Start the School Year Off with Breakfast Options Kids will Love

Yellow school buses on the road, back packs and school supplies are on sale because it’s “Back to School” time. To start this school year off a healthy, breakfast has to be a part of your child’s life. Studies have shown that eating breakfast helps improve mental alertness and physical performance while being positively associated with improvements in short term memory.

Twenty-two studies published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that eating breakfast may help children do better in school with the improvement of memory, test grades, school attendance and attitude. So you’re probably wondering how you can feed your child breakfast on such a busy schedule. I have provided some quick, tasty, healthy breakfast recipes below. Some of the recipes you can prepare and bake the night before if you are really busy in the morning.

1)      Cereal- Cereal is typically a low fat, nutrient dense, cholesterol free food that is convenient and tasty. Some healthy cereal choices are: Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Special K, Frosted Mini Wheat’s, Oatmeal, and Kashi Honey Sunshine.

2)      Fruit Parfait- Start off with 1 serving of Fat Free or Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt, top the yogurt off with granola and place your favorite fruit on top like peaches, strawberries or blue berries.

3)     Healthy Blueberry and Banana Muffins

Bon Appétit  | August 2005

By Marielle Ainsworth, Roswell, NM

Yield: Makes 12

Active time: 10 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
• 1/2 cup unflavored soy milk
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries or 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries unthawed (6 to 7 ounces)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Combine flour, sugar, oat bran, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend.
3. Place mashed bananas in large bowl. Stir in soy milk, egg, oil, and lemon juice.
4. Mix in dry ingredients, then blueberries.
5. Divide batter among muffin papers.
6. Bake muffins until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

4)     Extreme Granola

Epicurious | July 2008

By Tracey Seaman and Tanya Wenman

Yield: Makes about 7 cups

Active time: 10 minutes plus cooling

Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cups pecans
• 1/2 cup natural almonds
• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds (optional)
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup, cane syrup or honey, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 cup chopped dates
• 1/2 cup dried blueberries or raisins

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large shallow baking sheet with foil.
2. Spread the pecans and almonds on the sheet and roast for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly toasted.
3.  Transfer the nuts to a board, let cool and chop the nuts. Set aside.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
5. Pour the oats and sesame seeds, if using, in a mound on the same baking sheet.
6. Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave; stir in the maple syrup and salt and drizzle on top of the oats.
7. Stir well with a rubber spatula and then spread out the oats in an even layer.
8. Bake the oats for 30 minutes, stirring once with the spatula halfway through, until the oats are lightly colored.
9. Let cool; the mixture will crisp as it cools. Add the dates, blueberries, and reserved nuts and toss.

More Recipes can be found at www.epicurious.com