Protein-heavy breakfasts my kids can fix for themselves?

[Lilymax]

I've decided that part of my 12 y.o's sluggishness is that he eats cereal for breakfast. He usually eats while I'm busy with the baby, but this morning I saw what he had and it was a huge bowl--way bigger than it should be. I've told him before that he eats too large a portion, but he does it anyway when I'm not looking, so I've grounded him from cereal.

 

However, part of the secret to my sanity is having kids who make their own breakfasts. (I stay up late, writing to help the family make ends meet, and am not in any way a morning person!)

 

DS1 hates peanut butter, so that is out of the question. Should I trust him to make himself an egg, unsupervised? (He's only done minimal cooking so far.)

 

Is there anything as easy to grab as cereal, that they can both make for themselves but won't leave me dealing with the carb crash an hour later, just as we're trying to start schoolwork?

 

Would love to hear your ideas!

[easygoer]

Hard boiled eggs? (I love them.) Deviled eggs made the night before?

 

I bake high-protein muffins, freeze them and thaw them in the toaster.

[mominbc]

Hard boiled eggs? (I love them.) Deviled eggs made the night before?

 

 

I bake high-protein muffins, freeze them and thaw them in the toaster.

 

 

What do you put in your high protein muffins?:)

[HappyGrace]

:lurk5:

 

How about hard boiled egg but take the yolk out and fill the hole with hummus? Also protein shake in the blender. We like Jarrow whey protein (no artificial stuff). Dd10 puts a scoop in blender with milk.

 

Easygoer, I would LOVE your recipe for high-protein muffins!

[Lara in Colo]

pre-make breakfast burritos (a weeks worth) on Sunday.

 

Tortilla

egg

sausauge

potato

onion

whatever else you like

 

wrap in plastic

unwrap and microwave every morning

 

 

My husband buys a case of them at Costco every week (if you don't feel like makeing them)

 

There is also the pancake & sausage on a stick at Walmart

 

Lara

[abbeyej]

... Should I trust him to make himself an egg, unsupervised? ...

 

A twelve year old? Absolutely! Why not plan a time this weekend when you can coach him through it once or twice, so you feel more confident. I'd include the 8yo in the lesson too too -- no reason an 8yo can't prepare an egg without help.

[Miss Peregrine]

I think you could teach him to make his own fried or scrambled eggs. My DD and DS started this at 12.

[Jennifer in MI]

My now-12 year old has been making the family breakfast since he was 10. Eggs, toast, oatmeal! (Not every day - just on Sunday usually. But, he surprises us occasionally!)

 

So, yes. Teach him to make an egg!!!

[ChrisB]

DS1 hates peanut butter, so that is out of the question. Should I trust him to make himself an egg, unsupervised? (He's only done minimal cooking so far.)

 

I'd say he's definitely old enough to make an egg or two. My DD6 can make scrambled eggs for herself. Last month I decided to teach her and she makes them very well. Sometimes she sprinkles shredded cheddar on them too after she plates the scrambled eggs. She has a harder time with any eggs that are more "complicated" like over-easy because the yolk breaks on her. GL!

[LanaTron]

I think your ds is old enough to make an egg by himself. My 10 yo does all the time (plus he cooks other stuff, even making things like tacos for dinner).

 

Other ideas I got from my ds's nutritionist:

 

Does he like nuts of any type? Almonds are one of the best ones to eat, esp. w/ regards to carb/sugar issues. We really like the ones with sea salt. He could pair 1/4 cup of almonds with an apple or strawberries (both low GI, so won't cause a blood sugar spike/crash).

 

Also, my kids, even my picky youngest child, have learned to like Ezekiel bread by Food for Life. We only like it toasted, though, and we either eat it with peanut butter, almond butter (for my ds who hates pb), or just butter (Smart Balance). It is a complete protien in and of itself, and has a low GI. Again, pair with an apple, or othe low-GI fruit to round things out. Or sometimes we'll make scrambled eggs with cheese in them, and put it atop the toast.

 

Cubed cheese w/ a high fiber cracker like triscuits (they have some yummy flavors), or Kashi TLC (make sure you get either the Original 7-Grain or the fire-roasted vegetable--I know the cheese are not high fiber; I'm not sure about the other ones)

 

Also, Kashi makes a high-protein, high-fiber cereal. They have others in their "Go Lean" series that are high-protein, high-fiber, but those have a little more sugar. I'll buy the "Go Lean Crunch" for a treat, although it certainly isn't nearly as sweet as regular commercial cereals.

 

Good luck!

