Baked beans for breakfast!?

[buckyou]

So my daughter is a bit of a fussy moo at breakfast time (16month) She's OK the rest of the time but I think she's always a bit disappointed when I serve her a bowl of cereal or slice of toast. I would be happy to leave her too it but she ends dragging me into the kitchen all morning for snacks, which drives me up the wall.

This morning after she refused her cereal I gave her a bowl of beans which she loved! Is that completely irresponsible?? What can I serve it with to make it more balanced? I'm thinking it's not good for her to have beans every day?

I use the low salt / sugar ones.

Beans are better than cereal or toast imo. Does she eat eggs? Eggs and beans and some fruits after maybe?

Beans are great! Add a little grated cheese for a bit more fat? Toast soldiers to dip in? Boiled/scrambled egg?

Oh good!! I think she would eat a bit of egg and she really like cheese.

She seems to go through these phases of really liking certain things so I'll go with the beans for now.. It will probably change next week!

My DD is similar although doesn't ask for snacks because I've never given her snacks in the house other than cucumber etc (to avoid the scenario whereby they just want to snack and are never ready for a proper meal).

Things that work for us in the morning:

Hiding blueberries (which she loves) in eg mushy weetabix and yoghurt. She just picks out the blueberries and leaves the rest but at least she's getting a BIT of cereal etc with it.

Scrambled Egg

Banana

Cheese and oatcakes

Hot cross buns

That's it.

Does she have milk in the morning? It could be filling her up, my DD has her milk after lunch (before her nap) or mid morning if starving for this reason.

Do you / other DC have breakfast with her? It might help if she saw you all eating same time.

Does she feed herself or do you feed her? My DD started eating a lot less when she was in between being spoon fed and independent, now she's independent she's eating much more (same as when she was spoon fed before any BLWers start commenting!).

Lastly, I would honestly try to explain when you put breakfast in front of her that there will be NO snacks. Give her small snack (same thing at same time everyday?) if you really need to, some kids do need that) but other than that refuse and then move lunch forward if you need. Even though she's young you can show her in a way that she will understand.

Good luck.

Thanks. I do think I need to nip the snacks in the bud. She doesn't even normally want things she just really likes the cupboard and the fridge!

She eats with me. Doesn't have milk in a morning and feeds herself unless she is feeling lazy and gives me her spoon to do it for her. TBH I think she's just a bit unimpressed with boring breakfast food! I'll try the things you have suggested.

Ill make more of an effort with different tasty things I think. Beans being one of them!

I think beans are great, but maybe bit too heavy for breakfast.
Also assuming they are freshly cooked and been soaked overnight?

Great thing for breakfast is a vegetable soup, but no legumes in it. Especially in winter having warm breakfast is very comforting.

I'm really hoping they're not the soaking overnight kind. Baked beans all the way!!

I think it really doesn't matter at all. Who says toast/cereal have to be breakfast?? Full English??
People eat all sorts of things whenever and, especially at 16months, food is food.

The beans will be more identifiable in nappy later (unhelpful).

Err, no they are not the freshly cooked and soaked over night kind (wtf are they!?) I'm not that kind of mum I'm afraid!

The reason legumes and grains or oats should be soaked is because they contain antinutrients. By soaking/ fermentation you can eliminate some or most of it. Not a good thing for young digestive system to gets lots of phytates so if you can eliminate, it is very good thing. Just requires some planning.

Another thumbs up for baked beans. Lots of protein, some fibre, they have iron and other good micronutrients. IMHO, whatever a kid will eat at this age, as long as not sweet, is fine. They have small tummies and comparatively high nutrient needs, so giving things that are nutrient dense is good. Not all "processed" foods are bad. Bean away!!!

Thought of another - peanut butter! On toast, bagels, oatcakes, anything you want. You can get some good ones with added oils and seeds too.

We eat a lot of non cereal breakfast like beans on toast, scrambled egg, pancakes, frozen fruit blitzed into yogurt, fruit salad, peanut butter/marmite toast, crumpets, cheese on toast, omelette, smoothie, puree apple/pear,

I have just lost 10 minutes of my life trying to learn about antinutrients. I'm too tired to figure it out but am confident that baked beans are not going to cause harm for breakfast.

Soaking baked beans

Are you in the uk Zahrah

Do you actually know what baked beans are?

Brilliant thread.

You could always add a potato waffle cooked in the toaster. That is my go to Friday tea for my horrors

As part of a wide variety then yes baked beans is ok for breakfast. Every day, not so.

DS would think he'd died and gone to heaven if he had beans for breakfast every day it's a good idea, they'll be filling and full of energy. But you may regret the nappies, especially when eggs are added to the equation.

Well she's now decided beans aren't that exciting and she can try other things for breakfast. So all's good.

Yes I live here now but not from here, so actually dont know what baked bean are, I guess literally baked?im only familiar with beans you cook and then mexican refried beans. :-)

Get thee some Heinz beans Zahrah! And do not soak them!

Yes! Do not soak them. Microwave them or heat then on the stove

Serve with toast for beans on toast, jacket potato or as a side dish for things like sausage and chips

This thread has made me smile!!! For all the wrong reasons, nothing to do with the original reason!!! Lol. OP, your daughter sounds so sweet and obviously likes her food. I too get disappointed by cereal! Beans on toast all the way. I think its nice with seeded bread and a sprinkle of grated cheese. And for what its worth, nothing wrong with mid morning snack but it can become annoying if the fridge is a place of entertainment lol.