Breakfast on the Go

Hi J.,
Though my son is a bit older (11), I have since he was very young cut up an apple in the morning. I still drive him to school so it is still eating on the go. This has worked out fine for us all these years.

The Gerber Graduates line has all kind of yummy stuff, from cereal bars and diced dried fruit to meat sticks. I especially love the little squares. They all have balanced nutrition and are great on the go!

Have you considered giving ou child dry cereal in a cup or bowl? My daughter never liked eating her cereal with milk so I let her eat it dry and then she has a bottle of milk afterwards.

It's really funny that you asked this question. I was finally reading the Oct 2006 Parenting magazine that has been lying around and there was a whole bunch of ideas just for this. One of them is rollups (PB&J on a tortilla) which my son actually likes on wheat tortilla. Another is making a sandwich in a pita b/c it's less messy. Trail mix with cheerios, raisins (or other dried fruit), and nuts (once your little guy is old enough for them. Smoothie in a sippy cup-OJ, vanilla yogurt, and banana in a blender. Make a waffle sandwich by spreading with PB and raisins and then folding in half. Spread a piece of whole wheat toast with apple butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (I would fold this one in half too). Another smoothie-cup of plain yogurt, banana, three ice cubes, and two spoonfuls of PB in a sippy cup. English muffin melt-slice of ham topped with american cheese on an English muffin toasted in the toaster oven. Another rollup-scrambled eggs w/ cheese rolled up with salsa (obviously optional) in a tortilla. Another waffle idea that I would turn into a sandwich-light cream cheese on a toasted waffle, top with strawberry or banana slices and sprinkle with cinnamon. I think if you put the cream cheese on both halves of the waffle and put the fruit slices in the middle it should hold them in place so they don't fall out. There are more but most don't seem like they would be ideal for a two year old. Hope this helps.

Hi J.

I have a 3 year old...and we often have Smoothies on the go. I put them in his cup with a straw...it is healthy and filling. The recipe I use is as follows:
2 cups of V8 Splash Orange Pineapple (or whatever juice you want)
1 Cup low fat vanilla yogurt
2 cups of frozen whole strawberries ( or whatever fruit you want, frozen fruit works the best though)

Put all in blender and blend until smooth. My son loves them, they are like milk shakes. But really, cereal bars are just as good. It is hard to do things on the go with little ones.

Good luck!
Abby

J.,
I make a baby trail mix....
Raisins, Purely-Os (organic cheerios,sold at Giant and other natural food stores) and Gerber Organic Mini Fruits (they have apple strawberry, banana, etc.)
I serve it up in a snack cup called The Snack-Trap (I found mine at Babies R Us, also, www.snacktrap.com); it has a lid on the top so if it's dropped or thrown or just leaned the wrong way it doesn't spill but little ones can easily fit their hands through the soft top.
My daughter loves it, it's easy and healthy, and not messy for the car. I make it in big batches large container and then refill from there.
Good luck in your search!
S.

you got pretty good ideas from moms here. wanted to add, just because it is breakfast should not be concentrating on that part only. whatever she will eat that's what you should give her./ there are days my girls as soon as they open their eyes they say
i need grilled cheese sandwich. they're two and a half years old and when they ask for it that's what i give them. sometimes they ask for boiled eggs they get that. which means whatever she will eat. one mom said it about the cereal bars, even the organic ones are filled with sugar. at this age she should still eat the serving size containing sugar less than 6 percent (ok i don't go by the book every day) but sugar first thing in the morning will disappear off her body fast and leave her tired and hungry.
bananas are also good. or you might start waking up your daughter 15-30 minutes earlier than you have before so she can sit and eat her breafast. if that happens she will just get an earlier bedtime and within a few days she will get used to the new schedule
good luck
vlora

Hi J.,

I always took a small baggie of cheerio's either plain or flavored. They always seemed to munch on that without complaining. I also used to take grapes, pretzels and string cheese. I never took anything like cheese puffs (very messy) or chips... which contain lots of fat. Also, animal crackers are a great snack for the car as well.

My son loves Danimals yougurt shakes from Dannon. I mix it with milk and his sippy cup

My 2 and a half y/o daughter loves the Gerber Graduates cereal bars.

