Boston Mamas: Squeezing in Breakfast

For busy families – especially those with school age kids who need to be out the door in a timely manner – weekdays often feel chaotic and uninspired food-wise. I have yet to meet parents who haven’t hit a food rut at some point or another so I’m pleased to report that today and over the next few weeks, we’re partnering up with nutrition expert Elizabeth Ward (author of The Pocket Idiot's Guide to the New Food Pyramids) to present some of her tips and menu ideas to help parents squeeze in breakfast. Here’s the first tip of the series:

"Breakfast serves up an opportunity to get a jumpstart on the day’s nutrition. To make the most of breakfast, choose healthy options that help you increase servings of fruits and vegetables. For example, just a glass of 100 percent orange juice provides almost 25 percent of the daily USDA recommended serving of fruits and vegetables and is more nutrient dense than many common fruit juices.* Below are kid-friendly breakfast ideas that offer a variety of nutrients:

Waffle Sandwich: Toast two frozen whole grain waffles and spread with peanut butter; a glass of 100 percent orange juice

Pancake Roll Up: One frozen (toasted) or fresh pancake spread with peanut butter or almond butter, topped with sliced banana or ¼ cup of raisins, rolled up

Egg Pocket Sandwich: Scramble one egg and place in half a whole wheat pita pocket. Top with salsa.

Banana Dog: Peel a medium banana and place it in a whole grain hot dog roll. Spread with peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter."

*Source: Rampersaud, GC. “A Comparison of Nutrient Density Scores for 100% Juices” Journal of Food Science 2007; 00: S1-S6.

Photo credit: American Egg Board