The Breakfast Plate :: One Less Plate to Juggle

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As moms — whether stay-at-home, working, homeschooling, moms of kids who spend the day out at school, tall moms, short moms, moms of one, or moms of seven — we have busy, full days with a lot on our plates. And one plate I want to try to make easier is your breakfast plate! 

Easy breakfast ideas - smoothies

Easy breakfast ideas - waffles and pancakes freeze well

I don’t know about you, but I am not the best morning person. I would like to be, and it is actually something I am working on re-training myself to become; but currently, early morning wakeups are a struggle. My four little ones wake up early and hungry. To hold them over while I completely engage myself with the day, they share a couple of breakfast bars and drinks. Once I am up and going, the real breakfasts come out. 

Our kiddos are homeschooled so they don’t need to be out the door before a bell rings every morning, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have to get going with our school day, or be at appointments, sports practices, ballet, or co-op classes. There are sleepy little ones to dress, shoes to find and tie, bags to pack, lots of feet to get out the door, and seat belts to buckle! {Any moms of little ones waiting for them to get to an age they can buckle themselves at a decent pace?!} Big, sprawled out family breakfasts are more for weekends in our house. On a given weekday, I really like to keep things simple; easy to make, easy to clean! 

Easy breakfast ideas - toast with avocado spread and seasoning

Aside from the obvious of cereal, bagels, or oatmeal; easy, kid-friendly (hello, picky eaters! I have a few of my own!), and quick breakfast ideas are my best friend! I thought I would share my go-to list with all of you. There are so many recipes out there for all of these ideas, so have fun and see which ingredients work best for your little ones’ taste buds! 

Easy Breakfast Ideas for Busy Mornings

  1. Make-ahead egg and bacon muffins — Throw a few slices of bread in the toaster and you’ll have bacon, eggs, and toast to go, if you need!
  2. Cereal, granola, and/or fruit and yogurt parfaits 
  3. Rice cakes with cheese spread, almond butter, or avocado spread and a sprinkling of Everything But the Bagel seasoning from Trader Joe’s
  4. Protein balls
  5. Banana rollups — Banana wrapped up with Nutella, peanut butter, almond butter, or honey in a tortilla; add some crispy rice cereal for some crunch!
  6. Muffins that you’ve made ahead
  7. Fruit cups
  8. Frozen yogurt bites — Add in a little bit of chopped up fruit!
  9. Smoothies! This is my favorite way to get lots of fruits and veggies (and other healthy ingredients) into my kiddos! Best tip: spend a little time one day pre-chopping and bagging the ingredients to freeze ahead. In the morning, all you have to do is pour in the pre-chopped ingredients, some liquid, and any little extras that you wouldn’t freeze. But prepping and freezing ahead helps the ease and flow of the morning! 
  10. Pancakes or Waffles — Use your family’s favorite recipe for waffles or pancakes and make a double batch. Have one serving day of, and put the rest in the freezer. On a busy morning, all you have to do is pop them in the microwave and go!

Easy breakfast ideas - prepare smoothie ingredients ahead and freeze!

Easy breakfast ideas - set dishes out the night before

My best advice, though, is plan ahead. I find my smoothest mornings are the ones I have planned for the night (or even days) before! Even though you can’t take all the food out ahead of time, grab whatever utensils and plates or bowls you will need. Or if you are taking them to go, grab little throw-away baggies or containers and set them out, ready to fill in the morning. 

I’d love for you to comment and share some of your tried and true go-to breakfasts or even some ideas you are hoping to try one day!

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Mary Anne F
Mary Anne is a wife to Gus of seven years and Momma to Gus, Will, Zelie, and David. When she and her husband married, their life as a family of two quickly grew when a month before their first anniversary their twin boys were born. Two years, to the day, their daughter arrived. And shortly after, their surprise miracle baby arrived, prematurely at two and a half pounds. Needless to say, their family life is filled with joy but can feel like quite a daily circus! Mary Anne grew up in New York and her husband in D.C. but both met in Alabama and have lived here for 13 years. Birmingham became home to them after their wedding and ever since, they’ve fallen in love with this town. They’ve found “their spots” and enjoyed watching their family settle and grow in this sweet Southern city that they call home. Mary Anne spends her days homeschooling her little ones, taking them to sports and activities, and going on adventures around town. When she is not teaching or focusing on being a momma (when is that?!), she works with Young Living, always finding new fun ways to clean and remedy little problems. For fun she likes to plan parties, dabble in painting and photography, spend time keeping up with close friends, including her best friends in NY and FL, and when time permits, travel to her beloved 30a.