Quick Breakfast Ideas for Toddlers

There is absolutely nothing wrong with giving your toddler the same meal every morning--low-sugar, whole grain dry cereal directly on the highchair tray along with a glass of milk and a few chunks of apples or oranges. This meal has the whole grains, protein, fruit, fiber and dairy your child needs for a quick and healthy start to the day. If your toddler gets bored with the same, old breakfast food, toss conventional meal ideas aside and go for something a bit more unusual.

  1. Traditional Breakfasts

    • Make whole-grain waffles on the weekends and freeze the extras. These take only a minute to toast on a busy morning. Add wheat germ or yogurt to the batter for a protein boost. Add some peanut butter after toasting for extra protein and add raisins on top or on the side; a glass of milk completes the meal. Turn any healthy cold cereal into a hot cereal by microwaving it for one minute along with the milk; add in some sliced bananas, a spoonful of wheat germ and you're done.

    Lunch for Breakfast

    • Your toddler won't have any idea that lunch fare isn't the normal breakfast. Try a simple cheese or peanut butter half sandwich made with healthy whole-grain bread, a slice of apple and a glass of milk. Yogurt is fine if you buy a variety that is not high in sugar. Stir in some mashed bananas and 1 tbsp. of wheat germ for the fiber.

    Dinner for Breakfast

    • Leftovers warmed briefly in the microwave work for breakfast, too--think of macaroni and cheese, sloppy joe mix, or spaghetti and meatballs. Warmed mashed potatoes work, too, with a bit of cheese added for extra protein. Add a small smoothie that has fruit (a banana or frozen strawberries for instance) blended in with the milk to add some fruit and more protein. Make a batch of smoothies the night before so they take no time in the morning.

    Dessert for Breakfast

    • Every now and then, and if it isn't too sweet, dessert for breakfast is a fine idea. If you make your own desserts, get into the habit of always cutting back a bit on the amount of sugar called for so that the dessert can serve double-duty at breakfast. A piece of apple pie, any fruit crisp or cobbler, rice pudding (especially with brown rice and raisins) and bread pudding with raisins are just a few examples of desserts that also could have all the nutrients needed to start your toddler's day off right.

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