As a working mom, I don’t really have the luxury of time to make a whole feast every day of the week. Although eggs, bacon, pancakes, and potatoes all sound amazing, my reality is, that’s cutting into my work schedule, as well as Cayden’s play and learning time.
Don’t get me wrong, depending on my load at work, if it’s a light day, I take the opportunity to make his favorite — Mickey Mouse pancakes from scratch (he loves when I add the ears with the batter), a side of bacon (or sausage), a fruit salad, and fresh squeezed orange juice.
But just because I don’t have time to throw down in the kitchen each morning, doesn’t mean we’re not eating healthy. On days where I know I have a strict deadline on some tasks, it’s a quick meal that doesn’t take long for me to eat or make.
If you find yourself in the same boat, especially us mamas working from home during these Covid times, check out these quick breakfast ideas that can all be made in 8 minutes or less while still practicing healthy eating habits.
1. Avocado toast
I swear the whole Latin community laughed when American’s decided to make this “a thing”. The majority of Latinos can’t eat a meal without avocado, so avocado on bread or tortilla is a thing we’ve been doing since our existence. I remember when I was going to school and we didn’t have time to sit down to eat breakfast, my mom would send me off with avocado slices sprinkled with some light salt and rolled up in a tortilla. American’s just put a fancy twist on it like sunflower seeds… It’s basically guac on bread guys, calm down.
I’m not sure if Cayden loves avocados because he is part hispanic or because of the fact that avocados are so dang good but it makes it so that we can both enjoy avocado toast for breakfast together.
I make it with some olive oil and add some of Trader’s Joes Everything but the Bagel seasoning. At times I’ll skip the seasoning and make it with lemon juice and seaweed slices and sprinkle some ground up sea salt which Cayden also enjoys.
2. Smoothies
We are definitely a smoothie family, even in the winter/fall seasons. This is a great way to sneak some greens if your kid doesn’t like veggies. Fortunately, I don’t have that problem with Cayden because he loves vegetables as much as he does fruit. However, I still like to add some spinach leaves to our mango smoothie recipe for some extra added fiber. I also let him help me pour the items in the blender so that he feels like he was the sous chef.
The best thing about smoothies for breakfast is that you can pair them with almost anything. I’ll usually pair it with a granola bar for the both of us or a simple slice of whole wheat toast with butter since we’re already drinking our fruits and veggies. If you need a good smoothie recipe book, one of my favorites is called, Healthy, Quick & Easy SMOOTHIES by Dana Angelo White, MS, RD, ATC.
Not only are the recipes so yummy, each recipe only requires 5 ingredients. She also shares tips on how to stack your smoothie and how to get that smoothie texture that you would get at a smoothie shop.
3. Oatmeal
Cayden is a huge fan of oatmeal which makes me so happy because I feel the same way about it. He can seriously eat oatmeal every single day, in fact he asks for it every single day. Growing up, I remember my mom used to stock up on the quaker oats packets in my favorite flavors which were the maple and brown sugar and the strawberries and cream. With the facts I know now, those things aren’t exactly the best for you so I make our own.
Using quick oats, I let them boil with almond milk and add raisins and brown sugar. Another favorite of ours is chopped apples, brown sugar, and a few dashes of cinnamon.
If we’re in the mood for berries, I like to use a mixture of raspberries and blackberries (because I don’t need to chop them up) and top it off with some whipped cream.
4. Nutella
Another one of my childhood favorites. Who doesn’t love nutella on just about anything? Cayden seems to agree. On days where I’m feeling like getting my little kid on, I’ll make us both a slice of whole wheat toast, spread some Nutella, and use either banana or strawberry slices, and sometimes both on top.
For some reason, it tastes ten times better to me now with a cup of coffee than it did back when I was younger. Of course, I don’t expect Cayden to get full off of just one slice, so I’ll usually give him a cup of yogurt for him to have on the side.
5. Yogurt parfait
Speaking of yogurt, I am super obsessed with the honey flavor greek yogurt by The Greek Gods. It’s almost as if you’re eating a bowl of ice cream each time. The texture is extremely creamy and thick, the flavor is so, so rich. Not only is it rich in flavor, I love the fact that it’s also rich in vitamins B2, B6 and B12 and the probiotics help to keep your digestive system healthy.
Cayden and I love adding berries and granola to it but I especially love the fact that you can add an endless amount of toppings and different combinations similar to ice cream.
Sometimes we keep it super simple by just adding banana or mango slices and drizzling some honey over it.
Having breakfast with your little one is so important because it teaches them about nutrition by example. I used to be a big breakfast person but from the moment I got pregnant I was so sick the entire time, I was never hungry. Somehow that’s carried on since Cayden’s arrival. However, I do find that my day seems a bit more “organized” when I sit to have breakfast with Cayden. It’s also a great time to be reminded to take our vitamins so that we have a great start to our day, no matter how quick our breakfast may actually be.
Matching ‘mommy and me’ jammies: Hannah Anderson
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