Even if I do not like breakfast, I need to remember that Emery needs a good morning meal everyday. So, I found some good foods that she really enjoys!
Usually what I like to do for meals is plan what I am going to have for the week or what I have available in the kitchen that week. I try to alternate foods every other day or third day so that Emery does not get sick of the same thing and she gets a variety of new things to try. Here is a combination of things I give Emery for her breakfasts:
1. Stonyfield organic yogurt (vanilla flavored) with fruit and oats. I usually give her blueberries, peaches, bananas, or pears. Some days its apples or whatever I have around. Sometimes its just yogurt, other days I give her something crunchy with it like a grahm cracker or puff cereal. Organic yogurt is great b/c it has amazing nutrients in it that most regular yogurts don't have. It is also good b/c of the high protein babies need to grow. Not only is it soft for babies that do not have teeth, but you can buy a large container of it which can also be used for other things like smoothies, etc. You will get more for your money buy purchasing the large tub.
The nice thing about yogurt is that when you are trying to transition your baby from breastfeeding to cow's milk, it gives them supplemental nutrition that they may be lacking when your milk supply diminishes from weening. That was my issue anyway. I did not know how much milk Emery was getting when I knew my milk was not fully coming in anymore.
2. Whole grain pancakes either plain, apple, or banana- Emery loves these! I buy a package of dry organic pancake mix and then add the rest of the ingredients like the box says. After doing this I realized that they tasted a bit plain so I decided to add cinnamon, nutmeg, and either applesauce or banana for added flavor, moistness, and nutrition. You could really add anything. Blueberries or sweet potato is good also.
It may seem like you do not have a lot of time in the morning to make a huge breakfast or go the extra mile to make something healthy from scratch right? This is how I felt anyways. So what I started doing to save time and money ( instead of buying instant stuff or frozen) was to make a huge batch once every two weeks or so and just froze them in the freezer. I placed wax paper in between each pancake b/c otherwise they will all stick together. They are so easy to thaw too.
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| Before they go in the freezer with the wax paper separating each one |
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| In a baggie so they stay fresh |
3. Fruit- Fresh, frozen, or canned works great. It is easy when you are traveling or in a hurry. I dice fresh fruit and add a cheerio type of cereal in a container along with it. Obviously fruits are easy and healthy so why not? I found that even the canned organic fruits have lots of nutrients in them. I just refrigerate a container of them and use it throughout the week. I buy fresh fruit, dice it, then freeze it. It works great for buying larger amounts when produce goes on sale and you do not want it to go bad. You will have to experiment with how well certain foods freeze. Bananas are best without the peel.
I wrote about how some foods are good for teething as well. Pancakes may even work great for teething if you freeze it. It may help when they gum it.
Dried Fruit- try prunes! They are so soft and full of great stuff! Some dried fruits may be too tough, but the softer ones work great.
4. Frozen waffles or Toast- If you find a good whole grain bread, just toast it and smother fruit on top to create a jam or jelly. Its also good for teething babies who need to gum on something. Waffles in your freezer will last a while because you can cut each into quarters to last longer if you want to add cereal or fruit with the meal.
5. Oats- I have loved learning to cook and add oats to all meals! They are packed with healthy stuff!! To save money, don't buy the instant packets loaded with sugar. Buy medium or large containers of plain whole oats. The shelf life is longer and you can buy a good brand cheaper (and larger quantity) than the packets. You can make a variety of things with it like oatmeal, oatmeal bread, mix it into your pancake batter, granola, etc.
6. Cereals- These are easy and make great snacks too!
7. Eggs & Ham- If your baby is ready, these are great ways to add to your meals! Making sandwiches works well too.
Those are a few things that I make and buy on a regular basis. It has helped me so much and I have even learned to like breakfast more so than I ever have before!
( I apologize for typos! I do not really check for them :)
2 comments:
awww thanks for the advice on breakfast! those are some great tips. my biggest issue will be changing it every day because im such a boring breakfast person and tend to eat the same thing every day.
I was a boring breakfast person too and now I am warming up to it more :)
I think its because I used to eat the same thing like you said.
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