I really liked this breakfast smoothie in a bowl. Oh and recently I found this yoghurt pancake recipe you could try for a change.
Smoothies: I am not going to mention spinach or kale or anything that will result in a green drink because I know that if you’re dealing with a fussy eater, serving anything green is not the way to go for now. But smoothies are such a great way to get kids to eat healthy as you can sneak almost anything in there without them knowing. Like chia seeds! Its also a fantastic way to get them involved in the process of meal preparation. Let them cut or mash fruit, pour milk or spoon out yoghurt and throw everything in the blender. Apart from fruit, fresh or frozen will do, I like to use oats, peanut butter, almond or coconut milk, nuts. If you do want to take the plunge and try adding kale check out this post on vegetable smoothies to make for kids who hate veggies. Before you start making smoothies make sure you grab a bag of frozen berries. They’re the type of fruit that we can’t find often here in Cyprus and it makes all the difference to a smoothie for kids so make sure your freezer is stocked before you start.
Eggs: Until very recently Georgie wouldn’t go anywhere near a boiled egg. He’s totally cool with an omelette or a frittata and fried eggs but that’s it. But then my mum bought him this McQueen egg holder and so far he’s eaten two boiled eggs in a row! I mentioned frittata which you should really try if you haven’t already. Its so easy to make, you can serve it to kids in bite-sized pieces and add any veggies you or they like. Cut up potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, courgettes, tomatoes and of course ham, bacon or turkey. Anything goes. Sautee all in a pan until soft and slightly brown and then pour in whisked eggs. The number of eggs you use depends on how many people you’re serving. I’d say six eggs for two persons. Then put the pan in a pre-heated oven topped with some cheese – cheddar or parmesan will do- and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. This is another meal I will include in G’s lunchbox. Alternatively try out these awesome egg muffins or these broccoli and cheese frittata fingers.
Wraps: You can go with a sweet version or a salty one. For the first smother wraps with nutella, jam, peanut butter or any other nut butter you prefer. Try placing a banana in a wrap with nutella and start rolling. Then cut into bite-size pieces. Its called nutella and banana sushi. Try it with sliced bananas, chocolate chips, nuts, honey. For a healthier version that will work both for morning and lunch or dinner grab ingredients such as roasted chicken fillets, feta, spinach, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, bacon, scrambled eggs, avocados, cheese and perhaps a little bit of mayonnaise. Make your own combinations with ingredients such as these to create a nice healthy wrap.
French toast image taken from hottytoddy.com
Yoghurt image taken from The Chriselle Factor
Smoothie image taken from Barefeet In the Kitchen
Mini frittatas image taken from Sprouted Kitchen
Wrap image taken from Kraft Recipes
Please note that all images are links to more recipes.
