Cooking with Kids: Breakfast

0

Getting kids into the kitchen to help at an early age has so many benefits. I’ve found that cooking with kids helps my two little ones learn about listening, counting, tasting new foods as well as working on motor skills like stirring, pouring and cutting.

Now that my children have recently turned 3 and 6, my goal is to have them help me more frequently in the kitchen. While it can definitely be a little messy and stressful at these ages, I know it will prove to be extremely beneficial in the long run.

Today I’m going to share some of my favorite breakfast foods to make with my kids. While weekdays can often be hectic, the weekend is the perfect time to have your kids join you in the kitchen to try these kid-friendly recipes!

Avocado Toast

This is one of my daughters favorites! At just six years old, she can almost make it completely on her own. How nice is that? Simply toast a piece of bread or an English muffin, which is what we prefer. Mash the avocado. I use about 1/4 of it per person. Spread it on the bread and enjoy! I add a hefty sprinkle of Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel seasoning to mine, while my daughter enjoys hers plain. A kid approved way to get more vegetables into meals!

Pancakes/Waffles 

Who doesn’t love pancakes or waffles for breakfast? We personally love Kodiak Cakes brand and make them at least once (usually more) each month. My husband multiplies the small recipe on the box by about five to make enough to last weeks! Neither of these recipes uses eggs either (which makes me anxious with kids), so they love to stir the batter together and with adult supervision, my daughter (6 years-old) pours the mixture onto the griddle or waffle iron. Yum!

Breakfast Cookies

This recipe is a favorite for my kids to make and more importantly, eat! It’s full of good-for-you ingredients like whole wheat flour, oats and a banana! If you have trouble getting your kids to eat something healthy in the morning, tempting them with cookies might just be the thing to help! This recipe also doesn’t involve any eggs, so I usually just measure out the ingredients and let my kids add them to the bowl and then take turns mashing and stirring! This is a cooking with kids approved recipe!

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

I love making a batch of these Banana Oatmeal Muffins on Sunday to enjoy throughout the week. Since the recipe once again doesn’t involve eggs (notice a pattern here??) I can have the kids easily help add the ingredients and stir, which of course they love! Double the batch if you have eager little cooks and freeze a batch for another week!

Granola + Yogurt + Berries

This is another favorite my kids love to make! Not only is homemade granola easy to prepare, but it makes your home smell fabulous! My kids love to stir the ingredients and taste test along the way. I will warn you that you’ll probably have oats everywhere, but a quick vacuum will have it cleaned up in no time at all! Once the granola has cooled, have your kids spoon granola, yogurt and berries in a bowl and enjoy!

3 cups Old Fashioned Oats

2 cups Quick Oats

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup oil (we use canola or melted coconut)

1/2 cup maple syrup

To make, combine all ingredients together in a large bowl. Spread onto a large rimmed cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Store in a container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Cooking with kids can be fun for everyone! These are the memories that will last a lifetime too!

What are some of your favorite breakfast foods to make with your kids?