Fast, Kid-Friendly, Nutrient Packed Breakfasts

As summer nears an end and the kids are heading back to school, it is important to think about your plan to get healthy food into your kiddos each day so they can be the best they can be!  Between work, school, sports, homework and other activities, every family's schedule seems to fill up quickly and we often put our health needs last. We wanted to suggest some simple ways to implement whole foods into your kids diets without adding too much time to your schedule. 

We will start with breakfast! Studies show that breakfast eaters tend to have higher school attendance, less tardiness, better concentration, higher test scores, and better muscle coordination.  So whether they eat at home or at school, be sure your children eat a nutritious breakfast every day. The idea is to give them balanced nutrition to start their day - a combination of lean protein, healthy fat, and vitamin and nutrient packed fruits and vegetables. 

Fast, Nutrient Packed, Kid Friendly Breakfasts:

Overnight Oats
(1 serving)

• 1/2 cup organic rolled oats (or gluten free rolled oats)
• 1/2 cup milk (recommend whole, organic milk or coconut, almond, or soy milk); plus another 1/4 to 1/2 cup
• 1/2 cup fresh fruit of choice (cut into small bite size pieces)
• 1 teaspoon honey
  
• 1/8 -1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (to your own taste)

Combine oats and 1/2 cup milk in a small bowl. Squish the oats down so they are covered in milk, cover your bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, add the other 1/4 - 1/2 cup milk to reach your desired consistency, honey, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup fruit of choice and serve. I recommend strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples, and/or bananas.  You can also play around with this and add family favorites like nuts, shredded coconut flakes, ground flax or chia seeds, etc...everyone can have fun and make it their own way. If you want this to be a hot cereal, just heat up the 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk you add in the morning. 

NOTES: 
When the rolled oats 'marinate' in the milk overnight, they will have a consistency like you are used to when you cook them on the stove top (I promise!). Besides being a time saver, the extra bonus is that by not cooking them, you are retaining more of the gut healthy enzymes and nutrients they are packed with! 

Sneaky Green Smoothie
(2 servings)

• 1 1/2 cups organic spinach
• 1/2 cup frozen organic berries of choice (blueberries & strawberries recommended)
• 2 cups milk of choice (I LOVE coconut milk in this recipe for additional flavor and sweetness)
• 2 servings protein powder of choice*
  
  

Combine all ingredients in a blender, process until smooth, and serve immediately!

NOTES:
This is an easy way to get healthy greens like spinach into your kids without them tasting it:) The berries and protein powder cover up the taste of the greens so most kids have no idea they are even eating spinach! Once your kids gets used to this flavor, you can play around with other combinations or types of greens.

*We recommend a protein powder that is low in carbohydrates/sugars and high in protein - use the 15/15 rule - you want 15 or LESS grams of carbohydrates and 15 or MORE grams of protein per serving. 

We hope you and your family enjoy these nutritious and delicious breakfast ideas! Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more Back to School, Kid-Friendly Nutrition Ideas...

Happy Eating!
Billie

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