Toddler Breakfast!

Typical oatmeal breakfast (in a convenient coffee mug) + fruit

For this week's lunches we are back to the veggie pasta (from Toddler Lunch Part II), so I thought I would share some of my favorite toddler-friendly breakfasts for our family.

During most weekdays we stick to instant oatmeal, either apple-cinnamon or plum flavored in the convenient (to pour and measure water) pouch - our favorite brand is Mom's Best. Part of our routine is to mix it, microwave it for one minute in a coffee mug, and then add an ice cube and let it wait at his place at the table, until he is up and dressed and ready for breakfast (does anyone else struggle with getting a meal made and cool before your toddler is ready to eat?). We usually pair this with a fruit - a banana, some sliced strawberries, a handful of blueberries, a cubed kiwi, or whatever other fruit we are test driving that week.

Leftover pancake breakfast with banana and honey for dipping

Our second most common breakfast is leftovers. At least one day during the weekend we make either pancakes (Aunt Jemima Whole Wheat or Trader Joe's multigrain) or French toast (whole wheat bread dipped in egg+ a splash of milk and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon). And there are almost always a few leftover, that we put in a ziploc bag, and reheat in the toaster for weekday breakfasts. This weekend we made both, and I am looking forward to them during the week! I like to mix it up by adding a schmear of peanut butter on a pancake or giving M a quarter-sized dollop of honey to dip his bites in. He is very into dipping these days.

We nearly always have hard-boiled eggs on hand, or may have leftover scrambled eggs and/or biscuits from the weekends. Often we add yogurt as a side (or for dipping fruit!). Or the blueberry muffins (see the Valentine's Day post with our raspberry version.

Another breakfast we have tried just recently is a bowl of cereal: Cheerios, with about 60% of the milk I would use for myself for the same amount leaves the cereal wet, but not so much milk that it gets sloshed everywhere.

What do you do for your kids' breakfasts?

Ps. Here are a couple of lunches from this week :)

A peek at the pasta lunch this week: veggie pasta, apple chunks,  string cheese,  yogurt pretzels; yogurt, pommegranite seeds and kidney beans; kiwi and cereal bar

Leftover Taco Salad lunch (sans the salad; ground beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, shredded cheddar, tortilla chips), grapes, steamed carrot sticks; yogurt and granola; kiwi and pretzels