I have no solutions for you. I do NOT believe in kids eating in the car. To me, it's a safety risk. IF you child is eating something and is choking, how long will it take for you get off the road, stop your car and help your child out. That is just plain child endangerment. I have not allowed my kids to eat in the car, and I don't allow the grandkids to have food and drinks in the car. I yell at my stepdaughter when SHE goes to give her kids something.

Our 2-year-old gets hungry in the car as well on the way to school. I usually spend Saturday mornings making silver dollar sized whole wheat pancakes with ground flaxseed and toasted wheat germ and blueberries or other fresh fruit. Then I package them up in baggies of two or three and freeze them. I stick a baggie in the fridge the night before and this is usually my daughter's breakfast in the car-- a couple of whole wheat pancakes and a container of cut up fresh fruit, usually frozen pineapple tidbits from Trader Joe's or grapes or apples or watermelon or oranges. Sometimes I also make a scrambled egg and heat this up and give it to her when she gets to school in case she's still hungry. I feel good that she's eating something nutritious and homemade and it's easy to do with a minimal amount of planning and prep. I pack her lunch for school every night and make packing breakfast just part of this routine. It takes no more than 10 minutes a night and she's got something wholesome, homemade and fresh.

My son really likes the Yo Baby yogurt drink, I guess it's pretty much the same thing as a smoothie. I believe it's a pretty nutritious option and I just pour it into a sippy cup and he's good to go!

Hi J.,

My name is J. and I also have a 2 year old son. In the
morning when we are running out the door I give him the
small pack of mini muffins.....he LOVES them. It's not messy and I tear open the bag in the corner and he takes them out on his own. Not messy at all.

I hope this helps.....

J.,
I have found that Waffles work best for on the go and they are not bad nutritionally. We buy the Organic Blueberry ones. We keep them in the freezer and then pop them in the toaster before we are ready to head out the door. The cool off quickly and because they are blueberry, they are naturally sweet. Also, they do not leave too much of a mess with all the crumbs and stuff.

perhaps you could get him up a little earlier and feed him as your packing lunch or putting on make-up- this will broaden your options! or most daycares will feed your child depending on your drop off time- you can check into that.
my suggestions if that fails- gerber makes really cute bowls with lids that only allow minimal spillage (also seen cherrios bowl with lid similiar) so you could give him cereal like kix, cherrios,...
diced up fruit like apples, bananas, pears.......
french toast sticks
mini pancakes
whole wheat toast

good luck!

THEY HAVE NUTRITION BARS AT WALMART AND IM SURE SUPER MARKETS HAVE THEM TO. THEY R IN THE INFANT DEPARTMENT. HOPE IT WORKS.

I think everyone has given phenomenal options to your breakfast dilemma but I have one more to add... My daughter is 3 and it's the same with her of not having enough time and trying to find something to take on-the-go that was quick and easy for me yet nutritious and "clean" for her... My suggestion would be those Quaker Rice Snack Cakes... They are a little crumby but not too too bad... Nothing a litle car vac wouldn't resolve. But somedays she just isn't interested in eating so I keep a supply of the Pedialite shakes on hand for her. They are PACKED with vitamins and nutrients that kids that are at their age need. Plus it is so so so low in sugar, that, like the other MoM said, you wouldn't want to give him something high in sugar because it makes them tired the rest of the day... The shakes do nothing of the sort and are so healthy for them and it is almost like having a milkshake so it's kind of fun for them : ) That's been working for my daughter for over a year and a half now and she loves both of them. Those rice cakes come in a wide variety of flavors so there's no need to get sick of one flavor. Hope this helps!!! Good luck... <3 K. <3

I buy the all natural organic cereal bars for my son, he doesn't know the difference and they're healthy. You also might want to try fruit cups. My son loves apples so I just wash one in the morning, grab a ceral bar and a bottle of oj and we're good to go.

hello there,
i dont know if this suggestion is any good...but i give my son rice cakes..he likes the chocolate chip ones...but there are many different varieties...i figure its healthier than some other alternatives...

I have found that a warm blueberry waffle really works well. You can use your favorite flavor...my children love them.

