Need on the go breakfasts for kids? School Mornings a little bit too rushed? Kids skipping breakfast to catch the bus? Take the stress away with these healthy breakfasts the kids will love.
Breakfast In The Car
I've got the best intentions when it comes to getting organised on school days. I try, really, really, really do. And I get up early (most days. Well, fairly often).
I clean my kitchen the night before. Prepare lunch boxes the night before. I even fill the kettle for that coffee I never get to have. Seriously, aside from starting the next day the day before or getting up before that bloody Rooster (he's hitting 3am like clockwork) , I feel as if I am doing enough to get a grip on that weekday morning. And yet.
My kids catch the bus at 7.55am Monday to Friday. Like Clockwork. 5 days a week. Monday to Friday. Bob the bus driver is never late.
But somehow it's a massive surprise to the family every Monday and all the way through to Friday that the bus is on its way.
Breakfast On The Go For Kids
The last five minutes before leaving the door is a flurry of mirror hogging, brush losing, lunchbox packing, homework doing frenzy. Oh to be a fly on the wall in my house at 7.48am.
I think I could accept this pre coffee crazy except for the fact that to get to the bus on time something has got to give. And it's usually breakfast.
It's one of my Guilty Mommy moments (these pop up every now and again) watching my kids leave the house without eating anything for breakfast.
I've tried getting them up earlier, getting even more prepared the night before, making lists. A lot of lists. Shouting. Negotiating. Rules. I even read some books (this
Huh! [Mom's exasperated sigh]. My brain is getting bored and tired just thinking about all that parenting.
Sometimes everything falls into place, the sun shines, my husband starts work late, angels sing and the stars align ... and we get to sit down and eat breakfast together (those are the pictures you may see on my instagram).
Healthy Breakfasts On The Go
Um. So that happened maybe for a week. And it was hard work. And in truth it wasn't actually worth it. No it wasn't.
I was a beast. I missed my sleep. The kids were stressed out. I was angry and shouting. Even the dog stayed in bed. And what for?Y es, I ticked everything off my list, but so what?
There had to be a better way of dealing with the school morning rush without causing total distress in the home. And then I figured it out.
I decided to accept that School mornings at our place are a glorious mess of busy-ness and if it wasn't for this little secret I'm about to share with you - school mornings would also have meant regular episodes of skipping breakfast all in favor of getting to that bus on time.
But not anymore.
Now I've got an official strategy that works really well for our family. It involves an "On the Go" Breakfast Plan that I'm actually pretty proud of. It's simple but effective and takes away a lot of school morning stress.
On any given week, we will opt for the On the Go option at least twice, maybe three times. The other couple of mornings we manage to get our act together and eat a quick breakfast at home
So, now that I've made this an official thing in our home I thought I should jazz the strategy up a bit. So I've broken it down into two very specific steps.
On The Go Breakfasts {How To Make It Work}
Ready for it? Drum Roll please ...
Step #1
On the weekend I make up two sets of School Run breakfasts that get stored in the fridge or frozen (if I make a double batch).
If you are going to implement the 'On the Go" Breakfast strategy every morning then Two breakfast options are the absolute minimum. When I trialed this at home, the kids did not like eating the same thing every morning.
I found the uneaten breakfast in lunchboxes after school. A little variety is a necessity if you want this to actually work.
Step #2
The kids grab one of the above mentioned (I knew I would get to use that word one day) breakfasts before leaving for school.
And that's it.
It's not pretty but it does mean the kids and my husband get to eat a good, real food breakfast. And our home is a happy (yes, it's still busy) hive of activity every morning.
There is a strict checklist that the "On the Go" Breakfast choices need to pass to be included on my list of options. They need to be:
- Able to Freeze or Refrigerate well.
- Easy to make in bulk (8 or more serves).
- Healthy.
- Actually eaten by everyone in the family.
With a little trial and error, I've come up with a short list of Breakfast Recipes that tick all these boxes. My advice would be don't try them all at once.
Pick two this week and make up a batch on the weekend. Give it a go. You will thank me for this.
The Best On The Go Breakfast Ideas For Kids
These are the five types of recipes that work well as a fast breakfast option. If you keep reading, I have added a link to our family's favorite recipes in each category (the ones I make the most).
- Granola Bars
- Breakfast Muffins
- Bliss Balls
- Savoury Slices
- Yogurt & Chai Seed Pots
Breakfast Muffins
These are by far my 1st choice when it comes to on the go breakfasts. They are perfectly packed in portion sizes, freeze perfectly every time and my family feels like they are eating a treat.
Sweet or Savoury, they work both ways and there are tons of recipes to try so you will never get bored. Here are a few of our personal family favorites.
- Mini Cheese Quiche Muffins
- Healthy Zucchini Carrot Muffins
- Wholewheat Blueberry Muffins
- Spinach and Cheese Muffins
Breakfast Bliss Balls
The best thing about these little beauties is that they don't need any cooking. From pantry to little fingers takes all of 5 minutes.
Granola Bars / Breakfast Cookies
Granola Bars are a pantry staple. They are easy to make and full of the good stuff.
- 5 Ingredient No Baking Needed Granola Bars
- Make Ahead Breakfast Cookies
- Honey banana bars
- Brilliant blueberry bars
- Cranberry, Coconut and Oat Breakfast Cookie
Mini Pots of Yumminess
I keep a dozen or so of these little yogurt pots which I spoon in yogurt, chia seed and fruit. They close really well and don't leak during the day AND they can go through the dishwasher.
- Fruit and Yogurt Pots
- Peanut Butter and Chia Seed Smoothie Pot
- Chia breakfast pots
- Overnight breakfast oats for kids
Breakfast Slices & Casseroles
Finally ... there is always the family sized breakfast casserole or slice.
Bake it once and cut it into portion sizes. I don't like to freeze anything with egg. It's just a personal preference, so I make slices and pop in the fridge to eat within 2 - 3 days.
- Spinach, bacon and hashbrown casserole
- Breakfast sausage slice
- Zucchini Slice
- Cheese & broccoli slice
Hope this helps with the school morning rush. I know it has made a huge difference at our place.
For More Clean Eating Breakfast ideas, visit my Pinterest Board ---> Clean Eating Breakfasts and Brunches or sign up to my Newsletter to get two new Clean Eating Recipes sent to you each week.
