Breakfast Ideas for Kids: Nutritious and Fun Morning Meals

As summer winds down, it's time to shift gears and think about back-to-school season. While there's plenty of excitement with new beginnings and kids eager for their first day back, it can also feel overwhelming with new schedules, early wake-ups, and back-to-school shopping. With all the chaos, breakfast planning can easily slip through the cracks.

In an effort to get breakfast on your kids' plates, it's tempting to grab whatever's the most convenient, even if it's not the most nutritious choice. But breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day–and making it healthy can really set the tone for the day. When kids skip breakfast, they're more likely to overeat later because they're hungry and trying to make up for what they missed earlier in the day. Plus, research shows that eating breakfast improves kids's school performance with better concentration and energy throughout the day.

We're turning to an expert to make mornings run smoother and give your kids a nutritious boost to start their school day. Melanie Murphy Richter, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian, shares her tips on healthy breakfasts for kids and simple ways to work them into your busy morning routine.

The Importance of a Healthy Breakfast for Kids

A healthy breakfast not only fuels kids for a day of better focus and attention in school but also has other health benefits. Kids are constantly growing, even rapidly, due to growth spurts or puberty, and they need nutritious breakfast foods to support their development. Here are some reasons why a healthy breakfast is so important for kids:

Improves mood

Have you ever met a hangry kid? Yikes. It's called hanger for a reason—kids get angry, irritable, and moody (all the things!) when they're hungry. When they eat all their meals, including breakfast, they're moods are less likely to be dysregulated because they're hungry.

Replenishes energy

Glucose, found in foods like whole grains, starches, and fruit, is our body's preferred source of energy. It is important to provide the energy kids need to play, concentrate, and participate in sports. Richter explains that breakfast replenishes the body's glucose stores after several hours of not eating overnight.

Supports nutrition and growth

Kids have specific calorie and nutrient needs that are easier to meet when spread throughout the day across various meals and snacks. Skipping breakfast means cramming all their nutrition into fewer meals, making it harder to get everything they need, especially for picky eaters or kids with smaller appetites. "Ensuring they eat enough calories and nutrients throughout the day, beginning with breakfast, supports their physical growth with sufficient protein, vitamins, and minerals," Richter adds.

Promotes healthy weight

As we mentioned before, skipping breakfast can lead to overeating later. "When children skip breakfast, the body excretes higher levels of a hormone called ghrelin, which prompts the body to eat," explains Richter. Studies also show that skipping breakfast can increase a child's risk of obesity and weight gain.

Quick and Easy Breakfast Ideas for Busy Mornings

To make nutritious breakfasts a regular part of your hectic mornings, you need quick, easy, and simple recipes. Recipes with lots of steps can be too complex, or recipes using too many utensils and appliances can make cleanup a hassle and might discourage you from making them. Here are Richter's breakfast ideas for busy mornings:

Peanut butter banana wraps

Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on a whole wheat wrap, place a medium banana at one end, and roll it up. "These easy roll-ups are rich in plant-based proteins, healthy fats for sustained energy, and complex carbs from the banana and whole wheat tortilla. They're kid-approved and portable," says Richter.

Breakfast quesadilla

The great thing about quesadillas is that you can't go wrong—you can add whatever ingredients you're craving (or whatever your kids are in the mood for that day!). Richter makes her breakfast quesadilla with scrambled eggs (for protein), cheese (for fat), and spinach (for fibre), all wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla (for carbs). This combo covers all the food groups and gives your kids a balanced start to their day. If your kid isn't a fan of "green stuff" in their quesadilla, you can skip it or finely chop it and mix it in with the eggs while scrambling so it's less stringy and blends in better.

Cottage cheese or yogurt with fruit

Cottage cheese and yogurt are excellent sources of both fat, protein, and calcium. Choose unsweetened varieties since flavoured ones usually have tons of added sugars. If you have a toddler or younger kiddo, choose cottage cheese and yogurt made with whole milk since they need the extra fat. When it comes to fruit, you have a variety to choose from: berries, melon, stone fruit, bananas, and more! And if you need a little sweetness, drizzle your bowls with a bit of honey, cinnamon, or maple syrup.

Overnight oats

In a mason jar or tall glass, combine rolled oats, milk, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey. Mix well to combine (use the oats-to-liquid ratio from your oats package). Refrigerate overnight, and your overnight oats will be ready for breakfast in the morning! "Preparing oats with seeds, nut butter, and berries the night before provides a quick and nutritious breakfast that offers energy, satiety, and digestive health," Richter says.

