Make Kid Friendly Breakfasts to Go, Boost Your Child’s Brain Power

Who doesn’t want to make kid friendly breakfasts? We all want our kids properly fed before school, right? And we want them to like what we serve them. But how can you get a decent breakfast into your child when mornings are so hectic? The best answer is the portable breakfast that is grab and go.

By now, we all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast, however, is likely the most problematic meal, as well. In many homes, chaos reigns in the early hours. There are kids to dress, not enough bathrooms, papers to gather, and a need to get on the road before morning traffic sets in (actually, mornings are far worse than this in most homes, but you get the idea).

So this being the case, how is a parent expected to get breakfast into a child, let alone, get her dressed and out the door before the school bus drives away without her. Not to mention nutrition: on those rare days your child leaves home with a full tummy, it is thanks to the companies that produce sugar-laden packaged cereals that only require a splash of milk to be called “breakfast.”

Advanced Planning

You know what’s coming next, don’t you? That age-old solution called “Advanced planning.” Ugh. There it is again: someone telling you to prepare something ahead. If you prepared in advance, everything the experts suggested, you’d likely find yourself in the Dark Ages. There aren’t enough hours in one day to do it all.

We know. But there just isn’t any way to get around it. So instead of fighting it, go with it and make it work. Make lists. Lots of lists. And follow through.

Schedule a time to stock the ingredients you need for the following breakfast recipes and schedule the time to prepare them. Here’s why:

1. Kids need protein, omega-3 fats, and vitamin B, among other nutrients, to fuel their brains during the long school day. You don’t want them slumped over their geography books. You want them to have the energy and brain power to take in all the knowledge they can in the classroom. They get that from breakfast.
2. If you send them off with food they don’t like, they won’t eat it. It’s as simple as that. If you put some thought into what they like and what they need, you’ll definitely find a way to satisfy both their nutrition requirements and their taste buds. There’s no way they are going to give away their breakfasts or toss them in the trash when you make them things like our Tropical Fruit Parfait.

By the way, the following recipes aren’t only for kids. Even adults will enjoy these breakfast treats and will find they have better concentration, improved memory, fewer mood swings, and more energy when they do. Here are four of our favorite healthy breakfasts to grab and eat on the run.

Tropical Parfait

2 servings

Use tall disposable see-through cups or clear reusable containers to show off the pretty layers. Add a plastic spoon and you and your child are good to go!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups diced, peeled tropical fruit (such as mango, pineapple, and kiwi)
• 2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons minced candied ginger, plus more for the garnish, reserved.
• 1 1/4 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt, divided
• 1 cup purchased granola

Instructions:

• Mix first 3 ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.
• Divide half of yogurt between two cups.
• Top the yogurt with the granola, divided evenly between the two cups.
• Spoon fruit mixture over the granola, half for each cup.
• Spoon half of the remaining yogurt over the fruit mixture in each cup.
• Top with reserved chopped, candied ginger and serve.

Blueberry Banana Muffins

Makes 12

Your child’s eyes will light up when you offer these fruit-studded nutrient-dense breakfast muffins. You can whip them up in less than an hour and freeze them for convenience.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup unflavored soy milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (6-7 ounces, unthawed). You can also use rehydrated dried blueberries. Use 1/2 cup water and 1 cup dried blueberries. Leave in refrigerator for 12 hours before using.

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake papers. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to blend.
• Place mashed bananas in large mixing bowl. Whisk or stir in soy milk, egg, canola oil, and lemon juice. Mix in the dry ingredients until just mixed, and then the blueberries. Place the batter into the prepared muffin tin, dividing batter evenly.
• Bake the muffins until a tester, inserted into the center of a muffin tests clean, around 20 minutes. Turn the muffins out onto a cake rack and cool at least 10 minutes.
• Cool completely before freezing. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Morning Milkshake

Makes 1 serving

Bananas are a wonderful source of potassium and vitamin B and the peanut butter adds some much-needed morning protein. Put the shake in a travel cup with a straw. This is a FUN breakfast!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vanilla soy or rice milk
• 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 banana, frozen
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Homemade Granola Bars

Makes 16 to 24

Instead of buying the expensive, overly-sweet supermarket granola bars that have all sorts of additives, make your own to have some control over the ingredients. Your kids will like them just as much, maybe even better! You’ll save money, too.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups crispy rice cereal
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup chopped dried fruit or packaged dried fruit bits
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 350º F. Coat a 9- by 13-inch rectangular pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Melt the butter in large pot over low heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the sugar, honey, whole wheat flour, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
• Transfer the mixture to baking pan. Using a sheet of waxed paper and the palms of your hands, press the granola firmly into pan, until it is level and of even thickness.
• Bake 20 minutes until golden.
• Allow granola bars to cool 1 hour in pan, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before cutting into rectangular bars.
• Wrap individual bars in aluminum foil.