3Rd Grader Won't Eat Breakfast

My 5 year old is the same way. She hardly eats anything in the morning and when she does it is only a couple of bites. Lately I've been giving her Carnation Instant Breakfast to drink along with some peanut butter crackers. At least she goes to school with something in her tummy.

Try a cereal bar or granola bar. My son is the same way. But he will take a bar or sometimes a pop tart for the bus ride to school.

Keep giving the healthy choices - all I ask is that my kids take one bite of everything. Worse case scenario, they go to school with 3 bites of healthy food (fruits, vegies, lean protein, 100% whole wheat bread).

Sooner or later, they will eat more. Children will not intentionally starve themselves. Although it may seem that way to us!

GL to you!

I have a 4th grader who doesn't like breakfast foods. This may have the nutrition police after me, but I figure something is better than nothing. I make him grilled cheese on an english muffin. Either that or if we have leftover pizza he'll eat that. He's just not a big fan of eggs and other traditional breakfasts, so I feed him what he'll eat. I know other moms who have resorted to smoothies with instant breakfast mix in them. Good luck. Jo

When I was a kid, I remember thinking it was too bad that we couldn't have supper-type food for breakfast, instead of what people arbitrarily call breakfast food. If there are main course foods that you know he likes - let's say, a bowl of soup, a chicken drumstick, baked beans, a burger, melted cheese on toast, whatever - you could try making some in advance and refrigerating or freezing them, then microwaving a serving for breakfast.

well as long as he'll eat cereal then don't fret. That's where kids get most of their fiber anyway. Yup, even the sugary ones. But maybe try something different - a bagel with cream cheese? just toast with butter? french toast sticks (the microwavable ones - quick & easy), toaster strudels are quick & good, nutrigrain bars, poptarts, even Hot Pocket breakfasts - scrambled eggs, cheese & bacon peices. My oldest LOVES those! They're quick to heat up & they're pretty filling! He can even eat it on the go.

But remember, YOU are the parent. You take charge, not him. And don't let him get away with it either. MAKE him eat. End of story. Good luck!

Hi Robbyn
My 8 years old the same. it might be the age.
I try to give him the fruit when he gets home before he eats anything alse, but he would not ate any vegetable at all
I would like to see other pleaples responses I hope you will post them back.
F.

I have one daughter who often doesn't want breakfast, unless I can come up with something she wants to have, and it's usually a non-traditional breakfast food. I will offer her left-overs from dinner, microwaved hotdogs, go-gurt (fun to squeeze into their mouths),crackers and cheese, or crackers and peanut butter, tunafish, lunchmeat, even preferred veggies like raw carrots or microwaved peas or lima beans, etc. Lately, Cliff Bars have been popular with her, as they have some association with being athletic and "cool" (she's 9). I like them for their protein content. It this point, I'm like you, I just want her to have something in her stomach before she leaves the house. I have a friend who often makes "power shakes" for her son-perhaps your son could have fun throwing things into the blender to whip up-provided that he drinks whatever he makes! Maybe giving him more control/choice will make it more likely to happen. Just try not to make it into a power struggle. Best of luck!

Ask the school if they serve breakfast in the morning to students when they arrive. Our school does, and a lot of students take advantage of this. We even have a free lunch program that qualified families can partake in. I think breakfast is included too. If not, pack a few granola bars and a piece of fruit they can eat when they get to school. It's hard to make kids eat so early in the morning.

Hi
I serve my kids 1/2 cup fruit juice, 1 cup of 2% milk and any grain product. granola bar, hot or cold cereal, ceral bar, bagel, waffle, grahm crackers, ritz, single serve cracker packs, 1 pop tart, pretzles, even leftover mac & cheese.

They don't need to have a protien first thing in the morning as their daily requirement is only 4 ounces for the day. I serve 2oz at lunch and 2oz at dinner. If they ask for more thats fine.

I like Wendy H's reply below - who says it has to be eggs for breakfast. As she said, pizza is good, and how about a NutriGrain bar in Strawberry or Blueberry. They are tasty. And Good Housekeeping said the best granola bars are Nature Valley. I was happy because those happen to be my favorite. I like the Oat and Honey, but the Maple Brown Sugar are great too, and the Peanut Butter ones also. And how about Maple Brown Sugar instant oatmeal? Or they have some that you can pour on some sweet strawberry sauce too - never had it, but your son might like it. Good luck!

