School-Day mornings can be tough enough without adding in the additional challenges that making a nutritious and filling breakfast can bring. Time constraints, busy family schedules, and the desire for something quick often lead families to skip this essential meal or settle for less nutritious options. But fear not! There are plenty of ways to make your mornings easier and ensure your family starts the day on the right foot.
The simplest solution is to plan ahead. Try making overnight oats, pre-make grab and go foods or ones that are easy to reheat quickly and don't forget the drinkable options like smoothies. Get the family involved and consider batch-cooking on weekends. Involving the whole family can make breakfast preparation more fun and less overwhelming for you. Consider getting the kids involved in making their own breakfast bowls or sandwiches with a variety of healthy toppings and spreads.
Finally, don't underestimate the power of simple breakfast options like yogurt with granola or toast with nut butter offering a satisfying and beneficial start for the day ahead. Prioritizing a nourishing breakfast sets your family up for success! By implementing these strategies, you can make mornings more manageable and start their day with a delicious and nutritious breakfast that fuels the body and mind.
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Here are two common challenges parents face on school mornings, and ideas for how to solve them:
There's not enough time to cook in the morning!
Yes, we could get up earlier, but come on! We all know that's easier said than done. So here are some more realistic ideas for you to create your own ready-made breakfast items:
- Pre-make pancake or waffle batter. Then all you have to do is spoon some batter onto a skillet and it'll be ready before your kids can say "where are my shoes?"
- Prepare extra breakfasts on the weekends. In my house, we fix extra pancakes, waffles, and french toast whenever we cook them on the weekends. Simply store in the fridge or freezer to pull out and quickly pop in the toaster or microwave on rushed school mornings.
- Use your slow cooker for overnight oatmeal that's ready when you are in the morning.
Kids aren't hungry for breakfast
My youngest simply doesn't like to eat first thing in the morning. But I don't want to send him to school without breakfast, so I've found a few ways to make sure he goes to school with something yummy in his tummy:
- Get completely ready for school before sitting down for breakfast. This gives kids more time to be awake . . . which means they are more likely to actually eat something.
- Make a smoothie. While my son might not want to eat, he is often happy to drink something. So I've found a fruit and veggie smoothie plus extra protein ingredients is a perfect solution. High protein ingredients to include; plain Greek yogurt, protein powder, nuts / nut butter, milk or alternative milk.
- Give him a cookie! What? He doesn't need to know these are actually a nutritious breakfast! oatmeal breakfast cookie | On-the-Go Breakfast COOKIES! | No-Bake Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Energy Balls
Try out these tips to see if any of them help your mornings go a little easier. Now if we could only get the kids out of the house on time . . .
Here are more ideas to help your mornings:
- Easy Egg Muffins Are The Perfect Solution For Hectic Mornings
- 4 Delicious and Nutritious Breakfast Ideas On Those Busy Mornings
- 4 Easy and Satisfying Breakfasts for Busy Kids and Parents
- 5 Easy and Satisfying Breakfasts for Kids
Written by Jennifer Hill, publisher of Macaroni Kid Fremont, Calif.
Updated and edited by Macaroni KID Conejo Valley - Malibu - Calabasas
