Help,
My five year old does not seem interested in my breakfast choices unless they are something sweet and not good for you. I would rather he didn't eat breakfast at all than fill him with sugared cereal or poptart. I have much older children that I know I made substantial meals before school but I can't remember what. I have fallen into the habit of giving him an energy bar that is low in sugar and high in protein so he has something in the morning.
This situation has become a worry because he starts Kindergarten next week and I want him to have the best start in the morning. I am very handy in the kitchen and love making breakfasts for my family but I have drawn a blank on new ideas to put in front of him. Ideas on dinner items that your children eat for breakfast are also encouraged.
Thank you,
Evelyn
Thank you for all your ideas. I'm sure they must seem so easy but I was in a brain freeze for ideas. He has started school now and he has enjoyed french toast sticks that I made up before and froze. So far smoothies, pancakes with fruit and diffferent cereals are up next. I also feel less guilty in giving him a energy bar once in a while. Your response has been great and I am still getting new ideas.
Hi Evelyn,
Try making french toast with 100% whole wheat bread and put a cap of vanilla and some cinnamon in the eggs. Then top it with slices of bananas. Put some raisins on the banana slices to make faces on them. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar for sweetness and call it snow. It is a lot less sugar than syrup or honey. And kids have fun decorating their breakfast by themselves, too!
Good Luck, C.
Hi E.
My kids get excited about making breakfast (or anytime for that matter shakes). Their favorite is chocolate/peanut butter/banana. My six year old can make them by himself now (with my supervision). I use one heaping scoop of the Juice Plus Complete chocolate nutritional powder, about 1 cup of ice (or more for thickness he likes), Enough non fat milk to cover the ice, one banana, and one large scoop peanut butter. Blend til smooth. They love it. It can be a meal replacement or supplemental to a meal, or used when he's hungry to a snack. I also make them fruit shakes with the Juice Plus Complete Vanilla, frozen fruit, OJ and honey to taste. By allowing him to help make them it becomes a treat. You couldn't find a healthier solution for him then Juice Plus. I highly recommend their childrens chewables or gummies which will make you feel better knowing he's getting the nutrients of 17 whole food fruits and vegetables in his body every day. Check out this website at www.juiceplus.com/+cc42230. Good Luck!
My son (5 1/2) is not much of a breakfast eater, either, never has been, not even as an infant! Seems to run in the family. My brother and I are the same way. I can't eat until I've been up close to an hour after I've awakened.
My son started Kindergarten last year and my concern was the same as yours. I watch him, and for him to eat a large breakfast makes him feel physically ill (this is the same outcome I have as well as my brother, which is why I think maybe it's some genetic proclivity?)
One thing I do is to give him 2 or 3 choices the night before for what he wants to eat for breakfast the next morning. In the morning, if he balks at it, I remind him that is what he chose the night before.
I think something like a power bar is just fine...gives him nutrition and a start for the day. I usually give my son really simple, SMALL, and nutritious choices for breakfast. A small bowl of cereal without milk (I buy the cereals that are made with whole grain, but have add something sweet to it like raisins, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, dried cranberries, etc.), a small cup of yogurt or bottle of drinkable yogurt, a small wholegrain blueberry waffle "cut like a pizza", french toast sticks that he can dip in a little syrup, a Special K bar, etc. He also has to drink milk or orange juice.
We live a few blocks from his school, so I also had as a rule that if he didn't eat his breakfast (or took too long eating it such that he would be late), we had to RUN to school instead of getting to take our time walking leisurely together. I'd make him do sprints the entire way. That happened a few times, then he got the picture and started to eat his breakfast so not to have to arrive sweaty and out of breath to school. Ha! (Hey, it gave me a good workout to since I had to run alongside him!). :-D
Good luck and hope something works for you!
Sincerely,
S.
