Back to School Breakfast Ideas

Have you ever thought about having family breakfasts together before school? If your schedule is filled with after school activities like ours, then you know how hard family dinners can be to come by. With some strategic grocery shopping, and a bit of planning, breakfast could be the new dinner!  

Breakfast is a great meal to share with kids. Even the pickiest eaters can find something nutritious that they enjoy. Start by building your family’s breakfast with a solid base of carbohydrates for energy to fuel minds and bodies. Ideas include toast, bagels, muffins, home fries, grits, oatmeal, or cereal, along with fruit. Then add in protein and fat to keep the family feeling fuller longer and to keep blood sugar levels steady. A glass of milk has all three– carbohydrates, protein, and fat. If my kids are running behind and don’t have time to sit down for breakfast, I can always be found chasing them out the door with a glass of milk! 

Looking for healthy breakfast ideas to add to your menu?  Here are some quick or make-ahead options to ensure your mornings run like an over easy egg. 

• Smoothies made with yogurt, milk and frozen fruit 

• Grits bowls topped with cheese, an egg, leftover sautéed vegetables, and bacon or ham 

• Yogurt or cottage cheese parfaits topped with fruit and granola, seeds, or nuts 

• Egg and Cheese Breakfast Cups 

• Apple Pie Overnight Oats  

• Banana Pecan French Toast Bake 

• Cheese and Spinach Strata 

And don’t forget to serve your breakfast with a glass of milk! Milk provides essential nutrients like calcium, potassium, and vitamin D to keep your kids healthy and classroom-ready. Cheers to a healthy new school year! 

Julie S. Satterfeal, MS, RDN, LD 

Julie is a registered dietitian, author, speaker, and coach. She is dedicated to building empathy as a means to break down the shame-based culture of dieting, freeing individuals up to create authentic health and a positive relationship with food. The release of her recent book, Ditch the Diet: How to Reclaim your Health and Enjoy Food, encapsulates this passion and is a resource for dietitians and those searching for peace with food. She is a professional speaker, sharing these concepts in many arenas– from state associations, corporations and universities, to specialized nutrition forums. Her practice provides nutrition coaching, seminars, and programs that promote authentic health by nurturing the body, mind, and spirit– not by adhering to food rules, diets, and weight goals. Julie is a graduate of Virginia Tech and Illinois State University. She lives with her husband and three children in Huntsville, Alabama.