As school was getting back into session, I’m sure there were plenty of parents out there who just opened the cabinets, placed a bowl on the counter, and filled it with cereal and milk. Too busy. Kids satisfied. But nutritionally lacking and setting them up for a crash in the very near future. Oh… probably right when they get to school. With this in mind, I thought I’d share what I usually create for a quick, yet better breakfast. Here is what I create:

An overhead view of one of my standard breakfast bowls for the kids.

I make this so often that I can’t quite remember what is exactly in this particular bowl; I would assume banana, and I can see cantaloupe, strawberries and peaches. The goal is to use what ever is already washed and in the refrigerator or on the counter (some fruit can be cut the night before – not all – careful). My general goal is to place a bowl each of the kids side by side and fill equally: half banana to start and then I add any kind of berries, melon, apple, pear, etc…. Mainly, it is whatever I have, which is what I can get, what is in season, and/or ripe or on sale. Fresh is best, but frozen works great too. Tip: freeze in season and save for later. Adjust fruit and portions as needed for taste, season, and budget. You can top with dried fruit as well.

The most important step is to REVERSE the trend. Most people (at least from my experience) top cereal with fruit. In my bowl, I top the fruit with cereal. It is as simple as that. It still provides the crunch and satisfaction of grains but doesn’t overwhelm the system with packaged food and all its known and unknown additives and sweetners. For liquid, any milk can work; I use nut milks, but cow’s milk is more common, though I would be very careful with how much you use and where it comes from (it can be quite scary stuff). You can also drizzle a little honey or maple syrup over the top; sometimes I do this on a reward system. If all goes well in the morning, a little sweetness can go a long way.

Happy times. Enjoy.