[Ravin]

I'd teach him to make:

 

-pancakes (to make it simple, you can make a whole-wheat pancake mix with added protein powder or soy flour, and leave instructions that call for extra egg)

-french toast

-scrambled eggs, and others as he gets adventurous with experimenting with them. You can prepare eggs several ways in the microwave with a special dish, if the stovetop is something he isn't ready for.

-waffles with same mix as pancakes, if you have a waffle iron.

--cut up fruit with yogurt (Greek if you want to boost the protein) and a bit of cereal or granola on top for crunch (grape nuts is good for this). This is more cost effective if you buy a big tub of yogurt than individual servings.

toasted (protein-fortified) bagels and cream cheese

 

Things that can be made ahead and easily reheated (or in some cases eaten cold)

--breakfast burritos, as someone mentioned

--scotch eggs. bake ahead and reheat when wanted.

--chiles rellenos, if your kids like that sort of thing.

--pancakes, waffles, or french toast homemade to toaster size can be frozen to be thrown in the toaster, in a healthier and much cheaper version than the processed ones in the stores. Encourage topping with something like applesauce or peanut butter and banana rather than syrup.

Other options would be making portions of protein-fortified oatmeal (pref. steel-cut, you can fortify with protein powder in moderation as well as milk, nuts, fruit, etc.), or buy protein-fortified instant oatmeal such as is available at Trader Joe's (not sure if Quaker has a version, they might). Specifying portions that are to be cooked and eaten, either by putting them in an appropriately sized storage dish, or saying "limit 2 packets" will help with limiting carbs.

 

There are also some protein-fortified breakfast cereals that don't suck, and some with lower glycemic indexes than average. But just about any other breakfast option (except maybe pancake and sausage on a stick) averages less expensive than most cold cereals when made from scratch.

Edited September 2, 2010 by Ravin

[LanaTron]

agree about the 8 yo; my 7 yo does, but she does need supervision and a little help.

[JudoMom]

A nutritionist recently recommended Cliff bars for my son.

[hornblower]

absolutely teach him to cook!

I was cooking way before that. I was a latchkey kid for a while when I was 10, & living in a new country & an omelette was my favourite after school treat. I'd make my omelette & sit in front of the TV watching Bionicle Woman & the 6 Mill $ Man to learn English.

 

Also consider cold cuts. My ds won't eat eggs so his morning protein is a couple slices of shaved low fat black forest ham.

[dansamy]

My 11yo DS can cook. He scrambles eggs, browns beef, makes tuna mac n cheese, tacos, hamburger helper, pizza, spaghetti, frozen lasagna. He certainly isn't a gourmet chef, but he can make any "heat and eat" type of packaged foods. He can cook some things, like eggs, from scratch on his own.

[missiemick]

My 9 yo DD makes bacon, eggs, and toast for the family -- I bet your son would enjoy it.

[teamturner]

A twelve year old? Absolutely! Why not plan a time this weekend when you can coach him through it once or twice, so you feel more confident. I'd include the 8yo in the lesson too too -- no reason an 8yo can't prepare an egg without help.

 

My 10 yo ds have been making scrambled eggs since they were 8-9. One of them makes a better friend egg than me, I think.

 

Loving all the ideas. Especially since my 9yo dd doesn't like eggs! :confused:

[Kate in Arabia]

My boys have been fasting this Ramadan, and getting up for the pre-dawn meal. They've been having spiced ground beef with parathas; I make the ground beef in advance so they just have to heat some in the microwave, and we have a bag of frozen parathas in the freezer that they can cook on the stove themselves. Also, I make spicy chickpeas, which is a common Indian breakfast option, and they like those -- make a batch and keep in the fridge, they can heat on their own in the morning.

 

When we're in the States, ds 9 loves the frozen vegetarian breakfast sausages, heat them in the microwave or on the stove.

 

I don't know how adventurous your ds would be in trying something different, however.

 

My 12 yr old can make toast, eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches..

[LanaTron]

There's also bean and cheese tacos...heat the beans (refried or regular), put it in a tortilla, add a little cheese.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Teach him how to cook a few basic things, like eggs, steel-cut oats, breakfast sausages (the meatless ones have a lot less fat and are easy to heat up.) Then let him make things.

 

DD10 has been cooking foods relatively unsupervised since she was 8. My boys were later starters, but they had to learn out of necessity. Due to my fatigue issues, I have often had to call out instructions from the couch so that dinner would be on the table. DS16 is now the grillmaster of the house.

[flobee76]

Meals that keep our kids satisfied longer are:

 

-whole wheat muffins (banana, zuccchini, etc. bake a bunch, freeze) + fruit and milk

-whole milk yogurt w/ granola, honey, and fruit

-bacon sandwich on homemade english muffins

-bacon & eggs

-eggs, fruit

-oatmeal (always with butter, whole milk, fruit and maple syrup!)

