Do you cook breakfast?

[Epicurean]

Someone I follow on instagram says she tries to cook a hot breakfast every weekday morning. The kids eat it during Morning Time. She says it really helps get her children going so that they have enough steam to get through chores and schoolwork.

 

Do you do something similar? If so, how do you muster the willpower to do it, assuming your children aren't old enough to cook it for you? I'm wondering if this is a routine that might make our mornings go smoother and keep us from just grabbing something carby. On the other hand, the idea of having to cook and then clean up after a big meal in the mornings seems daunting.

[Rachel]

I only cook breakfast on special occasions. We frequently have oatmeal, but we do that in the microwave. I'll make myself eggs about once a week, one of my sons does too but my other kids don't like eggs.

[Garga]

The boys can cook their own stuff now, but I used to make them a traditional breakfast.  They're very picky eaters and they need protein, so it was usually a scrambled egg each with some cheese thrown in, and either 2 sausages OR 2 strips of bacon OR a slice of ham.  

 

Those things don't take very long to cook.  Of course I'm also a picky eater and I haaaate eggs and I haaaaate sausages and I haaaaate bacon and I haaaaaate ham.  :)  So I also made my own breakfast of cereal or leftovers.  

 

The day when the boys could make their own breakfast was a glorious, glorious day.  Note: these are things that relatively young kids could make, especially if you teach them how to scramble eggs in a cup in the microwave and if you get the kind of sausages that are just heat and serve in the microwave.  The ham and bacon on the stove are a little more advanced for small kids and you might have to handle that.

 

 

I used to make them pancakes every day with extra egg inside for them to get protein, but we needed to cut the carbs in the morning, so that's when we went to just egg and a bit of breakfast meat.

 

 

Edited May 23, 2017 by Garga

[regentrude]

No. None of us wants to eat a hot meal for breakfast at 7am.

We eat cereal*, yoghurt, fruit. If DS wants eggs later in the day, he can make himself some.

 

* By cereal I mean: rolled oats and other whole grains, with dried fruit, nuts and sunflower seeds; no added sugar. 

 

Edited May 23, 2017 by regentrude

[Guest]

Yes, every day. Cereal is expensive and pretty light on nutrition, so we do some combo of toast, eggs, sausage, cottage cheese, porridge, and fruit each morning.

 

It's not that hard or time consuming at all, maybe ten or fifteen minutes and a pot or pan?

Edited May 23, 2017 by Arctic Mama

[matrips]

Yes and no. Some are hot. But we have planned meals each school day, and sit together at a breakfast time.

Oatmeal on the stove - easy

Frozen waffles and sausage - easy

Yogurt parfaits- whole plain yogurts with berries, nuts, coconuts, chocolate chips, granola

Spinach and fruit smoothie and leftover frozen pancakes (from the weekend batch)

Cereal day

[MyLife]

One option would be to cook a few things on Sunday afternoon...like pancakes and sausage. Put it in the fridge and eat it the rest of the week. I love when we have tons of leftover pancakes because they make for quick breakfast. Other quick options are scrambled eggs, cheese toast, yogurt, fruit.

[Pawz4me]

No, never have. We all prefer a light breakfast--a piece of toast with cheese or peanut butter, kefir, yogurt, etc.

[maize]

Fried eggs are easy and not messy--get out pan, put a bit of butter on it, crack eggs, cook, repeat until enough for everyone. Once the pan cools (cast iron so takes awhile) wipe it off with a paper towel and put away.

[Tanaqui]

I have a more or less rotating menu for the week:

 

Oatmeal (steel cut oats) with fruit (usually apples)

Scrambled eggs with fruit on the side or with vegetable mixed in

French toast or pancakes with fruit on the side and also sausage or bacon

Crumble or maybe muffins if I'm feeling up to it or cottage cheese or yogurt with fruit if I'm not feeling up to it

Potato hash or occasionally something I like but the girls don't, like huevos divorciados.

 

And then on the weekends I either go overboard or sleep in.

[Arcadia]

Not usually. My kids requested ravioli for breakfast today before they slept last night. Since I cook my husband's lunch (chicken rice) using the microwave, it was easy to cook store bought ravioli over the stovetop at the same time.

 

My only criteria is that the main ingredient has to be store bought as I don't enjoy food prep before my coffee kicks in. So far my kids have requested for things like fried spring rolls which is easy as I deep fry store bought frozen spring rolls using my frying pan. Other things they have asked for are fried eggs, omelette, pizza (store bought), burritos (store bought), soup.

