My school-morning breakfast menu has become particularly inspired this year. I have been pleasantly surprised that it requires much less effort than I anticipated. Now that I'm not working, it's easy to manage the morning routine but if I'm making a hot breakfast from scratch and hot lunches, things can get a little crazy. Either something is going to get burned or I'm going to realize too late that I didn't give the kids a cheerful, encouraging start to their day.
Breakfast doesn't have to be complicated but it does need to offer lots of nutrients. The University of Michigan conducted a research study in the 1960s in which three groups of rats were each fed one of three diets – cornflakes and water, the cornflakes box and water and rat chow and water. The box-eating rats died, of course, but the first of that group died on the same day that the last of the cornflake-eaters died. What's more is that, before dying, the cornflake-eaters deteriorated into schizophrenic behavior, bit each other and went into convulsions. The box-eaters, on the other hand, became lethargic and died in the normal manner of the malnourished. This study was intended as a joke but discovering that there was more nutrition in a cereal box than the cereal itself is definitely not funny. (Read more here.)
Many of the frozen options you find at the grocery can be easily made at home for much, much less. I enjoy the convenience of using throwing something in the toaster as the kids come to the table with the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their food is full of fresh, organic ingredients.
For the toaster, I make waffles, pancakes and french toast which I cut into strips for easy dipping and easy portioning. I double these recipes whenever I happen to be making them and end up with a week's worth of quick breakfasts for very little extra effort. After freezing for a half hour on a cookie sheet, I transfer to airtight storage, separated by wax paper. My kids have the option of pure maple syrup, a few sprinkles of powdered sugar or neither if I've added chocolate chips to the waffles/pancakes.
When I've got more time, I'll mix the dry ingredients of a muffin recipe at night. The next morning, I add the oil, egg and milk. The yummy baking smells never fail to bring them to the table early! Two of my kids' new favorites are chocolate chip (I omit the topping) and cinnamon roll (for which I consider the topping purely optional and time-dependent.)
As a side note – all of my baked goods get a couple of tablespoons of ground flax seeds mixed in. They're rich in Omega-3s which the modern diet often lacks. It doesn't affect the taste or texture. Around here, no one has ever noticed. :)
Whether you have kids or not, what's your breakfast routine like? Have any favorites? Please share!
Thanks for the flaxseed idea in the muffins. We know we show be eating it so we bought some whole flaxseed at the Swiss Pantry last week, but I wasn't really sure (and am still not sure) what to add it to. The whole family loves muffins so this will bring some nutrients to the table to add the flaxseed. What else do you add it to?
ReplyDeleteThat's it, I'm done eating cardboard.
ReplyDeleteCarrie, I add it to breads, pizza dough, cookies, brownies, granola (if I'm out of whole flax seeds)...most everything that I bake.
ReplyDeleteChuck, thanks for your always 'helpful' comments....
my bowl of apple jacks and raisins just tasted a whole lot sweeter!
ReplyDeleteyou can also sprinkle a little wheat germ on top of your muffins for some extra folic acid/vitamin e.
ReplyDeletethanks for the tips about the pancakes/waffles. do you freeze them and then throw them in the toaster when you want one? i freeze them, but never thought about putting them in the toaster.
for breakfast, we eat steel cut oats, with butter & brown sugar. for a large family like yours, you can make it in the crock pot the night before! otherwise, the oats take about 30 minutes to cook.
yes, the toaster works great! unfortunately, my kids don't like oatmeal...yet. i give them small servings occasionally so the taste will grow on them. they tolerate it a bit better each time. :)
ReplyDelete