[CalicoKat]

My now-12 year old has been making the family breakfast since he was 10. Eggs, toast, oatmeal! (Not every day - just on Sunday usually. But, he surprises us occasionally!)

 

So, yes. Teach him to make an egg!!!

:iagree: I love getting breakfast on a tray in my room spur for no other reason than "I love you!"

 

My oldest has been doing this for a couple years. :D

[Lilymax]

Wow! Thank you so much for all the great ideas! Both my kids love frozen breakfast sandwiches, burritos and those toaster pastries with the eggs and cheese in them. But they're expensive, and nutritionally, garbage. I don't know why I never thought about making my own healthier versions and freezing them ahead of time. Duh.

 

And...thank you for giving me a reality check about needing to teach my boys how to cook. :blush: The 12 y.o. has been interested in it for a while now; it's just my own laziness in not taking more time to teach him how to do the basics. (I really am ashamed of that...esp. after reading these replies!)

 

I am inspired that so many of your 6 and up kids do basic cooking. I'm not sure about my 8 y.o., though. He is SO impulsive and improvises a LOT on instructions. I might still have to hold off for a little more maturity in him before I turn him loose with a frying pan! :D

 

Oh, and I'd love that recipe for high-protein muffins, and those spicy chick-peas. DS1 and I love chick-peas...we can eat them straight out of the can!

[Dobela]

My 9 yo DD makes bacon, eggs, and toast for the family -- I bet your son would enjoy it.

My ds10 does too. He is more comfortable with the microwave bacon though than regular. He has been cooking scrambled eggs supervised since he was about 5 and by himself since about age 8.

[joni470]

My children love protein shakes and they make their own. I bought a personal mixer, the type where the plastic pitcher is small and you drink directly out of it, and they use that each morning. Recently I found a greens shake mix that comes with cocoa in it. They use 8 oz of almond or cow milk, 1 scoop of protein shake powder, 1 scoop of cocoa/greens and a handful of ice. They call this their oreo shake. They will even make it as a snack later in the day. They have about 200 calories and 3-4 servings of vegetables in each shake. Here is a link to my blog where I did a story about this.

 

I used to cook a very nice warm breakfast but I have found that this easier breakfast benefits all of us in getting started with school quickly and earlier. Plus the high protein content keeps them from having a low around 10:30 - 11am.

 

http://www.hammocktracks.com/2010/08/chocolateand-vegetables.html'>http://www.hammocktracks.com/2010/08/chocolateand-vegetables.html'>http://www.hammocktracks.com/2010/08/chocolateand-vegetables.html'>http://www.hammocktracks.com/2010/08/chocolateand-vegetables.html

 

Hope that is helpful!

 

-Savannah

http://www.hammocktracks.com

[sparrow]

We bought this 4 slot egg & muffin toaster when our toaster bit it earlier in the year. It is WONDERFUL! It can be used as a regular toaster or you can make Egg "McMuffins" with sausage or Morningstar Farms veg sausage, etc.

 

Obviously, you wouldn't buy something like this unless you were in the market for a new toaster, but if you are, it has been great and both of my kids can use it.

[dirty ethel rackham]

it's just my own laziness in not taking more time to teach him how to do the basics.

 

Funny, it was my laziness that got them cooking:). When I couldn't get up off the couch after 3 pm, they had to :).

[Laurie4b]

My 11 year old ds has been cooking eggs and the occasional bacon for a long time now. Just teach your ds how to do it. It's no harder for him than for you.

[6packofun]

Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Pancakes http://www.food.com/recipe/oatmeal-cottage-cheese-pancakes-43072

 

You can fiddle with the amount of oats and add a flour of your choice if you like that consistency better. It's a great basic recipe and cottage cheese can add several grams of protein to the whole grains!

[silliness7]

I make 2 egg pies with sausage and cheese almost every Sunday for brunch. We usually have most of a pie left-over. One piece takes about 30-45 seconds to re-heat in the microwave. It's a great protein kick.

 

1 pie is

5 eggs

1/2 lb. cooked sausage

1/2 - 3/4 c. shredded cheese

1/2 - 3/4 c. cottage or ricotta cheese

1/4 c. melted butter

1/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

 

Pour into greased pie plate and bake at 350 for 20-30 min.

 

I'm pretty loosy goosy with cheese amounts. I've made it with more or less cheese. Too much cottage cheese makes it too watery and take longer to bake though.

