Kid Friendly Breakfast

[SallyC]

I am looking to this group of creative cooks for suggestions. I have a 9 yo son, who isn't necessarily a picky eater, but who has been through the cereal-waffel-breakfast bar-eggs, etc. circuit. He tends not to have a big appetite in the morning and would probably be just as happy not eating breakfast, which is totally unacceptable to me! Any suggestions on new meal ideas?

Thanks in advance for any ideas you may have...
SallyC

[phatch]

Give him some fruit, cut up in smaller portions, maybe some sliced cheese.

Phil

[Kerryclan]

My daughter was the same way at that age. The only things she would eat in the a.m. were grilled cheese or raisin bread with cream cheese. Good suggestion about smaller portions and, of course, offering fresh fruit is always a good idea.

[KeeperOfTheGood]

Hey oh

Puberty sucks. Appart from the hormonal shift in your body, and the perception shift in your mind, there is also the shift in your internal body clock. Soon to follow will be sleeping in, and being morning lethargic.

I remember me at that age, and really, there is nothing to be done but wait. Really. Just wait. I found that I was never awake enough to actually eat in the morn, and that food just made me feel sick, and if I ate, that ill feel was with me for the day. HOWEVER, I also learned (near the end of my teens) that if I waited about an hour to two hours after waiking to eat, I was fine. I think that in retrospect, I really should have had that hour to two of actual sleep and not be in advanced maths class (ug). SO, maybe give that a try. Wake up, glass of juice, relaxe for an hour, then do breakfast.

The bigger difficulty that the "structured adult" world has is really understanding that between 9 ish and 20 ish, people are not on the same schedual that the under 9 and over 20 crowd are on. The BIG kerfluffles that always arrise when it is suggested that high school start at 10 and not 9 is really stunning. Especially concidering the AMPLE proof that that is far better for teens.

Ah well, it is apperent that you are now embarking on the next stage of your sons life.... ENJOY IT, don't fight it, and you will both do fine.

[Kerryclan]

Originally Posted by KeeperOfTheGood

Ah well, it is apperent that you are now embarking on the next stage of your sons life.... ENJOY IT, don't fight it, and you will both do fine.

Great point, KOTG!

After awhile I just let my daughter be and reduced the stress for both of us. She ate when and what she wanted (within reason, have to maintain a few rules) and is now almost 16 and a healthy, strong, happy, gymnast.

[KeeperOfTheGood]

Thank you

Funny and sad, but alltogether too true. My son, who is 6, comes up to me tonight and says "dad, how long till I am a teenager?"

Another thing that is not common public knowledge, mostly because it isn't hyped the way it should be is this, and yes it is scarry. There was an international medical symposium held here a few years back (2 or so). One of the major topics was "the onset of mensus". The problem is that the newest national estimets has placed that age downward. It has gone from 16 to 14 to 12 and now to 9! since that statistic has been kept. And the major downshift in age has occured over the last twenty or so years, after being decades stable at the higher age. Gotta wonder, and prepare........

[Mezzaluna]

As a teacher, I'm thrilled to hear you consider it unacceptable to skip breakfast. About 40% of your calories are used by your brain! People don't realize that because your brain doesn't "move" or "exercise" in the conventional sense. I keep a supply of granola bars and string cheese (I have a fridge in my room), and have also given kids yogurt cups if they'll take them.

Why limit your son to what we consider "breakfast" foods? I advise my breakfast-averse students (grades 6, 7 and 8) to eat some kind of protein in the morning, as high-carbohydrate breakfasts that are short on protein leave them hungry mid-morning. Here are some of my suggestions:

String cheese (great on the go)
"quesadillas"- lots of cheese melted between whole wheat tortillas, or in one tortilla folded in half
While a bit high in fat, leftover pizza has lots of protein too!
A mug of soup- vegetable, etc.
Any kind of sandwich- whole grain bread with high-quality protein, such as ham and cheese, fried egg or omelet, peanut butter
Omelet cups- Pre-cooked veggie or veggie-meat omelets made in muffin tins, refrigerated for later use. Nuke a few seconds and you're good to go! I first saw the recipe in the South Beach Diet cookbook (or was it the diet book itself??)
Bite-sized celery, carrots, grape tomatoes, etc. in a sandwich bag to eat on the go (sneak in some ham or turkey cubes )
Noodle kugel (made with cottage cheese, raisins, sometimes pineapple)- make ahead, nuke when ready; use whole wheat noodles for better nutrition

I found a book that covers morning meals around the world. Looks like fun!

Finally, you might get your son involved in the kitchen. Let him make some combinations or explore new fruits, etc. that he can look forward to. It may be a good way to usher him into the culinary life!

[Kerryclan]

Originally Posted by Mezzaluna

As a teacher, I'm thrilled to hear you consider it unacceptable to skip breakfast. About 40% of your calories are used by your brain! People don't realize that because your brain doesn't "move" or "exercise" in the conventional sense. I keep a supply of granola bars and string cheese (I have a fridge in my room), and have also given kids yogurt cups if they'll take them.

Finally, you might get your son involved in the kitchen. Let him make some combinations or explore new fruits, etc. that he can look forward to. It may be a good way to usher him into the culinary life!

Yes, yes, and YES! Children don't need as much at a meal as we adults think. It's the quality of the food that matters more than quantity. I learned to accept that a string cheese or a small omlette and some berries was fine for a morning start. But that morning meal is so important - sets the tone for the rest of the day.

I let my daughter pick out and prepare her breakfast the night before and boy, did that change how she veiwed breakfast! She stopped pretending to be sick every morning and proudly enjoyed her first meal.

Simple carbs were rarely offered. Just wreaks havoc on the blood sugar and they have little nutritional value. Protein and complex carbs are the way to go. Fresh fruit and some cheese was an easy favourite. After a short time, I could just leave it up to her and she did fine. And granola bars or yogurt are still one of my daughter's choice snacks.

Mezzaluna, you are any parents' dream teacher. My daughter and I are fortunate to have known a few like you, but I wish there were more.

Children don't come with a handbook. You have to use your common sense, love, and a lot of creativity. It may take a while, but they do get it. It's well worth the effort.

[SallyC]

What wonderful suggestions!! My concerns about breakfast are rooted in the fear that no breakfast will affect his performance in school. It makes sense to be more flexible with my choices in the morning - for Pete's sake, one of my husband's treats for breakfast is cold pizza!! Thanks so much for everyone's help.

Sally

[Mezzaluna]

Kerryclan, what a nice thing to say. And it's Teacher Appreciation Week to boot!

[kuchencake]

What about a yogurt and fruit smoothy? Kids like them because they are like milk shakes. They are loaded with protein and good carbs to keep you active.