Quick and Simple Breakfasts!

Breakfast...the most important meal of the day...especially if you work outside the home and/or have children in school all day.

I've taught my girls the importance of eating a good breakfast....I think it helps children to focus, stay more energized, and gets them through the morning before heading off to lunch.

image taken from mom aha website

Seriously, we usually don't have time during the work week to sit down to pancakes or eggs in the mornings.  Once in awhile on the weekends we have this type of morning meal. During the work week I have to have things on hand that are quick, nutritious, and simple enough for my 14 year old to grab for her self.  

Here are some items I keep stocked up in our cupboards or basement pantry:

• Instant Oatmeal in flavors like Maple and Brown Sugar and Apple/Cinnamon
• Cereals: Cheerios (the original kind), Raisin Bran, Life, Rice or Wheat Chex, Great Grains Crunchy Pecan, and Granola by Nature's Path or Kashi
• Fresh fruit.  For the winter this includes: bananas, grapefruit, clementines, pears, kiwi, blackberries and blueberries (if they are good quality)
• Whole grain breads.
• Peanut Butter
• Homemade muffins or boxed muffin mix (for our daughter)
• Boiled eggs (made on the weekends for a grab quick breakfast).
• Yogurt in everyone's fave flavors
• Orange juice, grape juice, grapefruit juice
• Coffee and hot chocolate packets
• Granola bars/breakfast biscuits
• Frozen waffles
• various jams produced locally such as raspberry, blackberry, strawberry and apple.  We almost always have grape jelly on hand as well. and in the autumn months, we have maple butter.

I have found that most teenagers (and younger children) usually like something from the above list.  I often have strawberries and honeydew melon in the summer or raspberries and apples.  I tend to keep the fruit bowl full all year round but here in New York state it is more challenging and expensive to keep the fresh fruit in the winter months. We always have bananas in the house as that's what my husband prefers. And I always have grapefruit in winter as that keeps cold/flu viruses away and reduces infection.

We do sit down at breakfast and usually together......we all eat our favorite items from the list and clean-up is quick with these types of foods as most require minimal dishes.  I've trained my family to put their own dishes in the dishwasher........it helps on hectic mornings. Which is every morning during the work week, right??

image taken from gourmet recipes website

What kinds of foods do you stock up on for breakfast??

Please share in the comment section!!

And note:  If you share what YOU or your family like to eat for breakfast, or any breakfast ideas, you are automatically entered in my giveaway.....a free sample of coffee and a mini devotional book...the best way to start the day!