On the Go Healthy Breakfast Food

Steel Cut Oats put in a crock pot (with water) at night before going to bed. Wake up to smooth and delicious oatmeal. Perfect and extraordinarily good for the entire family.

I second tina, baggy of cereal and sippy of milk. Just dont forget to take the cup out of the car when you get home cause that could get nasty.

Ahead of time cook a bunch of scrambled eggs and a bunch of bacon or sausage. Then wrap them in a bunch of tortillas with anything else your family likes (I like onions and salsa). Then wrap them individually in foil and pop them in the freezer. Then, in the mornings, you can nuke however many you want. You can make enough ahead of time for an entire week.

I make my son "parfaits" and he loves them! I take one of his old sippee cups with two handles (no lid, of course) and put in a layer of banana slices, then a layer of vanilla yogurt, then another layer of each. Usually I'll put a little "surprise" on the bottom like a few chocolate covered sunflower seeds. You can use other fruits and flavors of yogurt to change it up.

It's best to eat at a table, but in the sippee cup you can take it in the car and eat it with a spoon. And it only takes 5 minutes tops to prepare!

Fruit is always good- instant oatmeal ( they make organic and natural kids without too much sugar) dry cereal in a baggie (cheerios, organic elmo o's, clifford crunch are all good "on the go")
regular fig newtons, precooked bacon, tortillas rolled up with cooked eggs and cheese.
mini bagels (they make cinnamon rasin kind) bananas -
be creative - good luck to you!
nikki

as far as eating at the table, making scramble eggs and putting some cheese in for flavor. toast and fruit(bannanas, apples, grapes, blueberries, strawberrie).

Drinkable yogurt, granola bars, fruit, bagels etc. Who has time to cook eggs and such before work? I couldn't do that even before I had kids!

I remember reading a long interview with 3 nutritionists about various kinds of healthy breakfasts for kids and adults, and there was all kinds of advice (like always try to have some fruit), but the thing that struck me was that when they asked the nutritionists what THEY had had that morning for breakfast, 2 out of the 3 said peanut butter on whole wheat toast. That really struck a note with me, so I try to do that some mornings, and it's usually so filling that I can eat a light lunch. ( I think the third nutritionist said he had instant oatmeal straight out of the bag - no hot water, nothing. Which is just as healthy, but... kinda quirky. The guy doing the interview gave it a shot and said "Edible, but I think most people will have a problem with the texture.")

Bagels or mini-bagels, especially with peanut butter instead of cream cheese. I also make veggie sausage patties (45 seconds or so in the microwave) because they are loaded with protein and low in fat. They aren't just for vegetarians. (Lots of brands out there - Morningstar Farms is pretty good.)

My husband gives the kids plain Cheerios, but lets 'em sweeten with a little honey. I've had the mandatory fruit with breakfast for years, but whenever I remind my husband, he looks at me like it's something I just made up. (Fresh, real fruit, like strawberries, cherries, super-ripe canteloupe or watermelon)

Me: Have the kids finished breakfast?
husband:Yes
Me:Did they have any fruit?
husband:No
Me: Then they didn't finish breakfast, did they?
husband: <looks at me completely bewildered, like he's never heard this before - like I'm suggesting escargot with breakfast >

Instant oatmeal is great, and even brands like Quaker are making lower-sugar varieties. (They are still PLENTY sweet enough). And remember that even if the package of oatmeal has the same number of calories on the nutrition label as some highly sweetened kids cereals, a lot of those calories are locked up as complex carbohydrates, so it takes longer for the body to digest and there's a slower, more steady stream of nutrition throughout the morning. (Rather than a sugar rush that lasts for an hour or two and then leaves them hungry and sometimes cranky.)

Cereal in a ziplock bag, a sippy cup of milk.

I buy whole grain flour and once a week make muffins out of them with strawberries or blueberries, I put yogurt to add a little sweetness and moistness.
I freeze them and then stick them in the toaster in the morns.
Quick and healthy.

Well, there are pre-made things, of course, that you can buy like cereal bars,bananas, etc. If you're looking for some ideas for things that can easily be taken in the car and not make a huge mess, Oatmeal Cookies work well. I know of some other recipes -- I'll see if I can find you some equivalents online and get the links:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Neecies-PBJ-Bars/Detail.aspx

http://www.cooksrecipes.com/bar/chewy_fruit_%26_oatmeal_b...

http://www.bhg.com/home/Healthy-Breakfast.html

Hope that helps!

Our favorite fast breakfast is a smoothie. In a blender, put frozen berries, banana, OJ, vanilla yogurt, bran cereal, and any other fruit on hand. Blend until smooth. You need something frozen to keep it cool; you could add ice. Too much cereal will make it thick. Experiment to suit your tastes. We also put extra into a popsicle mold for frozen treats. Fruit, fiber, calcium. What's not to love? Yum!

Hi T.! My daughter is 3 1/2 years old & this it what we do on some mornings.

