Quick and Healthy Breakfasts for Kids

We all know it's the most important meal of the day, but please - aren't we busy enough with bathing, letting the dog out, gathering up homework, and getting off to work and school? When morning is crunch time breakfast often suffers, but it doesn't have to. All it takes is a little planning to send your kids out into their day on a full tank. You don't need to set up a brunch buffet. Keep it simple and easy on yourself.

• low fat cream cheese on a whole grain bagel
• peanut butter on toast
• fruit smoothie made with milk or yogurt
• breakfast bar - read the label
• string cheese and a granola bar

• cereal with milk and fruit
• eggs, toast, juice
• bran muffin and yogurt
• frozen waffles or pancakes with fruit and milk

There is an entire aisle at Wal-Mart dedicated to cereal and you can have it in the bowl, sliced a banana over the top, milk poured over top in under a minute. (Provided you've got clean cereal bowls - but that's another topic!) It's Nutrition 101 - be prepared.

Don't run out of your basics. You need boxes in the cupboard and fruit in the bowl. To keep it healthy, stick to unsweetened brands (because even those have sugar) and add your own. Take a break from bananas with fresh berries when they're in season, or stir in strawberry jam instead of honey. Kids love colored milk! All kinds of fruits come dried now too.

If you're channeling June Cleaver whipping up eggs, French toast, and bacon then by all means, don't forget the fresh squeezed orange juice. For the rest of us, a hot breakfast can be intimidating. However, sometimes kids need something substantial. Maybe they didn't eat much the night before, or it's test day.

If she likes eggs, that's easy. A fried egg is about a two-minute affair. Boiled eggs take longer, but you can let those cook while you're in the shower. You've got to plan a tiny bit ahead for this - I'm thinking about six minutes. Forget scrambled. It takes too long and makes a bigger mess.

Another great hot meal that's also portable is a homemade breakfast sandwich. Buy microwave-able frozen pre-cooked egg patties and sausage patties. Zap and plop on top of toasted English muffins for fast food style at a fraction of the cost and calories. (You can sop up excess sausage grease with a paper towel before making the sandwich.)

Oatmeal is another quickie. Go for the one-minute kind instead of the packets. They cost a fortune, are mostly mush, and full of sugar.

It doesn't have to be difficult. Mix it up so your kids don't get bored. If your family is always running, try getting up earlier. All it takes is fifteen minutes. You can get any of these breakfasts ready in five minutes leaving ten minutes left to eat!