Breakfast Help! - Aubrey,TX

Milk really is a super food (proteins, fats, sugars, vitamins & minerals), so if she's downing a big sippy of warm whole milk or hot chocolate (made with milk) in the morning I wouldn't be too concerned. You can add things to it, like instant breakfast or protein powder. But whole milk will get her through.

We often did/do breakfast in the car. One of my son's favorites was scrambled eggs. To make that work with rushed mornings I would scramble them the night before and put them in the fridge in a ziplock twist & seal carrier. Then in the morning I'd zap them warm, and he'd eat them with his fingers in the car. Babywipes for hands when done, and voila.

I mention the eggs... because he always seemed to need to 'work himself up' to cold or crunchy foods in the morning... and we plain and simple didn't have the time.

I wouldn't let this stress you out. offer the food. if she eats ok if not ok. at a daycare they have snack/meal times just about every 2 hours. breakfast at lik 8, snack at about 930, lunch at 1130 snack again about 2or 3 or so and you feed her supper at home. she will eat if she is hungry. i hate eating anything first thing in the morning. if your offering it she will be fine.

Your morning sounds exactly like ours. My son is 19 months. He starts his day with only a graham cracker or dry cereal until he gets to day care. Sometimes he eats it other times he throws it around the car. Then he has a sippy full of milk. Then a bit later like around 9 he gets his breakfast. Breakfast varies of a combination of waffles, pancakes, cereal, fruit, yogurt, etc and another cup of milk. He weighs 26 lbs and is in the 50 % of height and weight. Hope this helps! Hopefully we will find what we are doing is OK and not that we should wake the kids up any earlier than we have too! 0615 is way too early for them to ‘start’ the day but what can you do? Good luck!

What about drinkable yogurt in the morning rather than (or mixed with) her milk? Or maybe smoothies w/fresh or frozen fruit, vanilla yogurt and milk? They are easy to make, esp if you just use a banana for the fruit. She will probably like them because they are sweet.

I wouldn't worry too much though... she will eat what she needs throughout the day.

You could also try smoothies. You can pack them full of vitamins and nutirents.

I agree with the smoothie idea, but I have to say that pediasure really isn't all that healthy. It is mostly sugar in order to offer calories. Vitamins and minerals outside of whole foods are not the same. So, a smoothie made from a good quality meal replacement powder is essential, then add some fruits and veggies in the smoothie. I don't recommend powders made with whey. It is a milk protein and is implicated in a number of allergy and immune system problems, as is all dairy (www.pcrm.org and www.strongbones.org). I have found a great powder, full of plant based foods. Let me know if you are interested in what my family uses. It is backed by independent research and is currently being used in a NIH study on cancer patients. It actually contains dehydrated fruit and vegetable juice powders. What do you have for breakfast? You could make one big one and share with your baby every day.

I would definitely cut out the milk. It would fill your little one up before she has a chance to eat more healthful foods. The waking up part is different. You'll have to get the daycare to help you with that.

Good luck and please let me know if I can offer any additional help. D.

I agree that you need to pack her a breakfast. A fruit/yogurt/grain (mini whole wheat bagel with jam perhaps). Then, you need to go in and tell them to be sure that she eats. Remember, at daycare, you are the boss. You are paying for a service and if offering your daughter breakfast at, let's say, 8am is what you want, then that's what you should get. She is only 17months. She should be on a regular eating schedule and they should be providing a regular breakfast schedule for you. If you wake her at 6:15 it's too long to wait until 9am to eat. Hope this helps.

Do the smoothie (if you have time) or Ensure instead of milk. Something like that will offer a little more nutrition. I would send "breakfast" to daycare with her if all they are offering is cereal or toast. Pack a banana and yogurt for her everyday that she can eat at 9am.

One thought is Pediasure instead of milk. Would she take a sippy full of Pediasure in the morning? Gotta slip those nutrients in somewhere! You could try getting her to sleep earlier at night so she will be perky in the morning. Easier said than done, I know. :)

I'm surprised your daycare doesn't give her breakfast. Our son gets milk in the morning when he gets up and then after he's at daycare for a bit he gets breakfast. I wonder if they would do that for you.