It’s true, breakfast, is the most important meal of the day and getting your kids the proper nutrition is essential for giving their brains fuel to stay alert and focused. Getting your kids out the door in the mornings can be hectic, but don’t let them miss breakfast!
5 Great Power Breakfast Options for the School Year
Your kids little bodies need proper nourishment to function optimally, including the brain. Breakfast is important because the body has taken a break from ingesting food while you slept. Help your kids start the day well with the following power breakfast tips:
1) Overnight Oats
You can’t beat fun, easy, and nutritional. Just mix, and set in the fridge so that in the morning you just pull it out, give it to the kids and watch their faces light up as they savor this healthy, tasty meal. Let your creativity shine when mixing the ingredients. Bonus points for getting the kids involved.
Recipe:
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup fat free milk or almond milk
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- 2 tbsp protein powder
- 1 tsp chia seeds
Method: Combine all ingredients except for ¼ cup of fat free milk and blueberries inside a jar. Top oat mixture with blueberries and remaining milk. Let sit overnight and enjoy in the morning!
2) Breakfast Bars
Breakfast bars are a healthy snack that kids are sure to enjoy. Put these in a bag and take these nutritional bars on the go to enjoy a healthy snack wherever you go. Bake and store in an airtight container and enjoy for about 4-5 days. You can add the dried fruits of your choice.
Recipe:
- 1 (400) milliliter can condensed milk sweetened
- 2 ½ cups oats rolled (not instant)
- 1 cup coconut shredded
- ½ cup cranberries dried
- ½ cup sultanas
- ¼ cup seeds mixed (pumpkin, sunflower)
- ¼ cup almonds chopped
- ½ cup peanuts natural unsalted
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 150° and line a baking tin with parchment paper.
- Warm the condensed milk in a large pan.
- Meanwhile, mix together all the other ingredients and then add the warmed condensed milk, using a rubber or wooden spatula to fold and redistribute.
- Spread the mixture into the tin and press down with the spatula to even the surface.
- Bake for 1 hour, then remove from the oven and, after about 15 minutes, cut into bars. Let cool completely.
3) Energizing Green Juice
Vegetables are the perfect fuel to get your kids energy revved up for the day. This tasty green juice has the essential nutritional boost packed into an easy to drink form that your kids are sure to enjoy.
Recipe:
- 2-3 cups filters water
- 1 small handful of parsley
- 1 small handful of spinach
- I small handful of kale
- 2 stalks chopped celery
- 1 small knob of fresh ginger, skin removed
- 1 chopped cucumber
- 1 large sweet apple, cored and quartered
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1 lemon, juiced
Method:
- Put all the ingredients into a bowl, starting with 2 cups of water. Blend until smooth.
- Put a towel or strainer over another bowl and pour the juice.
- Drink immediately or keep in the fridge for max 2 days.
4) Real Fruit Smoothies
Just in case your kids refuse all that’s green, real fruit smoothies could be the ace up your sleeve. Easy to whip up and enjoy, great for mornings before school. The best part is if you have a picky eater, you can ever so sneakily add vegetables with your kids being none the wiser.
Recipe:
- 2 cups mixed fruit- strawberries, raspberries, or mangoes; your choice
- 1 banana
- 1 handful of spinach, washed and stems removed
- ⅓ cup greek or low fat yogurt
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ cup favorite juice (orange, mango, apple or cranberry work well)
Method:
- Lightly blend frozen fruit, banana, spinach, and yogurt in blender.
- Add juice and honey, continue blending. More juice, berries, and yogurt added to your liking. Bananas and honey are a healthy way to add sweetness. Using frozen fruit eliminates the need to use ice cubes.
5) Breakfast Cookies
Sometimes kids can be a little picky about what kind of food that they eat. Many agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If your kid is a picky eater, cookies are a sure fire way to get them to eat a nutrient packed breakfast.
Recipe:
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 cup quick oats
- 2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs, well beaten
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup mixed dried fruit/nuts/ seeds of your choice
Method:
- Preheat oven to 300°F
- Mix brown sugar, oatmeal, oil and let stand 8 hours or overnight
- Add eggs, salt, vanilla extract and your choice of dried fruits, nuts, and seeds
- Drop spoonfuls on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. If you like a crisper cookie, bake additional 5 minutes.
Give Your Kids a Strong Start
You and your kids are busy and breakfast is easy to skip. Keep a handful of power breakfast options at your fingertips to make sure your kids start each day well. As you can see, putting healthy options on the table doesn’t have to be difficult or time-consuming. It just needs to be tasty.
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