Try a breakfast smoothie. All kids love them. Ice, Orange Juice, Plain Yogurt, banana(or any fruit of choice) and blend. You can also use apple juice, soy milk, or any other juice. :) Hope this helps :)
HI! I have to say this, because I have children who are the same and I am also, first off you are doing him a great favor by giving him the protein bar thats low in sugar. Your morning meal should be a happy meal and also, dont worry too much about it being hearty. As a type 1 diabetic, with children who are now predisposed to it. I monitor all that we eat! Here is what we have learned. If you dont have it in the house, they wont eat it and after a while they forget to even ask for it ( it being sweet space wasting cereals and junk like pop tarts ). Is he going to be in kindergarten all day? if so what kind of time frame does he have to wait till snack time? and then again till lunch? If its a short part time kinder like here in oceanside california. It makes planning a little easier as far as food is concerned. My children ages 2,7,9,14,18 and I wake up, and because I feel that its a good idea to get them started now so that adult activities dont come as a surprise to them so they actually do chores first, make beds, get ready for school and help me make breakfast I do this so that they can get their metabolisms moving and also just get a good jump start on the day. breakfast is fairly small, but high protein and with good complex carbohydrates. the morning is when your metabolism is at its slowest and your body does better with protein at this time. we do allot of smoothies, I use arbonne international's protien shakes and fruits, they have 3 flavors and the protein is made from pea protein so its not whey or soy based. there is always some form of peanut butter somewhere in my house. eggs, we do allot of eggs... i make them fun for the kids because eggs are a great thing!!
scramble a few eggs, top with some chopped pepperoni not my favorite because i dont like the oil sodium but my sons love it. and then some shredded mozerella cheese! Pizza eggs.
nothing beats a sandwich, scrambled eggs on buttered toast, with a slice of ham or bacon and a dab of tomato catsup. its an eat and run kinda thing.
my children had a mexican babysitter at one point so they love breakfast burritos. and these are the same as the sandwiches i just mentioned except you wrap them in flour tortillas!
ok now for my favorite!!! a plain old grilled cheese sandwich, glass of juice and a gogurt!!
easy peasy!!!
good luck
email me for ideas, i have picky kids who can drive a person crazy with food issues... ____@____.com
R.
Hi Evelyn,
You may have tried already, but the Special K fruit and yogurt cereals are actually very sweet tasting and nutritionally excellent with lots of fiber. We also use plenty of tree fruits (peaches and nectarines, etc..) and bananas with cereals (which have lots of natural sugars and fiber) which are a great way to start the day. I'm guessing that you may have tried all of this, but I thought I would add my 2 cents.
My four yr old loves toast with peanut butter. I use a whole-wheat bread thats made with a tiny bit of brown sugar so it has a little sweetness to it. I don't remember the brand but the package has purple on it and its just called "healthy multi-grain bread." I give her some kind of fruit on the side like sliced melon or mango. She also loves sliced strawberries with "pink dip," which is just a little cream cheese spread with about a teaspoon of strawberry jelly mixed in. Also there are a lot of good whole grain cereals that are slightly sweet without a whole lot of sugar. You may want to try yogurt burst cheerios (strawberry or vanilla) with banana or something on the side. Low sugar kids yogurts are good too. Good luck!
I know you have heard this a million times but breakfast is the most important part of the day. Young minds need nourishment (old minds too! LOL). It is up to you to ensure he gets what he needs.
My clients find success with a high grade pratein shake (not one you get in WalMart) that their kids get to make. They can put in fresh fruit, frozen fruit, ice, whatever...just make it fun.
Protein bars, the right ones (watch the low sugar - they can have aspartame and that is poison to ones brain) are a GREAT choice. Don't feel guilty. If your kid is eating something better than a sugary breakfast cereal then you are doing better than about 50% (conservative #) of the families out there.
Keep up the great work. Keep offering him healthy choices, he will come around.
My little ones love pancakes with just a sprinkle of powdered sugar (no butter) - I mix about 1/3 of a cup of unsweetened applesauce into the pancake mix (which is just the box kind) and you can't even taste it but they get a little fruit w/it... I usu do this with half a banana and a glass of milk. Also french toast with just a little powdered sugar as well. It really sweetens it up with MUCH less sugar than you would use w/regular sugar or syrup. For a treat they have a couple links of turkey sausage with it. Good luck!
Hi Evelyn
I have a 5yr old daughter who also started kindergarten. I had the same issue with her as well. I also work full time and do not have enough time to make breakfast in the mornings. To make her interested in breakfast I would make mickey mouse shaped pancakes with bananas during the weekend and freeze them. This way she would have something hearty to eat for breakfast during the week. I serve it with eggs for a bonus. Just a suggestion. Good luck!
I love making my childrens breakfast in the morning and my older two could eat all morning and have always been like that but my 2 year old doesnt eat so well in the mornings, he doesnt really show any interest. So I try to make sure he has at least fruit like an apple or banana or strawberries i feel good if he at least has that. I have also made like my own kind of trail mix with a cereal (even sweetened might be ok) and raisins and peanuts.