 

My kids do tend to eat every 2 to 3 hours though and they wash their own plates and bowls.

 

On weekends my kids sleep late and we go out for brunch.

[My4arrows]

I did for about two weeks and then went back to oatmeal which is so easy. But now that mine are getting a little older I'm going to have them help make eggs in the mornings with the bacon and sausage types of things. Maybe pancakes once a week and make extras to make it the week and if they want to make them waffles. But really I'm not. A morning person so it doesn't happen like I always hope.

[regentrude]

Cereal is expensive and pretty light on nutrition,

 

???

Rolled oats and other whole grains are inexpensive and very nutritious, even more so if the cereal has nuts and dried fruit added.

 

Of course, I agree with you when we talk about fruit loops and other sugary stuff - but that's not what everybody who eats "cereal" actually eats.

Edited May 23, 2017 by regentrude

[lllll]

nm

 

Edited June 5, 2017 by tentwelve

[ScoutTN]

Yes, every day. Cereal is expensive and pretty light on nutrition, so we do some combo of toast, eggs, sausage, cottage cheese, porridge, and fruit each morning.

 

It's not that hard or time consuming at all, maybe ten or fifteen minutes and a pot or pan?

yes, this. Dh and I need to eat low carb mist of the time and my kids do so much better with eggs than cereal. I often cook, but occasionally kids or Dh. Each to his own on Saturdays. We are a little less predictable in the summer.

Even when my kids have yogurt (plain, full fat) with fruit and grain (usually homemade granola or muesli), they are hungry two hours later. When they eat eggs and meat, we get to lunch without snacks just fine.

Edited May 23, 2017 by ScoutTN

[hjffkj]

Either dh or I make a hot breakfast every morning.

[marbel]

???

Rolled oats and other whole grains are inexpensive and very nutritious, even more so if the cereal has nuts and dried fruit added.

 

Of course, I agree with you when we talk about fruit loops and other sugary stuff - but that's not what everybody who eats "cereal" actually eats.

 

She's talking about cold cereal; usually in the US it seems people say "cereal" to mean cold cereal, and "hot cereal" to mean... oatmeal and such.  I don't think muesli is very well-known here; most of the time when I mention it, people say "huh?"    

 

She listed porridge which, as far as I know, means oatmeal or similar.  

[4Kiddos]

Oh I do. Cereal (the boxed sugary stuff) and other convenience foods are so much more expensive and my kids are hungry again like half and hour later and ravenous and cranky by lunch time. I make all sorts of nice things:

 

- Oatmeal, Baked Oatmeal with fruit, grits, cream of wheat, cornmeal mush, etc.

- Eggs- scrambled, fried, with potatoes, breakfast casseroles, fritattas, etc.

- Baked goods- muffins, scones, coffee cake, quick breads, etc.

- Other- pancakes, french toast, yogurt and homemade granola, etc.

- Special occasions- danish, cinnamon rolls, donuts, eggs benedict, etc.

 

On Saturday mornings we have a really nice breakfast- usually some baked good with eggs, fruit, bacon or sausage, and orange juice. It starts the day off with really nice pretty breakfast and leisurely enjoying each other and talking. On weekdays I usually make just one thing and I try (doesn't always happen) to have a side of fruit with it. And then on special occasions and holidays I go all out.

 

I just plan these out with my menu plan each week. We have the hot grain cereals (oatmeal and the like) the most as they are the fastest and cheapest.

Edited May 23, 2017 by 4Kiddos

[tdbates78]

No. We aren't big breakfast eaters. Breakfast usually occurs during our break (9:30 or 10:00) and includes cereal, pancakes (I do make and freeze these and throw them in the microwave), oatmeal, yogurt or cheese and nuts. I eat overnight oaks or drink a green smoothie when I do eat breakfast, which isn't every day.. We tend to have our hot breakfast food, which we do all love, occasionally for dinner.

 

ETA my girls have never been big eaters. They don't eat what anyone would consider a "big meal".

Edited May 23, 2017 by tdbates78

[marbel]

When my kids were younger I made a hot breakfast every day, for them and for me.  My husband was on his own.  As the kids got older, their preferences became more pronounced around the same time their skills increased, so I stopped, mostly.    I will still make breakfast on occasion but usually that means setting up steel cut oats to cook overnight, or scrambling eggs for my son and myself on a day he's working, just because it's simpler.  Though, this summer I plan to stay in bed late more often, so he gets more practice on getting up, fed, and out the door on his own.  Most days I have to drive him (not enough cars in the family right now, but that's changing soon), so I'm up anyway and it's quicker for me to do it.   

