Are you juggling with the household work along with your official dealings? And amidst all these, one important thing called ‘Breakfast’ is compromised from your daily routine of your kids. Although you have started your little one’s journey into solid foods by following 6 months baby diet chart but now it gets to neglect due to work pressure during the morning rush hours.
Remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day for the toddlers and kids.Try some of the healthy breakfast ideas that are packed with hidden power of vegetables, fruits and grains. The funny part in these tasty options is the kids won’t be able to find that they are eating good stuff while you will love to make it.
Balanced breakfast for toddlers
The energy level of a toddler is way ahead, so to match up we should provide food items that are rich in these nutrients from the food groups.
• Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the energy giving food that provides long lasting energy to the little ones. The major source of carbohydrates comes from whole grains like rice, wheat, oats etc. and also from fruits and veggies like potato, sweet potato etc.
• Proteins
Proteins are the body building food that helps the little bodies to grow taller and stronger. It also controls the short snack hunger in frequent intervals by making them feel satisfied for longer hours. The rich source of proteins comes from meat, eggs, dairy products, legumes, seeds or nuts etc.
• Vitamins
Vitamins will help the young ones to build their immunity to fight against diseases and for proper development. All colorful fruits and vegetables are packed with necessary vitamins and minerals and it tastes good as well.
• Healthy Fats
Healthy fats like omega fatty acids are essential for proper brain development for toddlers and kids. The kids below 2 years are not recommended to be in a fat restricted diet. Avocado, chia seeds, flax seeds, fish, egg yolk, nuts and whole milk dairy products are mostly rich in healthy fats.
And now the specifics of quick and easy breakfast recipes that take less than 30 minutes to prepare.
1. Vegetable omelette
Already egg omelette is loved by most of the kids as it tastes good and yummy. If you can add chopped vegetables like carrot, beans, bell peppers to it that will add to the nutrition level. Another way to convert it into a balanced diet is by adding a small cup of multigrain flour. The omelette will evolve into a new dish which is thick, yummy and keep the kid’s stomach full for quite a long period.
2. Smoothies: a drinkable breakfast
Smoothies are considered to be the complete meal that can be easily fed to your little ones. Try it with berries, banana, yogurt, oats, dates, almonds and lot more items whichever is available. You can combine different fruits or vegetables to create new recipes of smoothies. These will be of different colour and tastes which will attract the little mouths.
3. A snack plate with fruits
Healthiest fruits like papaya and melons are filled with beta-carotene, Vitamin A and C which can be accompanied by other regular fruits like banana, apples, grapes etc. to make a wide plate of fruit salad. You can add a little honey or chocolate sauce to lure your kids so that they gobble the entire food.
4. Sweet pancakes
Toddlers having sweet tooth will love to have sweet pancakes with milk, flour and potassium packed bananas with honey or little bit of jaggery on top instead of adding sugar to the batter.
5. Savoury pancakes
You can also try savoury pancakes made up with curd, gram flour and finely chopped veggies. With this, you can even add cottage cheese stuffing or try some innovation by adding oats or ragi or egg in the batter.
6. Scrambled egg with vegetable sandwich
Vegetable sandwich is boring at times for the kids and they spend a lot of time to eat this. Give a little twist by adding scrambled egg to it. You can also experiment with your toddler’s taste buds by adding cottage cheese instead of egg. But always try to keep it healthy by going for whole wheat bread and not including mayonnaise or bread spread bought from stores.
7. Oatmeal
Kids might prefer the smoother version of oatmeal. Keep trying to play with texture so that the toddlers get surprise in it. Add sliced apples or raisins some days whereas use strawberries or mangoes as add-ons for another depending upon the seasons.
8. Carrot coriander Idlis
Idli is a wonderful breakfast option as it is easy to make and heavy for growing kids. These steamed delights can be made mini in sizes with the goodness of coriander leaves and carrot which children find it colourful with orange, green and white.
9. Spinach poori or parantha
Although poori is the oily version, both are equally preferred as heavy breakfast. So, if you want to make it a healthy one, add boiled spinach puree to the dough while kneading. You can serve it with any vegetable curry or dal. You can try this recipe on weekends when school remains closed.
10. Milkshakes
When you are running short of time and can’t even search for items to prepare breakfast then go for milkshakes with milk, banana, almonds, pistachio etc. as this is one of the quickest recipe and healthy too.
Skipping breakfast can be harmful for kids and lowers metabolism to conserve energy. A healthy, nutritious balanced breakfast is the best solution to keep your child fit and healthy.
