We’ve all heard that breakfast is an important meal. After fasting all night, our bodies need some fuel before heading into another day. This is especially true for children. And since September 26 is National Better Breakfast Day, it’s a great time to reconsider how we do breakfasts with our kids. Let’s look at how we can make a plan for a better breakfast for our families.
The convenience issue
Mornings are hard. If we aren’t heading to work or trying to get to school, then we might be juggling young children at home after very little sleep. No matter where you are in the morning, it’s a challenge. We’re unlikely to get up even earlier to cook a healthy breakfast, have time to eat it, AND clean up afterward. Instead, we tend to go for the quick and easy.
As adults, we might skip breakfast ourselves, but we know our kids need something to eat. So we hand our kids something packaged or convenient, probably mostly carbs. And we know those don’t last long. Our kids will need a snack within a short time. It really is a difficult dilemma.
In fact, most people wish they could have a better breakfast. According to a Better Breakfast Day survey, almost 75% of people are not happy with their breakfast options. Convenience is key in choosing a breakfast for almost half of the people surveyed.
Many people are concerned with getting protein at breakfast, and for good reason. Protein fuels our bodies in a much more sustained way. And again, it’s much better for our kids too. Kids get through the day better with high protein breakfasts. They can function longer and need fewer snacks when they start the day with protein.
There are convenient options
Thankfully, we have a lot of convenient options to make a plan for a better breakfast. There are convenient egg products that you can throw into the microwave and have ready in less than two minutes. There are instant oatmeal packets that you can teach your older kids to prepare themselves. Yes, oats have protein. You can prepare some hard boiled eggs, or even buy some hard boiled eggs, and hand one to your child along with their favorite sugary standby, and they will get some good protein added to their morning.
If you like to use unprocessed food, you can prepare oats ahead of time, either on the stove or in the refrigerator. If you use sturdier steel cut oats, you can cook them overnight in your slow cooker. Or there are many make-ahead egg options, like little muffin cup omelettes. In fact, there are also healthy oat based breakfast cookie recipes out there too. Or you could really go for the health factor and find some breakfast quinoa recipes. They’re out there.
Does your family like smoothies? Add some protein powder to your favorite smoothie, and you’re much more fueled for your day. And smoothies can be made ahead of time and frozen in individual servings. If you move them to the refrigerator the night before, you could have smoothies ready to go in the morning.
Whether you prefer packaged food or homemade food, there are options for a more healthy, protein based breakfast for you and your kids. Like any change, it will take a bit of planning. So look at what’s available for your family’s needs, and make a plan for a better breakfast. National Better Breakfast Day is the perfect time to do this.
Do you need some help getting your kids on board?
We have some fun shows about healthy eating and living. Our shows are not only fun, but educational as well. Check out the Rachel and the TreeSchoolers episode, Happy, Healthy Me, or our Classic Signing Time Series episode, Time to Eat. There’s also an episode of Rachel & Me, Healthy Eating that your kids could enjoy, and hearing about health from someone else can convince your kids to consider it.
You can access all of our fun, educational programming from any device with a My Signing Time digital subscription. Try it out with a 14-day free trial right here!