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Here’s what Table365 partners Kimberly and Sharon have to say:
Our breakfasts are pretty basic. I always keep the same staples on hand. Occasionally we’ll have a big weekend breakfast with “the works,” but here is our typical weekday list:
- Bagels with cream cheese or butter – I buy them by the dozen and freeze them already sliced. We pop them in the toaster straight out of the freezer.
- Oatmeal or Cream of Wheat – My girls won’t eat this every morning like they used to, but I try to serve it a few times a week. It’s easy to make from scratch, but when really pressed for time I have instant in the pantry as well. (I really love a brand called Three Sisters – also sold as MOM’s Best Cereal brand in many stores.) Our favorite additions to oatmeal are honey, walnuts, raisins, and flaxseeds.
- Waffles or Pancakes – I try to make a batch of one of these on the weekend so I can freeze leftovers and serve them during the week. We just toast them straight out of the freezer. I also keep store-bought frozen waffles on hand for times when I just don’t get to making a fresh batch.
- Eggs – I offer my girls scrambled eggs with toast or an “Egg in the Nest.” I know this fun egg dish has different names, but basically it’s a slice of bread with a hole cut out of the middle and an egg fried in the hole. It’s wonderfully quick, easy to make and easy to pick up to eat.
- Cereal or granola with fruit and yogurt or milk – You could call this a breakfast parfait when eating cereal or granola with yogurt (I should probably start saying this at home and layering it in a glass—the fancy presentation is bound to make my girls enjoy it even more). Usually I have plain yogurt on hand so we add a little honey for sweetness.
The idea that a good breakfast is the foundation for a good day was firmly planted in me at a young age by my mother and now I am working to do the same with my boys.
Weekday breakfasts:
During the week I keep our breakfasts a simple combination of protein, cereal and fruit. I mix it up with some combination of the following:
- Proteins: eggs, sliced turkey or ham, cubed cheese, plain yogurt with honey or jam
- Cereals: granola; hot breakfast cereals by Bob’s Red Mill, gluten-free oatmeal, creamy wheat, and 8-grain cereal. Occasionally, bagels or toast.
- Fruit: changes depending on what is in season but our regulars include oranges, apples, berries, bananas, dried cranberries, raisins. In the summer we add peaches, plums, apricots, melons, blueberries, and everything else that we can find fresh.
Weekend breakfasts:
Most weekends we take the time for a larger and more elaborate breakfast since we aren’t rushing out the door and I try to make things we don’t have during the week.
- Blender drinks:
- Mango lassies (mango, yogurt, honey or sugar, and ice)
- Banana ‘milkshakes’ (banana, milk, honey, vanilla or sugar and ice)
- Fruit smoothies (yogurt, frozen fruits and berries, banana, juice)
- Breads: Pancakes, crepes, aebleskivers (pancake balls), French toast, muffins, quick breads
- Egg dishes: scrambled eggs, fried eggs, poached eggs, huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos, egg sandwich, quiche, frittata
- Vegetables: roasted asparagus, potatoes, sweet potatoes; sautéed bell peppers, zucchini, and onions; hash browns and skillet potatoes
- Special occasions: bacon, sausage, coffee cake, cinnamon rolls, blueberry buckle
I grew up with a mom who is southern and a master at preparing yummy southern comfort food, which can also be addictive and stamina depleting. I have children now and I want them to have food that they enjoy also… but I want us all to be healthy. My husband and I realize that we have to give them what we did not get which is an education on how to eat so that we are supporting allll of us in a healthful way. Thank you for great nutrition and recipe ideas to help us help our kids.