Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Food/recipes

For related content, visit our food content hub.

Original poster

Best breakfasts for children?

31 replies

petitdonkey · 26/01/2011 07:58

I have always given my children a good breakfast but recently we seem to be squeezed for time (they wake around 7 and we have to leave on the dot of 8) and I feel like breakfast is being compromised.

What would you say are the best (most nutritious) breakfast cereals? They currently have Weetabix, Cheerios or Shreddies followed by some toast or a brioche. They all like eggs so often have boiled eggs but I'm sure I could do better. (They normally have a smoothie or small glass of juice too - plus a large cup of milk).

DD often only wants cereal, she won't eat porridge and she's not too keen on Weetabix so an alternative for her would be great.

(Also, whole other topic but if we are really rushed they will just have cereal then a piece of fruit in the car - does that totally wreck the post-breakfast tooth brush??? God I hate school run!!)

OP posts:
Original poster
petitdonkey · 26/01/2011 07:59

(BTW - Very rarely, DH is able to take them to school. That has happened today in case you were wondering about me posting about our morning rush at 7:58!!)

OP posts:
compo · 26/01/2011 08:02

What's wrong with cereal? I'd let then have that if that's all they want. I think it's important to have breakfast at home but fruit once a while in the car is fine. Don't forget they'll have a mid morning snack anyway so I wouldn't worry about trying to force eggs on them first thing

TanteRose · 26/01/2011 08:03

sounds fine to me! alternatives could be pancakes (made in advance and frozen) or cheese on toast.

Yoghurt with granola?

Original poster
petitdonkey · 26/01/2011 09:13

Thanks - I'm sure there was a programme on last year that said most breakfast cereals were quite poor nutritionally. Maybe I'm over thinking it!

Will try granola with them. Have never tried freezing pancakes, but I do sometimes buy them for weekdays.

Compo - it's never a case of forcing eggs on them - they love them!! It's me not always having time to cook them.

OP posts:
MarkStretch · 26/01/2011 09:15

I am a great believer in eating whatever you want for breakfast. Maybe they would like a sandwich or something like that. There is no rule that says you have to eat 'breakfast' food and that only.

RamblingRosa · 26/01/2011 09:20

Porridge. Doesn't take long to make and is really filling and nutritious.

dinkystinky · 26/01/2011 09:25

God, all DS1 (4.5) eats is a bowl of cereal and some juice, or maybe a muffin with honey, some juice and some fruit.

DS1 likes porridge, shreddies or cornflakes.

slim22 · 26/01/2011 09:29

bless you, all I can manage into my 7 year old is milk and ovaltine.

DD (3) has milk + milk then porridge or fruit or toast or whatever am having

agreed whatever they fancy. we often do noodle soup/dumplings (we are in asia)

dinkystinky · 26/01/2011 09:33

Dont get me started on DS2 (2) - all he seems to have is milk or yoghurt and a few berries. The child seems to live on air half the time..

CantSleepWontSleep · 26/01/2011 09:35

Weetabix and shreddies (or rather non-nestle version of same) are pretty good choices imo. Wheat pillows (tesco version of shredded wheat) also good, or puffed wheat, or raisin wheats.

cheerios are sugary crap that I'd try and save for an occasional treat rather than every day consumption.

Anonymousbird · 26/01/2011 09:36

We have about 8 different varieties of cereal, including a "treat" one for the weekends, porridge, weetabix, special k, krispies, shreddies... you name it, we have it. I think cereal/porridge plus jam/fruit a great breakfast.

Weekends we do toast and maybe egg/bacon as well on one of the days.

I think your breakfasts sound great. The main thing is that they are having breakfast. An awful lot of children don't!

Panic ye not!

mousymouse · 26/01/2011 09:37

ds (4) has milk and a slice of bread with whatever he likes that day. if he doesn't finish it in time to leave he can just take it with him and lose finish it on the way to nursery.

BornToFolk · 26/01/2011 09:40

For a change, I sometimes do chopped fruit (banana and berries are really nice) mixed with plain yoghurt, topped with some muesli or "treat" cereal.

Or we do pancakes but generally only at the weekend as they take a bit more time - 1 cup self raising flour, 1 cup milk, 1 egg, chopped fruit.

marriednotdead · 26/01/2011 10:40

This all sounds so civilised!

Wait 'til they're teens. Cereal will seem like nutritional nirvana Grin

One had milkshake and a croissant, the other had leftovers from last night (steak and rice). Oh, and a glass of milk.