Avocado toast with hemp hearts

Toast a slice of whole grain bread and top it with sliced or mashed avocado (depending on what your kid prefers). Sprinkle some hemp seeds on top, and if you're feeling fancy, add sesame seeds, everything-but-the-bagel seasoning, a squeeze of lemon juice, or a pinch of garlic powder for extra flavour.

Fun and Creative Breakfast Ideas for Kids

Some mornings, kids come to the table super hungry, while other days, they wake up without an appetite or refuse breakfast altogether. Getting kids to eat breakfast can take creativity. Here are some fun ideas to make breakfast a little more exciting:

Use novel kitchenware

Even if you're serving the same breakfast, switching up the fork, spoon, plate, or cup can make breakfast more fun for kids. We love these Busy Benny stainless steel divided plates and spork—they can make breakfast feel extra special, especially if your kid isn't used to stainless steel plates and has never seen or used a spork.

Get creative with food art

"One of my favourite ways to make breakfasts fun for kids is to make them into shapes and characters. A pancake is merely a pancake, but a pancake with blueberries for eyes and a peanut butter mouth is now a silly face that can excite and encourage your kid to eat their food," explains Richter.

Let your kids take charge

Sometimes, giving kids autonomy at the table encourages them to eat. They might enjoy adding fruit to their yogurt, drizzling maple syrup on their pancakes, or even setting the table themselves.

Have dinner for breakfast

Mix things up and serve dinner foods for breakfast. It can make mealtime more exciting and definitely bring on the giggles. You don't need to cook a fancy steak dinner—heat some frozen pizza with a side of peas or warm up last night's leftovers.

Make-Ahead Breakfast Ideas for Busy Families

If you have a big family or follow a super tight schedule, making large batches of breakfast foods and freezing them can make meal planning way more efficient. You can pull out these ready-made breakfasts a few times a month (or a week) and save yourself loads of time. Here are some of our make-ahead breakfast ideas, perfect for busy or large families.

Egg muffins

Richter suggests egg muffins because they're easy to make and store. Simply scramble eggs with finely diced veggies and bake them in muffin tins. They can be stored in the fridge for a few days and reheated as needed or frozen for a quick breakfast on busy mornings.

Whole grain muffins or pancakes

Whip up a batch of pancakes or muffins using whole grain flour like whole wheat, almond, or buckwheat. Look for recipes that use mashed bananas or applesauce instead of a ton of added sugar. Muffins and pancakes freeze beautifully and are always a hit with kids of all ages. If you're looking for a shortcut, check out this Simple Mills Protein Pancake mix–just add water, and you've got pancakes or waffles with 11 grams of protein, only 7 grams of added sugar, and a breakfast made with whole food ingredients.

Energy balls

Energy bites made with rolled oats, dried fruit, ground nuts and seeds are super easy to make (usually no-bake!) and are small enough to fit a large batch in your freezer without taking up too much space.

Hard-boiled eggs

While freezing hard-boiled eggs isn't the best idea, you can still cook up a couple dozen and use them in various ways. Serve them on their own with some fruit, mash them up for egg salad on toast, or make some delicious deviled eggs.

Healthy Breakfast Swaps for Kids

If you've ever tried to get your family to make a change, you know the best approach is to make small, gradual adjustments over time. If your kids are used to highly processed breakfast foods with a lot of added sugar, don't go cold turkey—making a sudden switch can backfire, and they might reject the new options. Start slowly with these simple, expert-approved swaps:

• Switch from refined grains to whole grains with more fibre, vitamins, and fibre.
• Replace sweetened yogurts with unsweetened varieties. If your child prefers a bit more sweetness, add fresh or freeze-dried fruit, a drizzle of maple syrup or honey, or a sprinkle of cinnamon.
• If your child is hooked on fruit juice, start by diluting it with water. Gradually increase the water content over time so they get used to drinking less juice and more water, helping them build healthier drinking habits.
• Swap out refined sugars and use natural sweeteners instead, such as honey, maple syrup, and dates. Although these are still added sugars, Richter explains that they offer a "more robust nutritional profile."

Experts

Melanie Murphy Richter, MS, RDN, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, recognized as 2023's "Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year" by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Melanie is the Director of Communications and a Medical Science Educator for Prolon, a longevity science company.

She was the Lead Dietitian at Head Start and Early Head Start of South Los Angeles, providing tailored nutrition education and meal planning to support young children's and their families' health and development.

As a graduate instructor of Nutrition Physiology through the Lifespan for the University of California Irvine (UCI) 's Nursing Department, she mentors and educates future healthcare professionals on the power of nutrition on one's health and lifespan. 2019 Melanie founded Wholistic Ritual, a science-backed holistic healing nutrition and integrative medicine practice.