Nutritious & Delicious: Breakfast Swaps Kids Will Love
Breakfast of little champions. If you’re reading this, you likely grew up on colorful cereals, processed pastries, and syrupy pancakes. As an adult, you’ve realized that these foods aren’t the healthiest, and you’ve decided to find better breakfast options for your kids. However, like most parents, you’ve probably discovered that kids can be picky eaters. Despite their limited culinary experience, they can be tough critics of the meals you serve. In this article, we’ll share nutritious, kid-friendly breakfast swaps that both you and your little ones will enjoy.
Child Nutritional Needs
Humans experience peak growth velocity from infancy through adolescence, during which every cell in a child’s body rapidly grows and matures. This process continues until it slows down after puberty. To meet the high nutritional demands during this phase, children need a diet rich in protein and healthy fats while keeping processed carbs and sugar to a minimum. Understandably, this can be a challenge, as processed sugary foods are expertly marketed to kids with bright colors and familiar characters. Unfortunately, the meat and produce aisles often fail to capture a child’s attention or interest. Despite the lack of attention-grabbing packages, it is still possible to get your kids to eat and enjoy a healthy breakfast.
Protein
Over a third of child deaths under the age of 5 are related to undernutrition1. The current dietary recommendations for protein intake in children under 19 years of age are under scrutiny. These guidelines, which suggest 11-52 grams per day depending on age, were established using potentially unreliable methods. Recent studies suggest that protein requirements may be as much as 60% higher than previously thought2. The current protein recommendations don’t account for physically active children, who need more protein to build and recover muscle and bone mass. They also fail to accurately reflect the rapid changes in amino acid uptake in children compared to adults, making these guidelines questionable at best.
High-protein meals are essential for growing bodies. Protein is a building block for muscle, skin, organs, and bones. Protein deficiency in children can cause health complications such as slowed bone growth, joint pain, weakened immune system, delayed wound healing, and brain-related issues such as poor concentration, excessive fatigue, and moodiness. It is important for children to consume a diet rich in easily digestible proteins, such as those found in meats and dairy products (if tolerated), to support their health, growth, and development.
Healthy Fats
It’s important to stress the fact that not all fats are created equal. Healthy fats consist of animal-based fats, such as butter and tallow, and a few select vegetable oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, and palm oil. Try to avoid foods that contain ultra-processed fats such as canola, soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed, rapeseed, and safflower. Ultra-processed fats are highly inflammatory3 and have been linked to multiple disorders of the internal organs which could lead to detrimental health consequences.
Fat is one of the most important macronutrients for children, as 60% of the human brain is made up of fat, making it the fattiest organ in the body. Adequate fat intake is crucial for brain development and overall health. Inadequate fat consumption can put children at risk for poor brain development. Deficiencies in essential fatty acids during infancy are believed to hinder the maturation of the central nervous system. This could potentially lead to impaired visual and intellectual development4. Fat provides consistent fuel for the body and is essential for vital functions such as cell growth, blood sugar regulation, and hormone production and balance.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are a hot topic in the world as the carnivore lifestyle grows in popularity. Thousands of adults have found renewed health by ditching carbs completely. While this can be a beneficial decision for adults, it’s not completely necessary for children. Children can benefit from consuming healthy carbs as they are an immediate source of fuel and energy. However, the key is to pick the right carbohydrates that will fuel your child without negatively impacting their health.
Although ultra-processed carbs are heavily marketed towards kids it is important to avoid these options. As they can increase inflammation, hurt brain development, cause mood disturbances, and may lead to obesity and diabetes in children. Aim to feed your kids carbohydrates from whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy (if they tolerate dairy).
Nutritious Breakfast Swaps Kids Will Love
Don’t set boundaries on what is or is not a breakfast food. Teach your kids from an early age that breakfast does not have to be restricted to the atypical breakfast items. Any food item can be a breakfast item. This will open a world of possibilities in terms of what you can feed your kids for their first meal. The world is their playground, and so is the breakfast menu.
1
Traditional pancakes or waffles SWAP WITH pancakes and waffles made with bananas or sweet potatoes. There are a plethora of healthy fruit or vegetable-based pancake recipes online that your kids will love. Top the pancakes with real maple syrup (no corn syrup), honey, berries, bananas, butter, or melted natural peanut butter* – or a combination of everything. Pancakes make a great meal prep food. Make a large batch, freeze, and microwave when you’re ready for a quick easy meal.
