Avoiding UPFs at breakfast

[Ayechinnyreckon]

After breakfast we eat virtually no UPFs but the kids breakfast is a huge issue.

They wake early and are hungry. They're 9&6 so can be trusted to go downstairs, get themselves some cereal and occupy themselves in the morning until we get up.

They eat cereal and pastries mainly until we get up and make a more substantial breakfast if they want it) 90mins - 2 hours later.

AIBU to want quick and easy breakfast that the DC can get themselves? So I don't have to get up at 5.30!

What's a UPF?

Oh ultra processed foods?

Overnight oats? Ready for them in the fridge.

Overnight oats? They can grab out of the fridge?

A banana.

@IkaBaar great minds think alike and all that 😉

Egg bites?

Homemade granola bars?

Fruit

Fruit? Yoghurt? Homemade flapjacks/granola bars if you have the time in advance? Frozen pre-made pancakes that can be whacked in the toaster?

Not all cereal is UPF!

Plain puffed wheat, overnight oats, greek yoghurt with a decent quality granola for starters.

What’s wrong with cereal and pastries? It sounds like your children are currently having 2 breakfasts which is very odd. I would just give them a snack of fruit mid-morning if they complain of being hungry before lunch.

Are the waking up because they are hungry at 5:30? I'd put a piece of fruit next to their bed and see if they eat and go back to sleep. That's pretty early to be up for the day.

They need something a bit more substantial than fruit.

I'll give overnight oats a go - I can't stand them so never thought of them for the kids. But they might enjoy them!

My DS loves Alphabites cereal before school. It’s non-UPF.

Would they eat porridge? Could do it in the microwave

Greek yogurt topped with less processed granola, nuts and seeds. Fruit

No, DC1 is autistic and has since a newborn had an extremely strict, self imposed sleep schedule - doesn't matter where we are or what we're doing, he's put like a light at 7pm and wakes at 5.30. he 'lets' himself stay up late on New year's Eve but is still being awake at 5.30. you can set your clock by him. DC2 is more fluid and often wakes later. DC1 has never gone back to sleep after waking at 5.30!

I make scones and the kids have these for breakfast. (Though they’ve started having them with Nutella instead of just butter and jam so it’s backfired somewhat. )

Never heard of it! I'll look it up.

Maybe give them a more substantial evening meal to stop the double breakfast.

They may well be getting up so early for the all-you-can-eat sugar buffet on offer. I would have done!

Offer fruit and wholewheat toast, with peanut butter/cream cheese/jam, let them sort themselves. Still sweet, but much healthier and less likely to tempt them from bed at 5.30am.

Cold hard boiled eggs, boil some at the beginning of the week
cheese like Gouda or edam
greek yoghurt with frozen berry compote & honey
melon slices
pancakes again made in a batch at beginning of week

Muesli or one of the healthier cereals

I should have said, we don't have a toaster! I don't want them using the grill.

They have a substantial evening meal.

I don't think it's wrong for kids to want to eat between 5.30 and 1pm!