Back to School Basics: Put a Healthy Breakfast on the Family Calendar

I'll admit it. I am not a morning person. I've been known to hit the snooze button on more than one occasion and let the kids have "just five more minutes" before they have to get up and face the school day. So how do I make sure that my family of six gets a healthy breakfast at the beginning of every school day? It's a trick that my mother came up with when I was in high school. You see, she doesn't like to get up in the morning any more than I do, but she knew as most moms do that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So she put breakfast on the calendar. Yes, when getting a healthy breakfast for the family, there is more to it than just writing it down, but sometimes figuring out what to have (and having it in the house) is half the battle.

Because I am tired in the morning and don't like to have to make decisions, this is what works for my family. Maybe it can work for yours too. The key is to keep it simple. We use the same schedule every week. It stays on our bulletin board so there is no asking "What's for breakfast today?"

MONDAY: Cereal or Oatmeal with milk. (Cereal is my choice for Monday because there is very little thinking and no cooking involved and Mondays are by far the hardest day for our family to get going) -- As for the "healthy" part, I only buy cereals made with whole grain and try to stay away from those that have too much sugar. Many whole grain cereals are fortified with vitamins and iron and the milk adds protein, calcium and vitamin D. A great resource for picking a good cereal is www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=82374. We are learning to eat fresh and dried fruits on our cereal which also adds great health benefits.

TUESDAY: Whole Wheat Bagel w/ Cream Cheese or Peanut Butter & Jelly . My goal is always to keep breakfast easy but always combine complex carbohydrates (like whole grains) with protein (like lowfat cheese, eggs, meat or nuts) which keep kids satisfied longer. Orange juice adds extra vitamin C for this healthy breakfast.

WEDNESDAY: Healthy Banana Bread or Pumpkin Muffins. I make banana bread whenever bananas get a little too ripe at our house. My recipe uses whole wheat flour and Splenda sweetener so it is high in complex carbohydrates and low on sugar. And the kids love it--as bread or muffins. In the fall, I make Pumpkin muffins with whole wheat flour and Splenda. Adapt your own recipe for a great healthy and homemade breakfast.

THURSDAY: Eggs and Whole Wheat Toast with Juice. My girls only like hard-boiled eggs so I always make a couple on Wednesday afternoon so they're waiting in the refrigerator on Thursday morning, but the boys love eggs over-easy, scrambled and even as omelets (which allows me to sneak in a few vegetables from time to time). Eggs are a very healthy source of protein which again, will help your kids feel full until lunch time.

FRIDAY: Fruit Smoothies. Friday is a fun day as we get ready for the weekend so it should reflect in the kids' breakfast. There are lots of great recipes for smoothies. I always keep yogurt and frozen fruit in the house. Mix in a little juice and your kids have a breakfast that's packed with vitamins and protein. You can find great smoothie recipes at www.smoothieweb.com and www.eatingwell.com/recipes/collections/healthy_smoothie_recipes.html.

Putting these healthy breakfasts on the calendar keeps us all eating well and keeps me from going crazy in the morning (especially when I hit the snooze button "one more time"). As the kids go back to school I hope your family can decide on five of their favorite breakfasts, and you can put healthy breakfasts on your calendar too.