Toddler Food Friday – Breakfast Blues!

Product Talk by Nuffnang

Breakfast used to be the one meal of the day that wasn't stressful for me….then about a month ago things changed and suddenly the toddler twosome no longer loved their mushy weetbix (only cereal they would eat) or yoghurt.

I've had to change the way i think about breakfast a little in order to get something into those little tummies to start the day off in the right way.

Cereal and toast are easy options for breakfast but since they aren't working at the moment I have been exploring a few other strategies. I know i'm probably not the only one having this issue in the morning with their toddlers so I've put together a little list of the some of the ideas that have been working for us recently……

‘Colour' Smoothies with lots of hidden goodies (I'll be posting some recipes and ideas for breakfast smoothies on next weeks Toddler Food Friday)
Toddler No Sugar Fruity Balls with some dry crunchy cereal in a little tub.
French Toast with a drizzle of maple syrup (or Eggy Toast as we call it) cut into star shapes with a cookie cutter.
Yoghurt with raspberry & apple puree swirled through in a pattern.
Carrot, Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Muffins
Savoury Ham, Cheese & Vegetable Mini Muffins
Vegetable, Bacon & Rice Fritters
Omelette cut into strips and rolled up like a pinwheel (I use one of our little bento forks for added appeal!)
Daddy's mini apple/banana pancakes (Mummy's recipe but they won't eat them if I make them!)
Crunchy Banana Sticks
Boiled Egg with Soldier Toasts
Frozen blueberries/rasberries/banana/mango (the harder texture seems to make it a winner!)
There is also a diverse collection of Kid's breakfast recipes on taste.com.au that I enjoy scrolling through (and wishing I was eating usually!)

Miss Teen has also had difficulty with breakfast lately as both bread and milk haven't been agreeing with her and being a senior at school this year she has to be out the door earlier than she used to be. Combine this with late nights up studying and you can imagine the morning rush at our place I'm sure! She has been having quite a few fruit smoothies but these do take some time to make and I had been looking for an option that she could just grab and take on those busy mornings. She might be older than the toddler twosome but I believe that breakfast is just as important for teenagers and sets them up for the day of learning and activity ahead.

When I was offered the chance to review a box of  belVita Breakfast Biscuits I jumped at it because Miss Teen had been bugging me for awhile to try some! I admit I hadn't brought them off the shelf yet because I couldn't see how a few biscuits would make for a satisfying or nutritious breakfast.

I'm happy to say I was proven wrong! When I looked at the stats on the box closely i noticed that belVita Breakfast Biscuits are made with five wholegrains, are low GI, rich in cereals and a source of fibre. Combining belVita Breakfast Biscuits with a small bowl of  yoghurt and a piece of fruit provides a balanced breakfast and each serve is individually wrapped making it is easy to control portion size and enjoy at home, on the road or at work.

Both Miss Teen and His Patient Self have been taking a packet with them when the mornings have been too hectic to sit down to breakfast. There are 5 tasty flavours to try including the new Cranberry variant, Honey & Nut with choc chip, Milk & Cereals, Crunchy Oats, and Fruit & Fibre. We tried the new  cranberry flavour and it had a lovely little zing! Miss Teen loved the crispness of the biscuits and said she felt full until lunch at school after eating them.

Although they aren't marketed as a toddler breakfast idea I have to say that when Ruby saw her big sister munching on one she immediately had to try one herself. To my surprise she wolfed it down and asked for more. She does love a crunchy texture with her foods so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised but it was nice to know we have another option up our sleeve for those mornings when she refuses everything I try!!

Do you have a fussy family in the morning or are you just too busy for breakfast? Perhaps Belvita Breakfast Biscuits could be a solution to those ‘awful' mornings…the ones we all have as parents…the ones where we realise at 2pm that we haven't had a chance yet to eat!!

Perhaps some of the breakfast ideas I am trying with the toddler twosome and the links i shared to recipes above  might provide some inspiration for the younger members of your family…sometimes I guess we just need to step away from the traditional favourites and explore new possibilities!

Enjoy your weekend all….

Warm Wishes…