I've made "breakfast icecream" for my kids, and they love it. And no -- it's not really ice cream. Take a cup or so of frozen fruit -- whatever kind they like -- add a couple of tablespoons of yogurt, a little sugar or honey if extra sweetening is needed (taste it first -- unlikely if you use flavored yogurt, more likely if you use plain, which I tend to) and buzz it in the food processor. It comes out looking and tasting like ice-cream, but it's really fruit and yogurt. Granted, they are less enthused about it this time of year than in the summer, but it still goes down pretty easily.

my theory is that they will eat when they are hungry. if hes not eating breakfast, and is finding that he is hungry until lunch, then im sure he will start eating breakfast. dont worry. your not a bad mom. i think at that age, they can start making those choices. i would still offer something in the am, but dont stress when he doesnt eat it. good luck!

You could try getting him up earlier to get him moving - maybe he'd be hungrier if he were a little more awake. The sugary cereal doesn't matter - he'll spike with energy and be hungry in an hour. Don't push it. You could switch to whole wheat waffles just to get a more complex carbohydrate into him.

My son LOVES my version of an "Egg McMuffin" - whole grain English muffin, toasted. Then I make an egg in a small pan - pour the egg in, and as it started to set, I throw a little cheese into the center, fold the edges toward the middle to make a little envelope, turn it once, and put it on the muffin. Wrap the muffin in foil and he can take it on the bus. You can also put a little turkey bacon on the muffin, or a slice of cheese on the muffin instead of in the egg. There's a lot of protein in it and the kids think it's fast food.

You could do a whole grain cereal bar too. Pack a snack with protein in it too.

Kids DO learn better with a decent breakfast in them, but you need to be more creative and stop feeling guilty - you're doing everything you can!

I also have a great receipe for protein-packed French toast and pancakes which my son devours. I make a batch up, freeze them, and pop out enough for a meal - he always thought it was frozen/instant food, and he ate it! Let me know if that would work and I'll give you the details.

Also consider non-typical breakfast foods - will he eat a slice of whole wheat pizza with veggies and cheese? Or even just cheese? It's still whole grain and protein. How about macaroni & cheese, but made with the whole grain pasta - Ronzoni even makes a "white" pasta that's made with whole grains but doesn't look brown. I've seen butternut squash pureed and mixed in with the cheese to look just as orange as the Kraft stuff. How about carrots dipped in hummus? Maybe if he thinks he's snacking, he'll eat?

Also find out what his friends are eating and see if there's anything there you can duplicate.
Good luck!

Mine loves oatmeal... with maple syrup of course.
Sometimes I put out raisins or craisins or nuts or berries for her to mix in.
Fun.

Does he have a snack at school during the mid-morning? Perhaps he would eat some fruit, cheese, nuts, raisins, veggies, yogurt or granola then.

I also have an 8 year old boy. Breakfast this AM was apple cider(there's a fruit!), french toast cut into "sticks" (make the egg & milk mixture the night before and keep in a plastic container)he dips in a small dish of syrup. Brown & Serve sausages, yesterday we had Boar's Head Canadian Bacon. While breakfast is cooking I make lunches. It really doesn't take more than ten minutes with one skillet.
We used to have trouble with eating a good breakfast UNTIL we started waking him up 15 minutes earlier than usual. It gave him a little more time to wake up and get ready to eat.
Can you send in cheese & crackers for a snack or a cereal bar just to keep him going until lunch? My 12 year old (who eats like a starving pirate keeps a Special K bar in his pocket because he says he "just can't make "til lunch"(at 11:30AM)!!!

Lender's Bagelfuls are a little pricey, but they are a bagel with the cream cheese in it. I try to keep a box in the fridge for my son (who also is not a big breakfast fan). That way he can grab one and eat it in the car on the way to wherever we are going.

Hi. I have an 8y/o dau, who has a 1 hour bus ride (no food allowed) and no snack time at school...fortunately, they DO serve breakfast at school, and it's reasonably priced, BUT the choice btwn a morning recess and breakfast..., OK so much for senarios...What does your son like to eat?? If he loves peanut butter, or turkey sandwiches, or pizza...then serve him that for breakfast...no one says breakfast has to be cereal, fruit and/or eggs. good luck!!

What about shakes will he drink them? If so you can find tons of recipes for what you can put in them (milk, fruit, yogurt, cooked oatmeal, wheat germ etc.) If he will drink that you may be able to 'hide' a bunch of good stuff in them...

I also have an 8 yr old boy. His bus comes at 8am and he's a slow goer. We pick his clothes out the night before and when he wakes up he gets dressed first.We wake him up around 7am. Then we let him lay around on the couch till about 7:20 and usually by then he is looking for something to eat. I make large batches of pancakes, waffles and french toast on the weekends and then that way we only have to heat them up in the microwave. I always give them 100% juice with breakfast, that way I know that they are also getting a fruit serving in the morning. Hope this helps.

will he drink Carnation Instand Breakfast? or a fruit/soy milk protein shake?

