Healthy Toddler Breakfast Ideas to Delight Your Little One
Hey there toddler mama...
Are you in a rut with toddler breakfasts?
Need new ideas for nutrition-packed breakfasts that your toddler will actually want to eat?
Want to make a toddler meal so dang cute you might want to post it on Instagram?
Of course you do.
Come with me for some inspiration!
Pin me!
While your here, grab your FREE NUTRITION & SUPPLEMENT CHECKLIST to be sure your plant-based child isn't missing her essential nutrients (written by a pediatric nurse).
First up is the Green Protein Monster Smoothie Bowl.
Leafy greens are a recognized superfood.
Per Dr. Michael Gregor of nutritionfacts.org, eating greens nearly every day may be one of the most powerful steps you can take to prolong your life (and the life of your little). Because leafy greens boast the most nutrients per calorie of any food, they’re considered the healthiest food on the planet.
Green Smoothie bowls are a fun and yummy way to get leafy greens into growing little bodies.
Heres a tip for your green smoothies (which I learned by accident, lol). Buy a bag of fresh, washed baby spinach and put it directly in the freezer when you get home from the store. The fresh frozen spinach works AMAZING for smoothies. You can crumble it right into the blender.
BTW, this is no any ordinary smoothie bowl.
Oh no.
This one's got personality your toddler's going to love. She'll be giggling when you put this in front of her.
Green Protein Monster Smoothie Bowl
1 cup frozen spinach (~Buy a bag of fresh, washed baby spinach and put it directly in the freezer when you get home from the store. It works AMAZING for smoothies.)
1 cup frozen peaches
2 cups plant-based milk of your choice
4 pitted dates (soaked) (~Soak dates in boiling water for 20 minutes, or even better-soak overnight.)
1 tbsp nut butter of your choice
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 cup **frozen banana slices (~If you don't have frozen bananas, just use fresh. It will work fine.)
berries and shredded coconut
Blend all in a high-speed blender. Add more liquid if needed.
Decorate with fruit and coconut shreds to make a funny face with hair.
Nutrition per 1 cup serving
Calories 322g
Fat 10g
Cholesterol 0
Fiber 7.4 g
Carbohydrate 49g
Protein 13
Also a good source of iron, potassium and calcium
Keep in mind the sugars come only from from fruit and are natural and unrefined.
How to Freeze Bananas For Smoothies
Slice 4-6 very ripe bananas. Place in single layer on baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. This ensures they don’t stick together. Place tray in freezer for about 3 hours. Once frozen, put frozen banana slices into a large zip-lock bag. Store bag in freezer and grab a handful whenever you make a smoothie.
Up next: a healthy breakfast that even your picky toddler will love. Let her help in the kitchen, and she'll love her meals even more!
Strawberries-n-Cream Oatmeal Breakfast Bunny
Poor oatmeal doesn’t get the respect it deserves! Oatmeal isn't exciting. Many people won’t even give it a chance.
But from a health perspective, oatmeal is not only exciting, it’s one of the healthiest breakfast options around. It’s high in fiber and the complex carbohydrates will provide your little one with long lasting energy. Yikes, because she doesn't already have enough energy?!!
By giving her oatmeal for breakfast regularly you’ll help develop her appetite for this highly nutritious food. If you get your toddler into the oatmeal habit from an early age, you'll be doing her a huge favor.
As adults we typically love and return to the foods we ate frequently as a child. We call these comfort foods.
Mama, you have the perfect opportunity to take an active role in creating healthy comfort foods your child will want to return to again and again.
How?
Pick a healthy food or meal you want to become her comfort food. Then serve it regularly, and enjoy this food happily together with your child. By doing this on a regular basis, you create warm, cozy memories of these foods that she’ll associate with her childhood and her mama...these will be her comfort foods.
1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats (Old-fashioned needs to cook 10 min, quick cooking only needs 3 minutes. Choose which works best for you.)
1 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup freeze dried strawberries (if you want a pink bunny) crushed (Leave in bag and crush them with a rolling pin until they are powdery. I found these at Trader Joes)
1-2 tbsp maple or agave syrup (You choose the level of sweetness, toddlers don't need much.)
banana, blackberries, blueberries for decoration
In a saucepan, bring water to a boil.
Add oats, stir and turn heat down to simmer.
Then cover and simmer 3 minutes if you're using quick cooking oats OR 8-10 minutes if using old-fashioned oats.
Remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes.
Place in your child's bowl and let cool a little more.
Now the FUN PART. Use fruits to make a bunny face. Take a photo of your creation :o)
Nutrition per 1 cup serving
Calories 261g
Fat 3.2 g
Cholesterol 0
Fiber 8.1 g
Carbohydrate
Protein 6.6
Also a good source of iron, potassium and calcium
Keep in mind the sugars are natural and unrefined and come from fruit except for the small amount in maple syrup. And all the carbs are unrefined whole grain "good carbs" with the fiber intact.
Grab your FREE NUTRITION & SUPPLEMENT CHECKLIST to be sure your plant-based child isn't missing her essential nutrients.
Smiles,
Heidi