Parents and kids both understand that breakfast is one of the most essential meals of the day. Our healthy kid breakfast ideas offer a balanced mix of proteins, fats, and fibre to ensure kids remain full throughout their morning classes.
Be sure to add vegetables to your breakfast options for a nutritious start to your day, such as green monster muffins or avocado toast from Write of the Middle.
1. Eggs
Opting for healthier breakfast options like these delectable recipes could save you from consuming ten pounds of sugar each year! All are packed with protein, fibre, and vegetables—perfect for busy mornings!
A parfait is an ideal option because it combines various food groups at once, like whole grains, fruits, and dairy. Furthermore, it can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
If your kids are picky eaters, try making their food more engaging by using cute-shaped cutters for toast, like teddy bear faces or animal figures, to get them excited about breakfast. And don’t forget eggs—studies show they provide essential lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health (1)! These healthy eggs can be served solo, on English muffins (see below), in egg cup breakfast sandwiches or quiches as well.
2. Whole-grain muffins
Breakfast muffins made with whole-grain grains can provide your child with essential fibre, helping them feel full longer. Look for options with minimal added sugar or better yet, try creating your own healthy muffins using recipes like these.
Muffins are an easy breakfast activity that children can help create, providing an engaging way for them to get involved with eating healthily. Try this no-bake recipe that combines the nuttiness of oatmeal with honey and unsweetened coconut flakes for an energy-packed start to each day!
Johns suggests topping a whole-wheat English muffin with slices of fruit, cheese, and yoghurt for an extra protein-packed start to her daughter’s morning. (Chopping fruits like watermelons or cantaloupe beforehand helps toddlers manage them more easily while speeding up cooking time too.)
3. Waffles
Be a hero to your kids this morning by offering them nutritious waffles that won’t break the bank! Choose whole-grain versions for added fibre and energy boosts.
High-protein eggs cook right onto waffle batter in this delicious breakfast all-in-one. Plus, make a batch ahead and store leftovers in the freezer for easy breakfasting when time is of the essence!
Heat-and-eat breakfast burritos offer an easy breakfast solution that you can customise to meet your child’s dietary needs. Try including protein-packed ingredients like tofu and black beans or opting for veggie-packed varieties instead to cut calories further. Choose plant-based syrups over their high-sugar counterparts to reduce the calorie count further.
4. French Toast
Kids love French toast for breakfast as it provides them with protein that keeps them feeling full throughout their morning routine. Additionally, its versatility means it can be changed up using different ingredients, like berries or nuts for variety.
French toast is an easy and nutritious breakfast that kids can make themselves. Add low-fat cream cheese, nutella, or peanut butter as toppings, along with slices of fruit, for a nutritious and delectable start to any day!
Make ahead breakfast biscuit bombs—like mini croissants but packed full of protein and fibre—using canned biscuit dough and stuff them with scrambled eggs, cheese, and veggies for an indulgent start to the day! A hearty breakfast that will keep hunger at bay until lunch time arrives.
5. Breakfast Bars
Breakfast bars can provide an efficient source of protein, carbohydrates, and fat while also providing essential nutrients such as dietary fibre, plant-based proteins, and omega-3 fatty acids. Choose products with short ingredient lists as well as add-ins like chia, flax, or pumpkin seeds to increase their nutritional value further.
Thompson suggests making smoothies an easy grab-and-go solution, like this chocolate banana blend from Aimz High Fitness. Once your children can use a blender independently, prepping fruit with milk could become another grab-and-go solution to store in the refrigerator overnight.
If your kids enjoy sweet breakfast foods, why not make their morning more exciting by spreading whole grain toast with peanut butter, banana slices, or apple slices and topping it all off with fun shapes like bunny toast or an ant on a log? They will definitely love it.
6. Breakfast Biscuit Bombs
Kids often prefer breakfast foods such as whole grain toast with peanut butter and fruit or a healthy smoothie bowl filled with Greek yoghurt, fruit, granola, and seeds or nuts; a drizzle of nut butter; or adding small handfuls of raisins for additional nutrition.
Thompson recommends these popular sausage gravy biscuit bombs made with buttermilk biscuits, eggs, and cheese as a savoury breakfast solution for busy mornings. Make-ahead options like these are great make-ahead options that you can prepare in advance!
Simple options, such as whole-grain toast with cream cheese and slices of smoked salmon or turkey, can provide plenty of protein. Kids can add their own special touches by creating unique animal faces on the toast. A quick smoothie made up of fruits, hard-boiled eggs, and yoghurt may also provide them with enough protein.
7. Fruit Parfaits
A parfait is another breakfast your child can create themselves, offering an assortment of flavours and textures. Select a low-cal, no-sugar fruit spread or nut butter for an additional protein boost.
Use granola as the foundation of your parfaits or add low-sugar cereal for an added crunch. Finish them off with colourful toppings like berries, banana slices, or chopped nuts for colour and texture that boost nutritional content and taste!
Protein is an integral component of every meal, and children especially require it to boost brainpower, concentration, and energy levels. Try these simple strategies for adding more protein-rich breakfast items into your kids’ morning meals to provide fuel for school—they even make great options to pack in their lunch bags! These creative recipes offer great alternatives to cold cereal, toast, and frozen waffles!
8. Tofu Scramble
Try scrambled eggs, cheese, and a child-friendly pico de gallo wrapped in a whole-grain tortilla for a quick breakfast that is both filling and nutritious, according to Johns. “It’s an ideal way to encourage kids to consume vegetables and protein.”
Tofu scramble is an easy-to-make, kid-friendly dish packed with protein and vegetables. For added flavour, check out The Good Housekeeping Institute’s Vegan Tofu Scramble Recipe.
These healthy kid breakfast ideas provide essential nutrition to keep children focused and energised during the school day. Try one this week and see how your kids react! Don’t forget milk and yoghurt as essential sources of calcium and protein!
9. Oatmeal
Oatmeal can be an ideal way to help children feel full and satisfied throughout the morning, especially when combined with a source of protein and healthy fats like nuts, seeds, fruit, cottage cheese, and yoghurt. Try our tasty baked oatmeal recipe topped with bananas, berries, or nuts the night before for an effortless morning routine, or grab one of these simple savoury veggie eggs on-the-go for quick morning snacks!
Kids love vibrant foods presented in creative ways, so try making breakfast more exciting with colourful green monster muffins, egg boats, and Teddy Bear toast! Get them involved with creating and making their own breakfast to help build positive associations around meal times that can carry over into meal time itself, then serve up their breakfast with pride as they devour it all!
10. Avocado Toast
An energy-boosting breakfast can give children the energy they need for learning and playing throughout the day. But that doesn’t mean cereal, toast, and frozen waffles have to be their go-to options; why not give these healthy make-ahead options a try instead?
Spread mashed avocado on toast for a protein-packed morning meal, and enhance its flavours with cinnamon, chopped nuts, or no-sugar-added jam for extra texture and taste.
Cottage cheese is an excellent source of calcium, selenium, and vitamin B12. Add fresh berries or chopped fruit, no-sugar spread, or nut butter to help your child eat it up!