Quick and Healthy Meals: Breakfast for the Kids

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Many people skip this meal because they just "Don't have time". Skipping breakfast is an unhealthy move since our bodies need the nutrition to jump-start our metabolisms and brains.

Hard-boiled eggs make a great breakfast and you can make them the night before your child starts his or her week at school. To make a batch of them just put the desired amount of eggs in a saucepan and cover them with water. Place them on the stovetop and sprinkle a tablespoon of salt into the water. Now turn the heat on medium high until the water starts boiling. Reduce the heat and set a timer for thirteen minutes. Once the time is up turn off the stovetop and put the pot into the sink. Turn on the cold water and let the water refill the pot until the water in the pot is cold. Add a few ice cubes and let the eggs set for about ten minutes. Take the eggs and place them in the fridge overnight. Peel the egg before serving for breakfast.

If your child does not like eggs you can have them eat a whole grain cereal like cheerios with milk. If they want to add something sweet to their bowls just add some cut up fruit to their bowl. Many sugary cereals may say whole grain on the box, but do not be mislead! Just because it is made from whole grains does not make it the healthier choice. They still have too much sugar for your child. If you are going to have to buy one box of a sugary cereal you can try looking for a lower sugar amount by checking the labels or mix a non-sugary cereal in with it to reduce the amount your child eats. Oatmeal can be prepared a few different ways. There is instant oatmeal that comes in flavored pouches. These are great choice if you have any children in the house, just add water and put it into the microwave for a few minutes.

Toast with peanut butter just put a piece of whole grain bread into your toaster. Most children do not get enough protein in the morning. Our brains make a chemical at 10:00 and then again at noon, but in order to make it we will have to have eaten at least 10 grams of protein prior to these times. Once these times have passed, our bodies will not try to make the chemical again until the next day. Experts agree that you should make sure that the ten grams are non-dairy proteins for best results.

Fruit and Yogurt smoothie just place some of your favorite fruits into the blender with a cup of yogurt. Blend until smooth and poor into a tall glass. Encourage your children to try new flavor combinations by adding different fruits to their drinks. The added fruits in their diet will be a great immune booster. If your child likes juice make sure you are buying 100% juice with out any added sugars. Juice is a great source of nutrients although nothing is better then actually eating the fruit.
While it may be true that eating something in the morning is better then nothing we need to make sure our children are making smart meal choices. If they feel they do not have enough time to eat in the morning you can have them wake up ten minutes earlier in the morning. If your child eats at school in the morning talk to them about what they are eating. Another way to improve the way your family eats is to eat together this way you can see what they are eating every morning. Talk to your children about the importance of starting the day off right.