What about English muffins....Oatmeal bars...Muffins.....and a ham egg and cheese sandwich grilled is always a fav in my house.Also...Granola....I dont say cereals(except shredded wheat/cherrios/and muesli)because most of the cereals that our children want are 50%sugar, and are so highly processed that, unless they are fortified, they contain very little fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

My sons do not like the usual breakfast items so I talked it over with my doctor. She told me I could use the Carnation instant breakfast. You just mix the powder with a cup of milk and you have instant vitamins and a great breakfast on the go! Put it in a sippie cup to take in the car. My boys love it and feel like they're getting a treat because we use the milk chocolate kind. They beg me for it, they don't know they're getting something good for them! Good luck.

My 2 year old son loves the NutriPals bars and the Gerber cereal bars. The Gerber ones can be a little messy since they crumble a little and the NutriPals ones are a little sticky. You could also make him toast with peanut butter.

well u can always try cheerios or kix in a lil baggy or bowl wit alid. maybe even pieces of fruit cut up somethin not to messy like strawberries or somthing.

Try some apple slices for a change in pace. ;)

Love and light,
Jmaie L.

What about waffles? Sorry I'm not much more help than that, but good luck!

Here are some foods your might want to try: yogurt-covered raisins, fruit leather, banana chips (try to find the low-fat kind since the regular ones are loaded with fat and sugar), baked apple chips, string cheese, low-fat granola bars, and graham crackers. My picky-eater 2 yr-old loves any kind of portable, tasty breakfast treat, and these mean less mess for you!!!

Although the breakfast bars are an idea, they are filled with sugar and that's no way to start your little ones day. What about cereal? My girls lived off the honey nut cherrios (the ones that come in the small box packages) along with their sippy cup filled with milk. My little one still swears by it and its a treat for her, not to mention an easy clean up in the car for me. Hope this helps!

PB&J - either on toast or waffles
how about making egg omelets in muffin tins. You can make them on the weekend and freeze them. Can you give him something small in the car to tide him over and then have a better breakfast for him at daycare? I know my daycare will give them anything you provide.

W.

This is a quick and simple remedy my mom used to use, and now I employ it too. I make up some sausages in advance, heat them up before I leave and wrap them in slices of bread, like a little homemade sausage roll. It's tasty, and not too messy.

A.

Did you try the waffle minis? I use them for my daughter you just pop them in the toaster. They travel very well and all you need to do is bring some oj to drink and you have a meal on the go that is good for your cutie if you want you can also add a bag of apples just precut them the night before and put them in a sandwhich baggie.

I make a "trail mix" for my 2-year-old that she loves. I just use whatever I have around the house and put it in one of those spill-proof snack cups. Usually, I mix up Cheerios, yogurt-covered raisins, dried cranberries, peanuts, etc. It is quick, portable, and mess-free. Have fun!

Sounds like you already have a few good ideas. Although, I would not give peanuts to a two-year-old, especially to eat in the car when you cannot give him immediate help should he choke. I take it you do not have time to let him eat at home? Daycare does not serve breakfast? Hmmm. Well, good luck. I am stumped!

I know you got a ton of responses, but the most nutritous option I've found for the occaisonal time we run late is Kashi Mighty Bites cereal ( in a baggie ) and a sippy cup of milk or soy milk, or juice. There are other organic nutrient dense cereals for kids on the market that we use as well...just look in the organic section of your market or health food store. Kashi is high protein and high fiber. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to get everyone everywhere on time!

I often cut up fruit and put it in a baggie and let my kids eat that in the car. There's the gogurt that works well too, although at that age it could be a little messy. Does your daycare allow the children to eat once they get there? If I get my kids there by a certain time I can bring their breakfast there with them and they'll feed them there, then I'll pack oatmeal, pancakes, eggs, etc.

Yogurt might be another option, the healthy kind, not the pink & purple ones with candy in it. It may be messy for him to eat on his own, but you can blend it with some fruit & make a smoothie for him (if he can drink from a straw). Small pancakes can be made ahead of time and frozen. Just pop them in the microwave and they're good to go. My kids also like a good old fashioned slice of toast with a little bit of jam.

PediSure makes cereal bars that are great for the kiddos. They taste great too! Also, unless you are adverse to furit snacks, Gerber makes fruit snacks for toddlers that have MUCH less sugar in them than the regular snacks. They also have increased vitamin C. My daughter loves them and they are softer to chew than typical fruit snacks. Fruit cups are a great idea, but of course you cannot take them in the car. A Mini bagel with butter or jelly can also be good, but sometimes a little messy.