It's a healthy breakfast thread!

[fuzzpig]

Really determined to finally ditch (or at least reduce) the cereal. The DCs only like really sugary/chocolatey stuff

I'm thinking of switching to cereal only at weekends.

DD (7) is fairly easy going and loves eggs, but DS (nearly 5) won't eat them. Well, he will eat a little bit, but only with dramatic sighs and eye rolling and I don't think it's worth the stress in the mornings.

He likes cheese on toast - decent wholemeal bread with seeds with either Red Leicester or cheddar. That's better than cereal right?

Not sure what else to do really. Neither will eat porridge no matter how I do it.

I like the idea of fruity pancakes and stuff but is that actually any better in terms of sugar?

[fuzzpig]

I finally got around to trying the yoghurt with the st dalfour stuff (it's like jam but sweetened with fruit juice instead of sugar... probably not much better though really) - he loved it, so my plan is to gradually reduce it while adding in whole/squished fruit, and then I'll start adding oats etc.

On other days he's still enjoyed cheese or butter on toast, and I've got some 100% peanut butter to use too. He likes smoothies so will definitely try that.

DD on the other hand this morning wolfed down scrambled egg with chorizo, pine nuts, tomato and sugar snap peas. She is so much easier to feed can't be so smug about DS though! :o

The best thing is though, the DCs haven't whinged for cereal admittedly I don't know for sure if they've asked for it in the mornings (DH has been getting up with them so I'll ask him) but I've not heard any stropping or anything, which I was really expecting. So that's an unexpected positive :)

[AmericasTorturedBrow]

Mango is a funny one - it's one of my favourite fruit "off the bone" but trying to use it as an ingredient from frozen/tin or even fresh, the flavour never seems to hold up for me

[Surfsup1]

Or maybe some pineapple?

[YellowYoYoYam]

Back again to continue my musings about Bircher museli. I tried tinned mango mashed through instead of grated apple and the juice from the tinned mango instead of the apple juice but it lacked something. I also tried sprinkling golden linseed on top which added a nice change to the texture so I'll keep doing that. I'm wondering if a sprinkling of dessicated coconut would perk up the mango one a bit?

[AmericasTorturedBrow]

If he drinks a glass of milk perhaps try turning it into a peanut butter and banana smoothie made with almond milk? Tons of protein, calcium and will fill him up

[Surfsup1]

Just in case anyone needs a bit of inspiration to make these changes, this program was on tv here recently and is seriously amazing!

[Surfsup1]

Fuzzpig, try Stevia and some vanilla!?

[spilttheteaagain]

Does he like peanut butter fuzzpig? I adore a banana sliced in half lengthways, then spread the cut side generously with peanut butter and sandwich the banana back together and eat. It's gorgeous! DH likes this with a glass of milk for breakfast.

In terms of strawberry yogurt my toddler loves the yeo valley natural yogurt with chopped fresh strawberries mixed through. Worth a try?

[fuzzpig]

Well he didn't like the yoghurt with banana to sweeten it. Was planning to use mango but it's not ripe yet. He refused it with honey.

Wondering about using St Dalfour spread to sweeten it as he's asked for strawberry yoghurt next time?

He is just resistant to anything different, it's a problem with his diet in general, very frustrating. He just had a banana instead this morning, so could be worse but I'd like to get some protein into him (does a glass of milk count? We use whole milk now)

[fuzzpig]

I'm afraid we've been very slow at getting going with the healthy breakfasts

But haven't bought any cereal for... what, a couple of weeks now? There's a bit left but DS doesn't like it so he's been having cheese and fruit salad. We've got some yeo valley natural yoghurt (apparently that's quite mild) which we will stir fruit into. If he's ok with it (he's used to stuff like muller corner which is really sugary) then I will start doing the overnight thing with oats - these things need to be gradual with him.

Banana pancakes went down really well too so will repeat that.

[YellowYoYoYam]

I don't measure anything out, I just use a medium sized Tupperware box, horse a load of porridge oats in, pour on apple juice (enough to "coat" all the oats, then enough Greek yoghurt and milk to make it a porridge consistency and then throw in three handfuls of raisins and three grated apples. I sweeten to taste with honey, it doesn't need a lot because of the apple juice, apples and raisins. I added a generous sprinkle of cinnamon to one batch which was quite nice. Leave in the fridge overnight.

I read online not to add the grated apple until the morning because it would oxidise, but I couldn't be bothered with that and just put it in the night before and it was fine, the grated apple didn't go noticeably brown, probably because of all the other stuff it's in with.

In the morning I chop strawberries and blueberries to mix through or roughly mash through raspberries before serving. DH just has it without the fresh fruit.

If anyone has any good variations I'd love to hear them. I think someone up thread mentioned mashing in mango?...

[LS24]

YellowYoYoYam - how do you make that bircher museli? It sounds yum. thank you.

[YellowYoYoYam]

Just wanted to come on and say thanks for the Bircher muesli recommendations. Have now had it every morning for a week and we've loved it. I made it with oats, yoghurt, milk, apple juice, grated apples, raisins, cinnamon and then raspberries, strawberries or blueberries sprinkled on top. DD is going through a phase of only wanting to eat fruit, so there's enough fruit in there to convince her to use a spoon and manage to eat some oats too (she's 21 months).

[Surfsup1]

Yep - it's defo a vehicle for other flavours - not something to eat plain. Vanilla, banana and cinnamon is a fav around here.

[SnottySundays]

DD ate it in about 3 seconds flat...

[SnottySundays]

it wasn't snotty...

Quite nice really, for me and my daughter I used 1/4 cup chia seeds, 1/2 cup yoghurt and about 3/4 cup milk, plus a whole smallish mango chopped up. Soaked overnight in the fridge. To be fair it probably would have fed 2 adults, not one adult and a toddler! Reminded me of tapioca pearls. Might have been a bit tasteless without the mango though.

[Superworm]

Hopefully the chai seeds are not remotely snot like

[CharlotteCollins]

Superworm...snotty...pudding.

Just as well it's not breakfast time now - that's put me right off my food! :o

[Superworm]

Snotty how was the pudding?

[fuzzpig]

Wow great to see even more ideas! Have been away without much wifi so looking forward to catching up on the last few pages.

DCs didn't ask for cereal once - even when they saw little boxes of it on the side.

[SnottySundays]

Mango chia pudding in the fridge for tomorrow's breakfast... I will report back!

[ppeatfruit]

I use a hand held blender they're the best IME and O (not much washing up). I usually start with ground almonds anyway.

[AmericasTorturedBrow]

Does your bog standard blender blend the almonds enough? I don't have anything fancy like a vitamix

[ppeatfruit]

Thanks surfs I like putting the linseeds in my smoothie because of course they're ground (I always have a glass of filtered water with it to help digest the linseeds).

America's You could add linseeds or pumpkin seeds to your coffee smoothie! I like ground almonds which adds creaminess rather than the richness of almond butter.

[AmericasTorturedBrow]

Ugh had braces fitted two days ago so it's smoothie heaven in my house - trying to concoct a decent filling smoothie that incorporates coffee, so far it is basically:

Oats soaked overnight in almond milk
Chia seeds
Coffee turned into ice cubes overnight

Then I've been adding either a frozen banana, dates soaked with the oats or almond butter.

Any other tantalizing breakfast (ie WITH COFFEE) smoothie ideas?