While there is no such thing as a slow start to the day with bubs and cubs in tow, now that school is back in session your mornings may seem even more chaotic than usual. Between juggling nappies, duplo, and that weird goo you found in their hair, finding the time to whip up a hearty, nutritious breakfast that won’t end up getting tossed from the highchair may seem impossible. While we are all in favour of outsourcing the baby and toddler cooking process to someone like oh, I don’t know… us… we also think it is great to have a few easy, quick, delicious options in your back pocket. Here are some of our faves:
Super quick breakfast ideas (less than 15 minutes)
Almond butter yoghurt
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of whole milk unsweetened milk yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon smooth almond butter
Method:
- Whisk the yoghurt and almond butter together in a small bowl. If there are any clumps, add more yoghurt to smooth out the texture.
Why is it great?
This two-ingredient wonder is a hit with babies and toddlers plus it takes less than 5 minutes to whip together! Nut butters are a great way of introducing healthy fats into your child’s diet while also exposing them to common allergens (nuts and dairy). You can swap out the almond butter with any other nut butter you have on hand.
To increase the nutritional value and taste-factor of this easy breakfast, pair with grated apple on top and a sprinkling of cinnamon.
Sardine tomato salad
Ingredients:
- One boneless sardine
- ½ ripe tomato
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- ½ teaspoon of olive oil
- ½ small cucumber
Method:
- Cut the tomato into age-appropriate wedges
- Combine the minced garlic, oil, and tomato wedges into your child’s bowl (if you have the time, let this sit for 10 minutes for the garlic to infuse)
- Cut the cucumber halve into age-appropriate spears and add to the bowl
- Place sardine in bowl and combine with other ingredients
- If child is over 18months, you can add crushed nori flakes on top before serving.
Why is it great?
The younger you can introduce your bub to interesting flavours and textures like oily fish and raw garlic, the better for fuss-free happy eating. Sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids while having one of the lowest mercury levels of any fish. They are also a great source of calcium and vitamin D for optimal bone health.
Overnight Coconut Chia Seed Pudding
Makes 2-4 servings.
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe banana
- ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon (or other warm spice)
Method:
- Prepare the night before for instant serving in the morning
- Mash the banana and place into a small glass jar with a sealed lid
- Add coconut milk, chia seeds, and cinnamon.
- Seal the jar and shake vigorously to combine
- Place jar in fridge and chill overnight. The seeds should expand and the mixture should thicken
- In the morning scoop out an appropriate amount for your child
- Serve with ground pecan nuts and slices of ripe mango (both optional)
Why it is great?
It only takes five minutes to prep and all of that can be done the night before! Plus, you can store this pudding in the fridge for up to a week. Chia seeds are highly nutritious sources of omega-3s, fibre, protein, and are a great baby-friendly texture.
Our Strawberry Chia Porridge is also a winner plus try out our Coconut Chia Pudding to mix it up.Slightly longer prep-time breakfast ideas (15-30 minutes)
Blueberry buttermilk pancakes
Makes 6-8 pancakes (3-4 child servings)
Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¾ cup of buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ whole wheat flour or chickpea flour
- ¼ cup corn flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Method:
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and pour into a mixing bowl
- Let cool slightly, then whisk in buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate, larger mixing bowl
- Poor wet ingredients into dry – whisking to combine
- Warm remaining 2 tbsp of butter in a large frypan on medium heat
- When the butter starts foaming, add about 1 spoonful of batter to the pan and flatten it out with the back of the spoon
- Sprinkle a few blueberries on top of the pancake
- Repeat with as many pancakes as can fit on the pan without overcrowding
- Cook until bottoms are golden (around 3 minutes) and then flip onto the other side
- Repeat until all the batter is used
- Cool pancakes to room temperature before serving (around 2-3 pancakes per serve)
- OPTIONAL (serve with wholemilk unsweetened yoghurt and ground pecans on the side)
Why is it great?
Nothing says Sunday morning like a hot stack of pancakes. However, this recipe has no added sweeteners and uses wholewheat flour for added nutrition. They also can be frozen and stored for up to 2 months for easy on-the-go brekkies.
Haven't got time try our Spirulina Pancakes.
Curried coconut rice with scrambled egg
Makes 2-3 child servings
Ingredients:
- ½ cup basmati rice
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp sweet curry powder
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ cup unsweetened wholemilk yoghurt
- ½ tsp ground peanut (optional)
Method:
- Rinse rice and place it in a small pot on medium-high heat with coconut milk, curry, and water
- Let come to the boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and stir in the curry powder
- Cover the pot and cook until the grains are soft and have absorbed the cooking liquid
- Remove from the heat and keep pot covered
- Whisk the egg in a small bowl
- Warm the oil in a small non-stick frypan on medium heat
- When the oil shimmers, add the whisked egg and cook, stirring frequently until the egg is fluffy and no longer runny.
- To serve, add a scoop of yoghurt to your child’s bowl, the top with the egg and some rice
- You can also add ground peanut to serve if desired.
Why is it great?
This is a brekkie the whole family can enjoy – while it takes a little bit longer, this is mostly just to account for the rice, so if you have a rice cooker you could ‘set and forget’ this part of the recipe. The brekkie is great for your bub as it encourages self-feeding by placing the rice on the yoghurt – allowing them to scoop up grains with a binding agent. We also love this recipe as it contains eggs, dairy, coconut, and peanuts – known allergens that are important to introduce your child to early. As with all allergens, make sure you introduce these foods to your baby safely.
