10 Healthy Breakfasts for Kids—and You

Help your kids start the day out with the right fuel.

Kimi Harris

A hearty breakfast ensures proper nutrition, and helps form good eating habits. When it comes to children, research shows that feeding them breakfast helps lower the risk of lead poisoning and boosts their brain power.

One very important thing to keep in mind is that children's needs are not that much different than adults'. I feel that it's an advertisement-driven myth that children need special breakfasts. Children and adults have been eating the same breakfasts for hundreds of years, and there is no reason to stop that now just because we have a large variety of super-sugared cold cereals available.

However, as a parent, concentrating on making a delicious and nutritious meal for my children helps ensure that I eat a good breakfast as well. So feeding your children a good breakfast can help you eat a good breakfast, too. It's a win-win situation!

1. Scrambled Eggs, Stir-Fried Zucchini and Sausage: I find that we do better with a plenty of protein and vegetables. This favorite breakfast gives us a good start to the day! My daughter has been eating this breakfast since she was quite little and still loves it at age 5. So you don't end up using three pans, stir-fry the zucchini in a little fat and salt until soft, remove from pan. Cook the sausage in the pan (I use bulk sausage with no casings). Remove from pan. Add more fat/oil to the pan and then scramble the eggs in the pan. You can also add the zucchini and sausage to the scrambled eggs, but we like to keep them separate.

2. Whole Grain Slow Cooker Hot Cereal: I love waking up to a hot breakfast already made. I keep this grain mix on hand, and then it's quite simple to throw together the night before. It's also perfect for families who eat at staggered times.

3. Maple Cinnamon Pumpkin Seed Butter on toast: This homemade seed-butter is delicious on apple slices and on toast. For a special treat, spread over whole-grain bread (I recommend sprouted grain bread) and cover with sliced bananas. It's a nice change from peanut butter, and makes a quick meal on the go.

4. Whole Grain Pancakes with nut butter: You can also spread the pumpkin seed butter, or nut butter of your choice on pancakes. I like to keep pancakes in the refrigerator and freezer to toast on-demand at breakfast. This recipe soaks the flour overnight, which not only reduces anti-nutrients present in whole grains, but also makes the end product fluffier and lighter.

MORE FROM MOTHER NATURE NETWORK: Your Child's Cold Cereal vs. a Twinkie