5-Minute Healthy Back-to-School Breakfast Menus

There was a nip in the air this morning that wasn't there a week ago, stores are advertising crayons and pencil boxes for a quarter, and you could swear you just saw a big yellow school bus drive by - it's official. Back-to-school time is here. This year, instead of sending your kid off to school with nothing but a bellyful of cold cereal, try one of the following breakfast ideas. With a little planning, you can feed your kids a healthy and filling breakfast, in about the same time it would take you to pour a bowl of Frosted Sugar Poofs.

Here are some 5-minute breakfast menu ideas to get you through your first week:

Menu Idea #1: Three Egg White Scramble
Some kids prefer savory in the morning to sweet. Next time you cook bacon, crumble and freeze a couple of pieces in an airtight bag. When breakfast-time rolls around, simply whisk three egg whites with a splash of water or milk and scramble with the saved bacon in a small, non-stick-sprayed skillet over medium heat. Voila: a hot breakfast in no time.

Menu Idea #2: Toast and Smoothie Deluxe
Pop some whole wheat toast in the toaster, and when it's done, spread with some natural peanut butter. Dump one banana, one cup vanilla yogurt, and a half-cup of O.J., and pulse in blender until well combined. (Feel free to substitute other fruits in the smoothie if your kids aren't into bananas.) Serve it up.

Menu Idea #3: The "Oh Crud, I Overslept" Special
Did little Billy forget to set his alarm clock last night? Keep a stash of high-quality protein bars (varieties that tastes good and are good for you do exist, you just have to do some investigative label reading) for emergencies lke this. Tuck one in his backpack, along with a carton of yogurt and a spoon, so he can eat his breakfast on the go.

Menu Idea #4: But Dad, I WANT Cereal
If your kid is regarding your healthy breakfast offerings with suspicion, and insists on some cold, sweet breakfast cereal, try this: give her a bowl of raisin bran, but instead of topping it with a spoonful of sugar, toss some dried blueberries in there. As a kid, I tended to balk at squishy fresh fruit in my cereal, but heck, dried blueberries are an incognito fruit - they blend right in. And they're sweet, too!

Menu Idea #5: The Jumpstart
Dish up a hardboiled egg, a slice of whole wheat toast and a cup of fruit. To save valuable morning time, boil the eggs the night before and keep them chilled in the refrigerator until you're ready for them. You can also cube up some cantaloupe, hull some strawberries, or peel and segment an orange ahead of time and keep those in a sealed container in the fridge, too.

If your kid makes it through your week of healthy menu options without complaint (or hey, even decides he likes the new breakfast selections), surprise him with this tasty, protein-powered smoothie:

Bonus Recipe: Super Special Smoothie Surprise
Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk
1 8 oz. container of vanilla yogurt
2 teaspoon chocolate syrup
3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
1 frozen banana
1 teaspoon powdered chocolate pudding mix

Whip in blender until completely smooth. Graciously accept tearful expressions of gratitude from your formerly chocolate-deprived child as they devour what seems like a decadent dessert, but is actually yet another quick and healthy breakfast option.