Edited May 23, 2017 by marbel

[Loowit]

Nope.  I don't eat breakfast most days.  I am not generally hungry before lunchtime and when I do eat breakfast I am generally hungry all day.  DH would love it if I got up and made him a hot breakfast everyday, but I guess I am too lazy.  He has tried to be up on time to make his own, but he is not a morning person and usually there is not time before he has to leave for work.  We do have hot breakfast on weekends if we can.  My kids sometimes get up and make their own hot breakfast of pancakes or something, but not very often.  Usually we have a somewhat early lunch so they don't really want a big breakfast anyway.

[Bluegoat]

Not regularly.  I need to get into the habit,when I do, the children have a much better morning.

[myfunnybunch]

I do, unless I need to work early.

 

I am not a morning eater, and it takes me a while to wake up. Puttering in the kitchen making breakfast helps me to wake up and I'm usually ready to eat by the time it's ready.

 

Plus, family meals are great bookends for our days. We're awfully busy, so knowing we will all be together for breakfast and dinner creates a nice rhythm for us. And it's meaningful for me personally because my mother did it for my sisters and I. :)

[Pink and Green Mom]

My DH and oldest don't eat anything in the morning, my youngest makes his own oatmeal every day, and I usually make scrambled eggs for myself.

 

[2_girls_mommy]

I really do try to. Dh is here at least one morning during the week. He will do it when he is home in the morning. I do it once or twice, and the older kids do it the other days.   I find it cheaper than cold cereal or other alternatives. A few eggs or a pot of oatmeal is a lot cheaper than cold cereal. My kids will eat a box of cereal in a day and a half. It doesn't matter how much I buy. They just eat it til it is gone. It never makes it til the next grocery shop day.

 

[AHASRADA]

Umm, no. I keep the kitchen stocked and cook a large dinner every night, that's it.

 

Everyone reheats his/her choice of leftovers for lunch.

 

For breakfast, we eat a range of toast and bagels, cereal, smoothies and yogurt, and sometimes eggs or pancakes, but I don't cook it. It's every man/woman/child for himself.

[Ali in OR]

Only on Saturdays. Other days everyone gets their own and that starts at a very early age here. I never noticed problems with them being able to focus on schoolwork and I also have no problem with them self-serving throughout the day. I'm a grazer myself. (I do have to prepare all meals for my disabled dd and feed her--just the capable ones who are on their own).

[winterbaby]

I do but not as much as I should. Cold breakfast is carb breakfast unless you are into some unusual stuff. (And whole grain no sugar added carbs is still carbs. The glycemic curve may be less steep but it's still not going to hold me long enough to not be ravenous by lunch.) Eggs are really quick. Meats can be made ahead and reheated. You can even chop and saute veg for your scramble ahead of time. I think the idea that cooked, high protein breakfast = big, labor intensive breakfast is a vicious cycle from our cultural habit of only cooking breakfast on the weekend.

[mom2scouts]

No. Everyone is on their own for breakfast. I like a light, high protein breakfast. DD is really picky and probably won't eat anything I cook. DS prefers non-breakfast type foods and often eats leftovers. DH drinks coffee and may get something light a little later.

[rocassie]

No.  Although I love to cook, I am not a morning person.  However, the kids are more than welcome to cook.  My 10yo is really the only one, but she is generous to offer the other two breakfast if they help her.  She can make scrambled eggs, french toast, pancakes, scrambled eggs with ham, and hot cereals.  My DH loves breakfast foods, and breakfast is about the only meal he cooks so weekend breakfast is up to him if he wants something more elaborate than yogurt or cereal.  :)

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

If they want it, but that usually involves eggs.  Eggs are quick so I don't mind.

 

 

[Loesje22000]

This board taught me it is possible to have a cooked breakfast.

We 'cook' just once a day...

 

In our household people might eat:

- slices of bread with cheese or ham on it. A cup of tea, some fruit

- microwaved soymilk with oats and raisins. A cup of coffee, some fruit.

- quark with nuts & seeds. A cup of coffee, some fruit.

[Selkie]

I make breakfast every morning for dh, but the kids make their own. None of my kids are big breakfast eaters and they usually wait for an hour or two after they wake up to eat. 