Have reached the point where anything is better than nothing, whilst still buying cereal that I end up eating myself.

The older one took a coffee in a flask and promised to get something on the way.

Boozilla · 26/01/2011 10:44

I'm on the same time frame as you actually OP! It's a squeeze isn't it!

I make French toast with raisin bread, just dip in the egg & straight in the pan, 5 minutes! Serve with syrup & whatever fruit I can lay my hands on!

Pancakes made the night before, chop fruit the night before too to save time.

I also sometimes chop veggies (spring onion/mushroom & a tomato) the night before and then chuck in a pan with a couple of eggs for a quick omelette.

Smash09 · 26/01/2011 10:52

Another vote for porridge for the dcs who will eat it. Eggs are brilliant, it doesn't have to be anything complicated. If it ain't broke...

MarioandLuigi · 26/01/2011 10:52

DS1 likes Chocolate Weetabix and a piece of fruit.

DS2 has a banana and a chocolate digestive or 2 (very fussy eater Blush)

DD normally eats crunchy nut cornflakes which I hate her having but its all she seems to eat - plain cornflakes get refused. She normally has a cup of milk and a nectarine/peach too.

I agree with others that something is better than nothing. Trying to get out of the door in an hour (we have the same rush too) is stressful enough so I try not to make it any worse for us.

Fennel · 26/01/2011 10:55

Mine have porridge, low sugar cereals (by which for the dc I mean anything with less than about 20% sugar, I know that's not THAT low but it rules out any coco-pops or frosties), or wholemeal toast. My breakfast-refusenik sometimes gets away with just a banana.

Original poster
petitdonkey · 26/01/2011 12:54

Thanks all - you have reassured me that their current breakfast is not too bad. I just worried today that DD went to nursery on 1 weetabix, a beaker of milk and nothing else.
I haven't done eggy bread in ages so will resurrect that one and stop stressing. Had no idea that Cheerios were a bad choice, maybe I should start checking packets a bit more.

I keep meaning to try porridge overnight in the Aga - if I chuck enough syrup or honey on it, DD might try!!

I just remember that when I was growing up, Mum always laid the table properly (cloth, teacups and saucers) and we would have cereal or porridge followed by tea and toast or boiled eggs. I do try and lay the table the night before (no cloth!!) but I'm very guilty of not sitting down with them.

OP posts:
RatherBeOnThePiste · 26/01/2011 13:01

Mine do a very big drink of milk. Then hopefully cereal like weetabix or cheerios. They are 13&11 and have to leave v early so end up with breakfast at about 6.30/6.45. It's not easy that early to want anything. So sometimes it's just the big drink of milk and a snack taken for break time.

RumourOfAHurricane · 26/01/2011 14:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

christmasmum · 27/01/2011 15:58

Don't think anyone else has mentioned this but I spoke to a dentist friend recently and she told me that you shouldn't brush your teeth after breakfast. Eating loosens the enamel naturally and then brushing actually does more harm than good - you should brush beforehand, or at least an hour after. She also told me it doesn't matter HOW much sugar you eat, it's the regularity of sugar eating. So crunchy nut cornflakes are actually no worse for your teeth than normal cornflakes (which also contain sugar) (still bad for your weight though I guess!). She told me the worst thing for teeth is sipping sugary drinks all day or constant snacking.

Anyway, I was interested!!

taffetasplat · 27/01/2011 18:06

Of course mine never ever want the same thing.

DS has a sweet tooth and always wants jam on toast. Or sometimes a panini or English muffin.

DD likes Marmite toast, but more often than not has porridge, which I do in the microwave as its such a small amount, with milk, cinnamon and raisins. Sometimes she isn't hungry in which case we take a banana with us.

If they are both still hungry, they sometimes have some of my Fruit and Fibre. Grrr.

I would never cook eggs or anything else on a school morning, no way is there enough time. We have eggs, sometimes bacon at the weekend. Sometimes at the weekend I make pancakes or do hot cross buns, and a big fruit salad. Special occasions there is pain au chocolat.

AmazingBouncingFerret · 27/01/2011 18:07

Bowl of coco pops and a can of coke.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 27/01/2011 18:12

a banana milkshake (with a proper banana) and some cereal goes down well here. Also porridge (which again you can do with fruit - chunks of apple, a bit of cinnamon goes well (all cooked in with porridge in microwave) with a bit of brown sugar on top.)