We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. With school back in session, Children’s Hospital of Michigan is sharing why you want to make time for breakfast each morning and some quick, easy and HEALTHY ideas.

Kids are back in school. While a routine is good for many things, a routine breakfast can get boring. And making breakfast something that kids don’t want to skip is important. Studies show that children who eat breakfast:

  • Are less likely to be obese
  • Do better in school
  • Have better concentration and more energy
  • Are in generally better health than breakfast-skippers

Here are some pretty easy ideas for you to make sure that children get the nutrition they need without falling into unhealthy habits:

  • Have some fun. Serve scrambled eggs surrounded with triangle toast (cut an x on a slice of whole grain toast) to look like a sun. Or, cut whole-grain toast with a cookie cutter for fun shapes.
  • Make a smoothie. Our Good Morning Sunshine Smoothie recipe combines protein and fruit.
  • Breakfast parfaits can be made a day or night in advance and be ready to grab in the morning. Berry Chia Pudding Parfait mixes together quickly with a few healthy ingredients.
  • Jazz up the oatmeal. The possibilities are endless for creativity with almost any hot cereal. Toppings/add-in ideas: fresh fruit, dried fruit, yogurt, walnuts, pecans, chia seeds or cinnamon. Make a face with the toppings for a little extra fun. Or put out toppings and let kids create their own combos.
  • Toast to good health. Whole grain toast is the base for many options:
    • Eggs (scrambled, fried or poached) – add tomato and/or spinach as a layer if you think your kids will go for it.
    • Avocado (of course!) with bagel seasoning and/or eggs.
    • Nut butter and bananas
    • Cream cheese, nuts and fruit
  • Frozen whole grain waffles. Top with yogurt and fruit or nut butter and fruit instead of syrup.
  • Burrrrrr-itos for chilly mornings. Take a tortilla (flour or corn) and add whatever you have on hand. Eggs, cheese, bacon, ham, bell peppers, salsa or left-over potatoes are some of your options.