My daughter has those days when she won't eat or takes forever to eat something. I sometimes have to bribe her..."if you eat all of your breakfast you can have a fruit roll up on the way to school" It may not be the best way to go but it works for me. Best of luck.

I also have a 3rd grade boy. He usually eats, pancakes, waffle, or muffin tops, or toast/english muffin. He likes melted cheddar cheese on the english muffin. Granola bars are good too, even if it is something that he can grab like that and eat on the way to school. Peanut butter on something is good too. I know I dont like to eat first thing so allow him some waking up time before he eats, and perhaps take him to the store with you to pick out his breakfast food. My son does eat some fruit w/breakfast, but he's never been a egg person ........ I figure, morning, before school is not the time to bug a 8yr boy about eating his fruit!!! Just as long as he eats something!! Good luck

How about a fruit bar? One of my daughter's can eat a full meal when she gets up. The other just isn't ready until we get in the car for school. She eats the bar on the way. I have found that it's worse if I try to force something. I know it takes me a while in the a.m. to want more than a cup of tea.

Also...he probably has snack at school. If he won't/can't eat first thing, pack a little extra fruit or other healthy snack.

Good luck,
J.

I know what thats like forunately the school my son goes to allows children to bring a snack all the way up threw grade school. Maybe you could suggest something to the school board. I think many kids have a hard time eating well early in the morning. I don't know what time your son gets up but maybe if breakfast was the last thing he did before going off to school it might help. Maybe you could offer a breakfast smoothie or yogurt. My oldest loves oatmeal and all I add is a little dot of brown sugar in the center so it doesn't end up with too much added sugar. I know they have whole grain waffles if you don't add too much syrup that isn't too bad of a breakfast. Or what about school breakfast. Good luck. I know it isn't easy trying to get them to eat well before running out the door for school

Just wondering if your son is eating too close to bedtime. I know for my older daughter (and myself too) - if she eats too close to bedtime, it doesn't seem to digest overnight and she doesn't want any breakfast in the morning. However, when she's eaten at a reasonable time before bedtime, and no "bedtime snack" - she wakes up ravenous and eats a good breakfast that will last her through until lunch. Maybe that's his problem too?
Otherwise - and I know you feel bad because I have this same problem with my youngest daughter - if he goes a day or two with that starving hungry feeling all morning at school, he'll soon catch on that he better eat before he goes to school. It will only take a day or two - he's in 3rd grade, he'll get the concept.

Of course you are concerned. Breakfast is a very important meal. But you do not need to try to force the "traditional" breakfast meals on him.
How about letting him choose from a selection of healthy foods?
Peanut butter sandwich? Peanut butter on a banana? Toasted cheese sandwich?
Some of the new yogurts with crunchies on them?
Nutritional bars? There are some pretty tasty ones at the health food stores too. Bit of butter on the toaster ones, glass of milk..
Waffles and sugary cereals should perhaps not be one of the choices.
I have a grandson who eats the most peculiar choices for breakfast. Beans, mac and cheese, those oriental noodles. Soups of all sorts.
Some people (me included) have a hard time putting food on the tummy in the morning. I have to as I am diabetic. I have a drink, half cup sugarless juice, half to one cup yogurt, mix it with frozen peaches, strawberries, mangos, papayas, bit of nutmeg. Everyone loves it and it sets well on empty stomache. I have a piece of toast and cup of tea with it.
Perhaps you could try this out.
Maybe you need to think out of the box on this hon, tell your son skipping breakfast is NOT an option but you are willing to provide foods that he chooses from a nutritious selection that you approve.
You think?

Best wishes and God bless
Grandmother Lowell

PS. I have a wonderful recipe for homemade granola that I used to make for my teenagers who did not have time to eat breakfast. It is very tasty and they used it for a snack as well as breakfast. Mostly ate it dry and had glass of milk with it to make complete protein. If you like I would send you the recipe.

I have this problem with my 3 year old. She has never been a good breakfast eater. The problem is that if i stick to it and don't allow her to eat anything that is not healthy she crashes at about 10:30. This is ususally when we are out and about and it makes things miserable.

So.. i have just kind of given up and give her some sugar cereal for breakfast. At least it's something in her belly. This is the only "treat" she gets all day long we never have candy, soda, chips... any of that stuff in the house.

My Third grader won't eat bfast either. I let HER make a milk shake. In the blender she starts with milk and then adds whtever she feels like that morning. Sometimes a banana, a yogurt, frozen blueberries, wheat germ, fruit, a little ovaltine. At least she gets something in her tummy and I know that the base is milk, whatever else comes with it is a bonus. I also pack a good snack, as that will be part of the second breakfast for her.