[mykidsrmyjoy]

Yes, every day. Cereal is expensive and pretty light on nutrition, so we do some combo of toast, eggs, sausage, cottage cheese, porridge, and fruit each morning.

 

It's not that hard or time consuming at all, maybe ten or fifteen minutes and a pot or pan?

This is us. I have found that it really isn't any faster to put out cold cereal, because the kids will be clamoring for a snack soon after breakfast is cleaned up, and then you have to pull everything back out.

 

We usually eat breakfast every weekday morning around 7 and I try to serve a complex carb, a protein and some fruit. I can usually have this ready in about 30 minutes. Cleanup takes about the same amount of time, with my three DDs 8,6, and 4 helping.

 

Eta: DH eats with us every morning. If his schedule was such that he had to leave earlier, I might not do a hot breakfast every morning. But I really like knowing I've gotten a good hot meal into him before he leaves for work. :-)

Edited May 23, 2017 by mykidsrmyjoy

[Greta]

Yes, every day. I realized years ago that foods like cereal, pastries, bars, etc will not get me through until lunch time, and will frequently cause a hypoglycemic episode. So for me it has just become part of the daily routine. It's not a matter of willpower, really, just habit. You will get used to it, and I think it's well worth it. We all function better on a protein-rich breakfast.

 

Hubby doesn't like eggs so I make him some kind of breakfast meat, and a bowl of fresh fruit with yogurt (whole, unsweetened). That's all he wants.

 

I have a little of the breakfast meat too, but in my case usually crumbled into my scrambled eggs, with whatever veggies I have on hand too. And I have a bowl of fresh fruit, usually topped with chopped nuts (no yogurt for me - recently gave up dairy), and sometimes coconut cream.

 

Daughter is less predictable. Sometimes she wants scrambled eggs or bacon. Lately she's really been into cold oatmeal (put rolled oats, milk, and whatever fruit and nuts and sweetener you want in a small jar in the fridge the night before. The oats get soft without cooking, and you just eat it cold. It's surprisingly good, though I don't eat it anymore.) Sometimes she just wants toast with peanut butter or yogurt and granola. She wakes up later, and doesn't have a huge appetite.

 

Occasionally I'll mix it up and cook something different like protein pancakes, or hash browns, or whatever we're in the mood for. That's usually on the weekend. Weekdays we're pretty set in our routines.

[Liz CA]

I don't know if you can call this "cooking" breakfast but I pretty much have a soft boiled egg and rye bread as my standard breakfast. I cook the egg :)

I have a long re-entry period in the morning and would not be up to cooking bacon, hashbrowns, etc. By dinner time, I am usually awake and can and do occasionally expend more effort on that meal.

Edited May 23, 2017 by Liz CA

[Wilma]

Almost always!  But it's easy.  I do scrambled eggs with a bit of breakfast sausage thrown in, and toast. 

 

I'm so proficient at this early am gig, though, that I can start my tea water, start the eggs, empty the dishwasher, put away the eggs, milk and sausage AND make the toast while finishing the eggs.  (I just make toast for me, every man/woman for him/herself on the toast.)  Usually I've finished the whole shebang in the time it took my water to boil and the tea to steep.  Everyone tidies their own place setting (we're 5+) and I wash the pan.  BOOM.  I am a breakfast boss, y'all.

 

If any of my people do not wish to eat eggs, they let me know ahead so I'll know how much to prepare, and then they're on their own for oatmeal.  It's eggs that I make or oatmeal that you make around here.

[HTRMom]

I make eggs most mornings. It's no big deal, I use a cast iron griddle that just gets wiped and stays on the stove and the plates go into the dishwasher. I get grumpy if I only have carbs for breakfast. My kids are allergic to dairy which limits options.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Zinnia]

Sometimes. Dh eats eggs or a smoothie at o dark thirty. He makes this.

 

I have a public schooler that eats instant oatmeal, regular oatmeal, or cereal every day at 6:30. He is a very, very picky eater. That's when I have coffee.

 

My other three wake up later and want breakfast at 7:30. I will make eggs, cereal, oatmeal if I made it for ds#1 (but I have one that hates it, so that requires a second breakfast).

 

So some cooking, but super simple. I am the worst morning person. It takes me hours to feel awake. And my kids don't get hangry/upset in any way if they have carbs or cereal. If anything, it seems to make them happy that they liked the breakfast well enough to eat a large portion to hold them. Other meals aren't as popular, so they eat much smaller (inappropriate) portions.

