I don’t know about you but, I feel the kids have a better day when they’ve had something to eat first thing in the morning. It’s true what they say, that breakfast is the most important meal of the day! It’s sometimes hard to think up of something outside of eggs toast and some sausage or bacon, so I have collated five meal ideas that include whole grains, proteins, carbs and good fats to fuel them up for the day and get the goodness they need in their little bodies.
1. Breakfast Tasting Plate
We love tasting plates in our household. I find having a variety of foods to choose from makes it fun and exciting. It also gives them the opportunity to try new foods along side favourite foods.
This particular plate has a bit of plum for fibre, orange for vitamin C and strawberries because it’s the girl’s favourite. I add a little serving of porridge topped with some berry coulis and the pierre de resistance… Ricotta and strawberry rolls. These rolls are super easy to make. Simply mix up some chopped strawberries with ricotta for the filling, roll out a slice of bread, spread the filling over the top, roll and dip in some beaten egg. Throw into a frying pan and cook until all sides are browned and crisp.
You could put anything on your breakfast tasting plate, I try and think up of things I can whip up that I already have sitting in my fridge/in my fruit bowl.
2. Omelette Muffins
Anything that is in the shape of a muffin is always good! Sure they’re not as sweet as a blueberry muffin, but the goodness in them with all the hidden veg works a treat!
Simply throw in the following to some beaten eggs; mushrooms (having beneficial vitamins and minerals, plus protein and fibre), zucchini (the water and fibre help kids stay regular and prevent constipation), tomato (packed with antioxidants, which assist in overall immune and growth support), fresh basil (is an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and is high in Vitamin A, C, K, folate, magnesium, iron, manganese, and calcium), bacon (just because, but also has plenty of protein, fat, zinc, selenium, and vitamin B12), shredded cheese (provides valuable vitamins like B12, A, and K) and some garlic powder rather than salt to reduce sodium.
Again, you can totally make this your own with whatever you have in your fridge you could add capsicum, spinach or broccoli too!
3. Three Ingredient Pancakes
Whilst the title says three, you could add a fourth. This is so easy to whip up. Containing oats which are a fantastic source of whole grains, providing essential nutrients such as B vitamins, iron, and magnesium. These nutrients provide energy production and play an important role in the development of a child’s brain and bones.
Add half a cup of oats, 2 bananas and 3 eggs to a blender and blend! You can add a fruit like blueberry or even spinach for some extra goodness. Cook as you would normal pancakes. I like to add a little maple syrup for some extra sweetness and serve with fruit.
4. Breakfast Quesadillas
This is another great one for adding hidden veg! I make our wraps from scratch often and love to make these when I have some left over.
Here’s what you need;
- 1 wrap (wholegrain for bonus points)
- 1 large egg
- garlic powder
- paprika
- cumin
- diced up broccoli
- swiss cheese
I scramble the egg first, then cook the broccoli through with the garlic powder, paprika and cumin. Set the broccoli aside and place the wrap in the pan. Simply layer each component in starting with the cheese, then egg, broccoli and another layer of cheese. Fold it over and cook on both sides until toasty and crisp!
You can again add anything you like in these, left over chicken, ham or other vegetables.
5. Breakfast “Cake”
For those mornings where kids just know you’re going to try and get something healthy in them. It’s all about how you can creatively name a plate.
Grab your go-to yoghurt, mix in some crushed biscuits to create a cake-like vibe. I like to use Plazma biscuit as it has vitamins and minerals like calcium, phosphorus and iron. You could also use Weetbix Little Kids Essentials which contains prebiotics, high fibre, 3 whole grains, 9 essential vitamins and minerals.
This plate pictured is a little more fancy, I had some leftover zucchini brownie which I sprinkled on top for some extra yum!
I hope these ideas have inspired you to get creative with ingredients you already have in your fridge and cupboard! Let me know in the comments below is any of these are a hit with your little ones, I’d love to hear from you!