2
Traditional sugar cereals SWAP WITH chicken nuggets and a side of bacon or sausage. Remember the breakfast menu is a playground. Breakfast doesn’t have to follow the usual sugary routine just because it’s common. Cut up chicken breasts or thighs into bite-sized pieces, fry them in a skillet with some bacon, and you’ve got a protein-packed, healthy-fat breakfast that will keep your kid full and satisfied until the next meal.
3
White bread toast with processed jam or other sugary toppings SWAP WITH sourdough bread topped with honey, avocado, natural peanut butter, or jelly* made without corn syrup of any variety.
4
Sugary fruit juice SWAP WITH high-protein smoothies. Let your kids design their own custom smoothie using whole cow’s milk, goat milk, or sugar-free almond milk as the base of the smoothie. There are an infinite number of ways to customize a smoothy. You can add cocoa powder, fruit, natural peanut butter, sugar-free Greek yogurt, the options are endless. Add good quality whey protein to the smoothie to increase the protein content.
5
Pop-tarts SWAP WITH breakfast burritos. Fill your breakfast burritos with eggs, bacon, sausage, veggies, sour cream, cheese, etc. the options are endless. Burritos are just as portable and convenient as pop-tarts but filled with healthy fats, protein, and carbohydrates to fuel your kids’ bodies. They also make great meal prep as they can be made in bulk, frozen, and microwaved for a quick easy meal.
6
Traditional sugar-filled yogurt SWAP WITH Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is another highly customizable breakfast option. You can add fruit, cinnamon, vanilla extract, stevia or monk fruit for sweetness, sugar-free whey protein powder, etc. anything your little one’s heart desires.
* real jelly or jam should only have a few ingredients – fruit, pectin, water, sugar, and sometimes lemon or lime juice
* Natural peanut butter contains just peanuts and salt. There are some sugar-free no-stir peanut butters that contain palm oil which is an acceptable choice
Education Is Key
Health and nutrition may seem like an adult concept. However, children can understand more than they are given credit for. Teach your children the importance of eating healthy food. Relate their food consumption with something they are interested in. For example, if your child is interested in baseball, explain to them that in order to run fast and hit the ball hard they need to eat food that fuels their body and builds their muscles. Get your children excited about getting healthy and strong by eating whole foods so they can excel at their hobbies and interests.
Get the Kids Involved
Children need quality time with their parents, and involving them in preparing a healthy breakfast is a great way to teach them about nutrition while sparking their interest in food. Understandably, having kids help on busy school mornings can be a challenge. However, there are still options. You can schedule time over the weekend to meal prep for the coming week. This not only makes hectic mornings easier but also gets your kids engaged in the kitchen.
Nutritious Breakfast Swaps Kids Will Love
Providing your kids with healthy meals is one of the most important yet challenging tasks as a parent or guardian. At their young age, their health is in your hands. It can feel overwhelming to shift from quick, processed meals to homemade, nutritious ones. However, this transition is entirely possible. Start by gradually incorporating quick, healthy meals during the week, and dedicate time for meal prep with your kids on the weekends. Over time, healthy living will become your family’s norm. Make healthy living the culture in your home. Your kids will thank you for your efforts to prioritize and protect their health.
For more tips on family meal planning and prep, be sure to explore our other related articles:
Supporting Research
- Uauy R, Kurpad A, Tano-Debrah K, Otoo GE, Aaron GA, Toride Y, Ghosh S. Role of Protein and Amino Acids in Infant and Young Child Nutrition: Protein and Amino Acid Needs and Relationship with Child Growth. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2015;61 Suppl:S192-4. doi: 10.3177/jnsv.61.S192. PMID: 26598853. ↩︎
- Hudson JL, Baum JI, Diaz EC, Børsheim E. Dietary Protein Requirements in Children: Methods for Consideration. Nutrients. 2021 May 5;13(5):1554. doi: 10.3390/nu13051554. PMID: 34063030; PMCID: PMC8147948. ↩︎
- The Unspoken Truth About Vegetable Oils: What You Need to Know. Human Health Co. (n.d.). https://humanhealthco.com/the-unspoken-truth-about-vegetable-oils-what-you-need-to-know/
↩︎ - Hardy MD, S. C., & Kleinman MD, R. E. (2007, October 14). Fat and cholesterol in the Diet of infants and young children: Implications for growth, development, and long-term health. The Journal of Pediatrics. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022347606807390 ↩︎
