Getting everyone out the door on school mornings can feel like you’re managing a three-ring circus. The chaos is nerve-racking, but it can be offset a bit if you can get your kids to sit for a quick, nutritious breakfast.
It has been many years since I gazed at those adorable faces across the island and discussed after-school plans, playdates, and library books and permission slips. To all those drowning in back-to-school madness, I recommend a morning routine that affords you the luxury of a few minutes to properly fuel your kids. Not only will they be set up for a successful day with protein and nutrients, but you will gain something too: a breakfast chat often reveals things that are on your kids’ minds as well as some background about classes and friends.
Three things help make a healthy breakfast routine possible:
Super-simple recipes. The breakfast recipes below are all packed with great nutrition, take five to 15 minutes to make, and require few ingredients. But you are not a short order cook. Set ground rules: Everyone should understand that some days will include their favorite breakfast and other days they’ll have their sister’s favorite, but everyone will find something they like. In other words, tolerate no drama around the menu.
A stocked kitchen. Always have the following on hand: Fresh fruit, eggs, plain whole milk yogurt (Siggi’s is my favorite), cheese, a variety of breads like English muffins, multigrain, sourdough, and tortillas, frozen fruit for smoothies, nut butter, sausage patties, steel cut oats, avocados, and nuts.
Think ahead. If you make pancakes on the weekend, double the batch, cook it all and freeze the leftovers to pop in the toaster during the week. That way you have fresh, preservative-free pancakes you can top with protein. To add protein, consider a dollop of ricotta cheese and maple syrup. TRUST ME on this. My Gramma Napoli did this my whole life, and it is divine!
Homemade granola and overnight oats are perfect for make-ahead, time-saving breakfasts. Simply add fresh berries or almond butter and jelly to the oats or make yogurt parfaits with homemade granola and fresh fruit. Always use plain yogurt, which has a lot less sugar; let the sweetness come from the granola and fruit.
Eggs are your best friend for quick breakfasts. The easiest thing to make is a poached egg. Pop the English muffins in the toaster, fill a frying pan with water, and, when it starts to simmer, crack the eggs into the pan (next to each other, not on top). When the muffins are done, add a slice of cheese or a sausage patty and then, with a slotted spoon, gently place an egg on top. Kids love these, and you can make them in five minutes.
Scrambled eggs are perfect in a tortilla with some cheese. Throw some black beans and salsa in and you’ve got huevos rancheros. Or, put them on a soft hamburger bun with some prosciutto and a slice of Havarti and throw it in the panini maker. Kids love “egg in a basket,” which can be easily made by cutting a hole in a slice of sourdough, lightly greasing a frying pan with butter or olive oil and putting the bread in the pan, and then cracking an egg in the hole. After the egg sets, flip it so the other side toasts and the white of the egg cooks. Serve with fresh fruit.
Smoothies will get you a big bang for your breakfast buck. Throw flax seed and bee pollen in for added nutrients. You can find individual frozen packets of acai at the grocery store, which makes a great smoothie base.
French toast takes no time and is a crowd pleaser. Use any bread on hand — leftover baguette slices, thick country white bread, multigrain bread — and simply add a couple of tablespoons of milk for every four eggs, a dash or two of cinnamon, a splash of vanilla and a dash of nutmeg to the eggs before drenching the bread. Your kids will love it. A grill pan that covers two burners makes this a super-fast meal because you can cook eight pieces at once.
Oatmeal is a go-to breakfast, especially as the days turn cooler. It requires only bringing milk to a boil and stirring in the oats. Top it with cinnamon, brown sugar or maple syrup, and it is delicious. Throw in some blueberries toward the end of cooking.
Finally, toast is so fast. Avocado toast with a fried egg on top should be on repeat for school breakfasts. Another go-to was something I grew up eating, and that was butter and sliced banana on a well-toasted English muffin. Substitute almond or peanut butter for butter and you’ll add more protein.
None of these recipes is complicated, but all will give the kids quality energy until lunch and give you quality time with your breakfast munchers each morning.
