Without a doubt, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating breakfast can benefit a toddler in a lot of ways. It can boost a toddler’s immune system, improve his mood and increase attention span. Plus, making breakfast a part of a toddler’s daily routine paves the way for healthy eating habits and a fit body. Check out these popular easy breakfast recipes for children that are sure to entice your toddler to open his mouth and fill his tummy.

Rainbow Pancakes

What You Will Need:

•    Pancake mix
•    Food coloring or pureed fruits and vegetables (try blackberry, mango, raspberry or carrots) to make different colors
•    Non-stick cooking spray
•    Maple or chocolate syrup
•    Whipped cream topping (optional)

Procedure:

•    Prepare pancake batter by following the instructions on the box.
•    Separate the pancake batter into small bowls (depending on how many your toddler wants to eat).
•    Mix food coloring or pureed fruits and vegetables to make colored batter.
•    Preheat pan on medium-low heat.
•    Spritz cooking spray on the frying pan to keep the pancakes from sticking.
•    Pour the bowl of colored pancake batter into the pan and cook until ready to flip.
•    Cook on the other side for another minute and place on the plate.
•    Continue cooking the rest of the colored batter and stack them.

Sunrise Parfait

What You Will Need:

•    ½ cup cereal or granola
•    1 cup mixed berries (sliced)
•    1 cup sugar-free vanilla yogurt

Procedure:

•    Layer the sliced mixed berries, yogurt and cereal in a cup or bowl.
•    Serve right away and enjoy.

Breakfast Burrito

What You Will Need:

•    2 eggs
•    Red, yellow or green peppers (minced)
•    Bacon or sausage
•    Shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
•    Whole-grain tortilla
•    Salt
•    Pepper

Procedure:

•    In a pan, cook the bacon or sausage over medium heat.
•    Place the cooked bacon or sausage in a paper towel to drain the excess fat and set aside.
•    Crack the eggs and add the minced peppers. Use a whisk to beat the eggs over medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
•    Lay tortilla on a plate and spoon equal amounts of the scrambled egg and shredded cheese and place the bacon on top.
•    Fold or roll the tortilla from the bottom.

Breakfast Mini Pizzas

What You Will Need:

•    1 large egg (beaten)
•    2 tablespoons prepared marinara sauce
•    2 tablespoons grated Italian cheese blend
•    2 slices pepperoni
•    1 whole-wheat English muffin (divided and toasted)

Procedure:

•    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
•    Spray non-stick cooking spray to a small skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
•    Add egg and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes.
•    Spread marinara sauce on English muffin halves. Top with scrambled egg, cheese and pepperoni.
•    Place muffins in the oven for 3 minutes or until cheese has melted.

Framed Eggs

What You Will Need:
•    Egg
•    Wheat bread
•    Butter or margarine
•    Cookie cutters

Procedure:

•    Cut a shape in the middle of the bread using a cookie cutter.
•    Melt butter or margarine over low heat and spread both sides of the bread with the mixture.
•    Place bread in pan and fill the hole with a beaten egg.
•    Turn bread and egg over and cook for 3 minutes.

Bagel Gone Bananas

What You Will Need:

•    1 whole-wheat bagel (toasted and cut into half)
•    2 tablespoons nut butter (peanut, cashew or almond)
•    1 small, sliced banana
•    1 teaspoon honey
•    Pinch of salt

Procedure:

•    Mix nut butter, honey and salt in a small bowl.
•    Divide the mixture among bagel halves and top with banana slices.

Kraz (Spinach and Cheese Egg dish)

What You Will Need:

•    10 oz. chopped spinach
•    6 eggs
•    2 pints cottage cheese
•    1/2 lb. Cheddar cheese (grated)
•    1 cup melted butter
•    5 tablespoons flour

Procedure:

•    Cook and drain spinach according to package instructions.
•    Combine butter and flour.
•    In a separate bowl, mix eggs and add cottage cheese, melted butter, cheddar cheese and cooked spinach.
•    Place in baking dish and cook at 350 degrees for an hour.

Preparing breakfast for your toddler is as easy as pie. All it needs is a little creativity. With these healthy and easy breakfast recipes for children, you can give your toddler a boost in the morning sans the fuss.

Health experts recommend everyone to start the day with a hearty breakfast. However, when you have busy mornings and a picky eater, this can be impossible. But, there is hope. Here are some healthy and quick breakfast ideas for kids every parent can try.

Cereal

Cereal is a convenient, child-friendly breakfast food for children. Cereal is loaded with carbohydrates, fiber and protein. Buy at least 2 or 3 different brands of cereal so your toddler can mix and match them. Go for whole grain, high fiber cereals since they are packed with more nutrients than sugar-based cereals. Here are some of the best breakfast cereals for children:

• Cheerios
• Earth’s Best Tot Cereal Bars
• Nature’s Path EnviroKidz Penguin Puffs
• Kix
• Wheaties

To make it tastier, let your toddler choose a mix-in (e.g. milk, yogurt, almonds, honey, banana or dried berries) of his choice.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is considered as a child’s comfort food, especially during the cold season. It is very easy to prepare. Plus, you can top it with a handful of sliced apple, sprinkle almonds, raisins and a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg or top it with maple syrup to make it extra scrumptious.

Eggs

Ask you little one if he prefers scrambled eggs, a sunny side up or an omelette. You can serve the eggs on top of toasted bread, bagels or English muffins or with cheese, sausage, bacon or cold cuts (ham, salami or roasted beef) on the side. This breakfast food will truly keep your toddler full and merry for hours.

Pancake

This one is another classic breakfast food for children. You can buy instant whole wheat pancake mix from your local grocery and add slices of fresh fruit, raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, grated carrots to the batter for added nutritional value. Top it with honey, whipped cream or plain yogurt and serve.

Waffles

You can either buy a box of frozen waffles or mix up the batter the night before and simply toast them in the morning. Again, offer some toppings such as berries, bananas, strawberries, peaches or apple sauce to make it more nutritious.

Fresh Fruits

Fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals and they can be prepared in many ways. You can slice at least 5 to 6 kinds of fruit into        small cubes and combine all of them in a big bowl and top it with unsalted granola or nuts or fat-free whipped cream.

Or, you can make fruit kabobs. Chop up your toddler’s favorite fruits and thread onto wooden skewers. Serve it with a bowl of coconut dip or plain yogurt mixed with honey.

Fruit Smoothies

Fruit smoothie is another all-time favorite. It can satiate your toddler’s sweet tooth because it is sugary yet very rich in vitamins and minerals. Add a handful of bananas, strawberries, mangoes, watermelon and low-fat yogurt or milk in a blender. Pour the mixture into a glass and add a silly straw to make it more exciting.

With these fun and super easy to prepare breakfast ideas, preparing breakfast for your toddler and making sure he does not skip the most important meal of the day need not be a struggle anymore.