[BooksandBoys]

Every day.

We keep cold cereal in the pantry for emergencies (eaten out of baggies in the car), but if that is breakfast, I have to expect to feed them again about an hour later. Usually, we have oatmeal with extra fats and nuts/fruit, hearty pancakes (I like to make a bunch over the weekend) and eggs, eggs and toast, or "breakfast candy," which is sweet potato, sausage and egg hash. I eat low carb and I'm boring, so for me, every breakfast is three eggs cooked in butter and a some peppers.

Usually, breakfast mess is contained in one to two pans/bowls plus the plates/bowls that they eat from. It's not difficult. I empty the dishwasher as I'm prepping breakfast, so dishes just go right in after we are finished cooking and eating.

[DawnM]

No.  When we homeschooled, the kids got up at various times and I wasn't a short order cook.  I might make something and leave it out for heating up later individually.

 

Now that I leave the house at 6am and the family isn't even up yet, NOPE!  Never.  I don't even cook my own.  

[Wheres Toto]

Never. Dh cooks breakfast before he leaves for work for him and I most of the time. I reheat mine when I wake up. He may include bacon for dd. She will also make her own cereal or toast when she's ready. Ds never wants to eat in the morning. He only has a drink and he's been that way since he was a toddler.

[J-rap]

My kids aren't home anymore, but they always woke up at different times and generally helped themselves.  Sometimes I'd make a big pot of oatmeal, or rice pudding which I'd prepare the night before.  Otherwise, my kids loved raw oatmeal cold with nuts and fruit and yogurt (like a homemade muesli), or sometimes just toast with peanut butter or cheese.  When my kids are home now from college or whatever, they'll often throw together some scrambled eggs with black beans, and that's super easy.

[Peaceseeker]

Dinner is enough of a burden for me. I barely survive it each day. I think I would have a nervous breakdown if I also had to make breakfast. I am not sure how I survived the early years when every bit of food consumed by these children depended on me fixing it. I think I have blocked it out (did I really cut grapes into tiny toddler pieces? Yes, yes I did). Luckily we only have one breakfast eater in my family and she happily makes herself a piece of toast or oatmeal or some other light breakfast. Everyone is on their own for lunch also, and have been since about the ages of 9-10. We kind of graze around here, food is pretty informal.

 

If I could get them each cooking one dinner a week also that would be amazing. It is my secret plot for the teen years....we have started discussing them each cooking one night a week. That's 2 dinners, then leftover night, church night, dinner at grandma's, and that leaves only 2 nights left. I think my husband can take one of those leaving me with one dinner to cook per week. That would be amazing...I get all giddy just thinking about it.

[happypamama]

Yes. I cook eggs for myself every morning (dh cooks his own eggs before he leaves, way earlier than I get up) and anyone else who wants them. Many days a week I also make oatmeal for the children. If they don't want oatmeal or eggs, they eat yogurt.

[Peaceseeker]

Double post

Edited May 23, 2017 by CaliforniaDreaming

[Mbelle]

Everyone cooks what they want.  Either myself or my daughter cooks for the little guy.  Eggs, bacon, grits or tots.  Sometimes oats with berries thrown in. 

[Mom22ns]

My kids wouldn't eat cereal ever. I always fixed breakfast, particularly when they were young. Pancakes, waffles, muffins, breakfast casserole, etc. I had a gluten free kiddo with multiple food allergies when he was little. Cooking from scratch was my only option back then. How I got the willpower - I never saw another option - but I am a morning person so it honestly wasn't hard for me. Also, I made extras and didn't cook every day. If I made muffins one day, we ate them that day and the next. I'd fix a big batch of waffles on the weekend and freeze the left-overs and heat them up (I found microwaving slightly then toasting worked best) any time I didn't want to actually cook. Breakfast casserole - 2 days. I guess on average I cooked about 3 days/week and the other 4 were reheated from the day or days previous.

[Guest]

???

Rolled oats and other whole grains are inexpensive and very nutritious, even more so if the cereal has nuts and dried fruit added.

 

Of course, I agree with you when we talk about fruit loops and other sugary stuff - but that's not what everybody who eats "cereal" actually eats.

Homemade whole grain hot cereals aren't what I was referring to, but processed cereals in boxes or bags. Colloquially a porridge is different than a cereal in the part of the country I live in.

[Rosie_0801]

When I was homeschooling I cooked dal for breakfast almost every morning.