Eggs on the Run
1/4 C egg substitute, or 2 eggs
1 t milk
cheese, whatever your girl likes!
2 drops tabasco
salt & pepper to taste
flour tortillas - warmed
cooking spray
Spray small dish w/cooking spray. Whip eggs & milk,
cheese, tabasco, & pepper. Place in dish. Microwave on High 1 min.
Roll up egg into tortilla & run out the door!
I hope this helps!
S.

We do breakfast on the run all the time, so I feel like an 'expert' here! We do a few different things, one of which you might find do-able for your family too.
1. Nuts and raisins in a baggy-they have to eat the nuts first to eat the raisins. Another baggie with cereal in it, and a bottle of water. This can all be pre-packaged, and has fiber, protein and complex carbs. Then a banana, apple, or some other fruit.
2. A spoonful of nut-butter (peanut or almond) along with the other baggies mentioned above.

3. premade sandwiches with a piece of fruit.

4. I know of a great kid and adult-friendly breakfast bar that actually has a good amount of protein and fiber, and tastes really great. Let me know if you want to know where to find them: ____@____.com luck!!

There are some great oatmeal breakfast bars on the market that can be eaten right out of the pkg or microwaved for 20 seconds and they taste like a cookie but provide protein and fiber. You can also scramble an egg and microwave it for 1 minute (I usually stir it half way through and spray the bowl with Pam) and then put it in a tortilla or on toast or english muffin, etc. Peanut butter spread on an apple is good, too. Kids love it(kind of tasts like a caramel apple)and that way it is a serving of fruit and protein-serve it with some milk and you've got a healthy, well-balanced meal.
My 2 1/2 year old eats instant oatmeal almost every morning for breakfast and she loves it. I just vary the flavors daily. Even something as simple as a piece of fruit and a piece of cheese toast covers most of their needs.
I also do smoothies sometimes, which I forgot to mention so I wanted to come back an edit to add. I use frozen fruit, a banana and skim milk, but you can add yogurt(I do if I have some)and bran or cereal. I personally like it with just the fruit and milk and buying the frozen fruit means no spoilage and it also prevents you from having to use ice. It ends up with a milk shake consistency. Good luck!

I would try Kashi bars if you pop them in the microwave for a second it softens them up some.

My 5 year old loves a toasted frozen waffle each morning before school, also cup of yogurt. Once he is back on eggs I like that tortilla wrapped idea. We have done the waffle in the car , using a container with high sides and plastic fork.

Here are my ideas:

Cheerios and milk (fat-free or unsweetened soy) and some blueberries. If you need to eat in the car you can get milk (regular or soy) in the disposable juice-type boxes at Costco, and put the Cheerios and blueberries in a ziploc for eating in the car.

Cook steel-cut oats in the crockpot overnight and then it's ready in the morning. There are recipes for this on the Internet, just Google it.

On the weekends, when you have more time, make pancakes and french toast and freeze the leftovers in individual ziplocs. During the week, take out a pancake and stick it in the toaster and I swear it tastes like you just cooked it! Avoid reheating in the microwave because it tastes - well, like it was microwaved.

Peanut butter and banana sandwiches on whole-wheat bread.

Cottage cheese, sliced peaches (fresh or canned with natural juice) and whole-wheat toast or english muffin.

Tips for eating in the car with kids:
Keep a roll of paper towels and a container of wipies in the car.

Go to Ross or Marshalls in the housewares section and get a tray with sides for each kid to keep in the car. It will help them to have a "table". You can also get a rectangular shaped tupperware type plastic container that they can use like the tray. Since it has a lid, this may be a better plan as they can leave their trash and leftovers in the container and put the lid on it.

Leave the DVD player and radio off during meal time in the car. Use this time for family conversation. Don't give that up just because you're pressed for time and eating in the car.

Oatmeal that has been cooled down.

Hi T.,
I'm sure you have received quite a few responses by now but I wanted to reply. It's so hard to find quick, on the go, food that is good for us and our children:) That is why I am so excited about where I shop. It's a store that is dedicated to using the best ingredients without alot of the sugary ingredients, but they still taste good (yes, even 4 year olds enjoy the taste). Anyway, let me know if you are interested in finding out more.

Hi T.,

You really got some good ideas here! Remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it does not have to be traditional just nutritious. Any healthy on-the-go meal is fine in the morning. Our American society has made our "normal" breakfast traditional because of our past farming lifestyle. Raw veggies or peanuts and a banana are just as good in the AM as they are in the PM.

Regards,

M.

I am late responding, so you probably got a lot of wonderful ideas! I did just try a new product called Bagelfuls (freezer section) the other day that were very good and super easy. Of course, you could make your own bagel.

I saw these two "recipes" today that might interest you:

http://www.boxtops4education.com/Recipes/RecipeDetail.asp...

http://www.thecampingclub.com/zzrecipes/bananadog.html

T.