*this is a collaborative post*
Breakfast cereal is a bit of a treat in our house, I am incredibly fussy about what we have for breakfast, and also about making sure the kids eat breakfast every day. Both of them can and often do make their own, but I make sure in the week, that they have easy, filling options, and at the weekends we splurge and enjoy cooked breakfasts or brunch out.
I am not a fan of most breakfast cereals marketed at kids, I don’t think they are very filling and they tend to be on the sugary side, or at least over sweet. We do have one or two cereals we love with no added nasties, and when we go on holiday we let them choose their favourites to have but in the school week, we need simple but fill tummies til lunchtime breakfast ideas.
My kids have their personal favourites each. The easiest option for both of them is toast with their favourite toppings. The tween likes cream cheese and ham, and the boy prefers goats cheese with marmite (yes, a strange combination, but it’s a healthy protein choice and easy to put together) and they usually have a yoghurt and some fruit juice as well.
Image by Frank Oschatz on Pixaby
But I do like to mix it up and on the days I am not rushing out with them to get to work and school, I like to spend a few extra minutes making something we can all enjoy.
These are some ideas that might work, if you are a busy family, looking for beyond breakfast cereal ideas. These are all easy and food budget manageable.
Potato waffles with baked beans – quick, filling, and healthy. I keep a stash of waffles in the freezer which can be cooked under the grill whilst I am making coffee and feeding the various pets, they don’t take long.
Scrambled eggs and toast – again, easy, cheap, filling, and my tween can make this, within a few minutes.
Baked avacado with egg and grated cheese – this is a bit more of a splurge but if we have avocados that need to be eaten it’s a quick way to get healthy fats into the kids, and they both like it as a break from their usual breakfasts.
Baked egg muffins – I whisk a couple of eggs and pour the egg batter into lightly greased muffin trays and top with whatever I have in the fridge, ham, cheese, leftover veg like sweetcorn, or some chopped tomatoes. I bake them for 10 -15 minutes and they are good to go. The tween likes these when she is running late as she can eat them as breakfast to go if she needs it.
Smoothies – always a good fall back and a way to use up fruit and veg that might be lurking. I tend to just throw whatever we feel like, either fresh or frozen (frozen fruit works well for these and is cheap and keeps well in the freezer) into our blender, with some non-dairy milk or yoghurt and blend it up until smooth. This is my way of sneaking fruit and veg into the kids and they think it’s a huge treat.
At the weekends when we have more time, I like to cook breakfasts. Sometimes we will buy ready to warm pastries for a real treat, but both kids do very early dance and swim classes at the weekend so they need filling up to manage those.
Pancakes – American style, with blueberries and various toppings are a firm favourite.
Bacon & eggs – this with all the trimmings go down well, although I don’t like the washing up afterwards and try to pass that off on everyone else.
Waffles – are also requested and as I was given a waffle maker, after years of major hinting that I wanted one, I am happy to pull it out some waffle mix for a quick and easy meal and serve them with sauce, fruit, maple syrup or bacon.
Image by Pezibear on Pixaby
Breakfast muffins. I love this recipe that you can keep in the fridge once you have made it up and use it as and when you need it. I personally like making these, it makes the house smell amazing, and if I am lucky, I can make enough of a batch to distract everyone whilst I take a couple myself, on a plate, with my coffee and my book and go back to bed for half an hour of peace before they notice I have gone.
Breakfast is, I think the most important meal of the day, and starting off with something that fils you up, that keeps you going til lunch, that everyone can enjoy is something I like to do. It doesn’t have to be boring, or just cereal, you can mix and match to suit your time, your cooking abilities, and your budget.
What breakfast ideas work in your house? We are always keen to get new recipes and tips.
My girls have toast or cereal in the summer but in the winter they tend to have something warm. They love potato waffles and baked beans and scrambled eggs on toast as well as the usual porridge.