[lisabelle]

I have a feeling that this is going to go over big. Our homeschool adventure starts Tuesday; I'm planning to make up a batch of the topping Monday night:

 

Make Ahead Muffin Melts (from over at the Pioneer Woman's website)Ingredients

 

• 12 whole Hard-boiled Eggs, Peeled And Chopped
  
• 2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
  
• 1 cup (real) Mayonnaise
  
• 12 slices Bacon, Fried And Crumbled
  
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Dijon Mustard
  
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
  
• 3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
  
• 6 whole English Muffins Split
  

 

Combine eggs with all other ingredients. Fold together gently. Cover and store in the fridge overnight.

Spread on English muffin halves, then broil for 3 to 5 minutes or until hot and bubbly. (Don’t set them too close to the heating element.)

Serve immediately!

[happi duck]

We bought this 4 slot egg & muffin toaster when our toaster bit it earlier in the year. It is WONDERFUL! It can be used as a regular toaster or you can make Egg "McMuffins" with sausage or Morningstar Farms veg sausage, etc.

 

Obviously, you wouldn't buy something like this unless you were in the market for a new toaster, but if you are, it has been great and both of my kids can use it.

 

This looks so cool! Thanks for posting...this is one of those things I would want to try but be afraid to in case it was "too good to be true".

[happi duck]

My children love protein shakes and they make their own. I bought a personal mixer, the type where the plastic pitcher is small and you drink directly out of it, and they use that each morning. Recently I found a greens shake mix that comes with cocoa in it. They use 8 oz of almond or cow milk, 1 scoop of protein shake powder, 1 scoop of cocoa/greens and a handful of ice. They call this their oreo shake. They will even make it as a snack later in the day. They have about 200 calories and 3-4 servings of vegetables in each shake. Here is a link to my blog where I did a story about this.

 

I used to cook a very nice warm breakfast but I have found that this easier breakfast benefits all of us in getting started with school quickly and earlier. Plus the high protein content keeps them from having a low around 10:30 - 11am.

 

http://www.hammocktracks.com/2010/08/chocolateand-vegetables.html'>http://www.hammocktracks.com/2010/08/chocolateand-vegetables.html'>http://www.hammocktracks.com/2010/08/chocolateand-vegetables.html'>http://www.hammocktracks.com/2010/08/chocolateand-vegetables.html

 

Hope that is helpful!

 

-Savannah

http://www.hammocktracks.com

 

We drink protein shakes each morning...can't wait to try this!

[Tylianna]

In home ec I learned a really quick and tasty breakfast!

 

Take a slice of ham and lay it in a small bowl or tea cup. Crack an egg on top of the ham and poke a hole in the yolk (so it won't explode). Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for a minute. (at least I think it was a minute! Test this first)

 

It was yummy to me when I was 14, at least!

 

My girls love to make oatmeal in the morning. They get out the measuring cups and the packets of oatmeal and nuke it.

[forevergrace]

Crazy as this sounds, dd often eats chicken slices and black-eyed beans for breakfast, with tiny plum tomatoes. Other times I slather on peanut-butter on some toast and throw fresh fruit on the side. That, along with fish-oil supplements (the whole family takes them) gives her energy all morning long (from around 7:00-12:00) till lunch. Usually, after lunch were both fried and it's the easier subjects, and cleaning house. Protein mixed with a complex carb. has amazing effects on the brain. Often I reheat dinner from the night before, again with fruit or some dry cereal on the side. I don't like snacking, and I truly believe it is a source of many problems. I'm not going to get on the soap-box, but, dd is full after her meal, and I believe it's due to the balance.

Forevergrace

[Laura Corin]

Hobbes has a microwave egg cooker and can make his own egg.

 

Laura

[Chris in VA]

Do you have any of those silicone cupcake cups? (They look like cupcake papers you put in the tin but are made of silicone.)

 

The easiest way for a kid to cook an egg is to scramble one in the microwave--

Have him break an egg into a bowl, beat it 80 strokes (there's science behind this--80 is "perfect" to get the right consistency!), then pour into a silicone baking cup which has been put on a plate.

 

Microwave 30 secs. Let sit while you count to 30. Eat!

[Tammyla]

Microwave egg-mcmuffin maker or a microwave egg poacher (made in the US purchased at Wmart) make morning eggs here quick, easy and with no kitchen mess;).

[workingmom]

Wow between this thread and the one last week about freezing meals (which I made 15 meals in a morning) this is going to be a life saver.

 

I'm excited about the breakfast burrito option. Any other recipes like for beans burritos, not sure if you need to make a sauce for the beans or precook them?

 

Ds 5 isn't very fond of scrambled eggs so I need a substitute for that, which is why I was thinking beans and cheese?

 

Thanks