These healthy breakfast ideas will be a big hit (and help) during the school year!  Plus the free printable meal planner is perfect for keeping you organized in the mornings.

Today we are going to make mornings & breakfast easier, healthier and actually an enjoyable part of your day — say “goodbye” to chaotic mornings!

I know, you think I’m talking nuts right? 

But I want to help make it happen for you this year!

So I have some AWESOME things to share with you (because I love to make life easier for everyone!):

• a FREE printable list of healthy breakfast ideas with a round-up of our favorite healthy recipes,

• tips to make mornings less stressful,

• and great way you can take control of your mornings!

 

Last summer, I took a short, self-paced e-course called Makeover Your Mornings because I was DETERMINED to make our school mornings less crazy!

I was tired of the quick-breakfast-what-did-we-forget-get-out-the-door-without-brushed-hair routine that was so common over the past year.

I needed a better start to the day for both myself and the kids.

Sound familiar?

The self-paced e-course helped me to think about what I wanted our mornings to look like and how to take a few minutes each day to prep for that end goal — less chaos and smoothier transitions.

Here’s how you can do it too!

 

20 Healthy Breakfast Ideas + Free Meal Planner

Breakfast is a big deal in our house — it HAS to happen and HAS to be healthy! 

I’m a big proponent of making sure the kids are fed and ready to learn when they head out the door.

And I’m also big on making sure our kids can help to get their breakfast ready on school mornings too — learn how to help your kids to be independent, it’s a great thing!

But truth be told, we had three breakfast options in our house in the past — cold cereal, peanut butter toast and left-over pancakes.  All were whole grain and I would always have fruit and 100% juice with the meal too so they were healthy but there weren’t very many choices.

However, I have this HUGE Pinterest board with lots of fun & healthy breakfast ideas (most of which only happened on the weekends). 

Time for all that to change! 

 

How to Have a Better Morning

Let’s talk less stress in the mornings ! 

Crazy mornings look different for every family. 

For us, it was constantly forgetting things that needed to be brought to school or a not-so-planned-out breakfast schedule.

One of the things I enjoyed the most about the Makeover Your Mornings videos was that it was more focused on ME and what I needed– because in our house, Mom is pretty much the captain of the ship when it comes to the morning routine.

There were definately a few areas where I was lacking in self-care and putting what I perceived to be the kids’ needs before my own.  What I quickly realized was that the morning routine needed to fit everyone’s schedule (and I am NOT a morning person so I needed to find a few ways to ease into things).

In addition the list of breakfast options I share below, here are a few other ways I’m being more intentional each morning along with affiliate links to items that can help you achieve the same goal:

 

1.  Set the coffee to brew so it’s ready when I get to the kitchen

I just received an Programmable Coffeemaker for Christmas this year — best gift EVER! 

Seriously, not sure how we lived without this for so long 😉 

So now I get it all set up the night before so I know I’ll have a hot cup of coffee to kick me into gear. 

 

2.  Eat WITH your Family

When our kids were younger, they had a hard time sitting still at the breakfast table, so I would read them a story while we had breakfast — see our favorite Books To Read for Breakfast!  I always made sure to sit down and set a good example for them while we ate. 

But then they got older and I stopped doing that 🙁 

Bad idea …

Last year, I was just scrambling around the kitchen getting everyone else breakfast — this year, I sit down because breakfast is pretty much set each day! 

Some mornings, it’s just my husband and I who get to talk for a few mintues before he heads to work.  Most mornings, I will have some time with my youngest to review for a test or go over our schedule for the day.

This has made a big difference for me because I now feel like I can connect with my family each morning.  Even if I just have a cup of coffee or part of my breakfast, sitting down at the table to touch base before everyone heads out the door is such a blessing.

 

3.  Be sure ALL items are in the backpack the night before

We’ve always been good about getting lunches done the night before (thanks to my hubby!) and I would remind the kids to pack their backpack but it seemed like someone was always looking for something at the last minute.

Now, I make sure that EVERYTHING they need is in the backpack before we have our bedtime snack.  I prompt for any papers or special events that may need something extra — and then I ask that the backpack be zipped up and set at the door.

Done! 

As I said earlier, your morning goals may look different than mine — the objective is to reduce the chaos and set up some quick systems that can be easily maintained. 

It’s really amazing how tweaking a few things has helped to put me in a better mood each day and helped to keep our day more upbeat too.

 

Healthy Breakfast Meal Planner (Free!)

I realized that I needed a weekly prompt to think about our breakfast schedule — a list with all of our favorite choices so I could easily see what options we had each week.

 

So I created this printable breakfast planner !

I split the planner into three areas: 

Grab & Go for meals that you can put together quickly (less than 2 minutes),

Make Ahead includes breakfast options that I can prep the night before so they are ready in the morning and

Fresh Prepped are those recipes that I make that morning (if we have more time or if I know I’ll be up earlier). 

At the bottom, I made sure to list a reminder to include some fruit & a healthy drink option with each breakfast!

I also included some open spaces for you to add your favorite breakfast items too.

Print your free planner here!

 

Each week, I can quickly look at the choices and label which meals will be good for each morning.

For example, on some Wednesdays my daughter has to be to school early.  For those mornings, we need to choose from the “Grab & Go” options.

I use Post-it Flags for each day of the week so I can easily see what’s on deck for the next morning and what items I may need to add to my grocery list.

And I know it can be difficult to find healthy breakfast options that are also quick to make so here are a few of our favorite recipes!

My goal is to include a good source of protien, fruit, whole grain and milk in each breakfast. 

When I bake something, I always use a whole wheat flour or oatmeal flour in all recipes and they always taste great so don’t be afraid to substitute a healthier option. 

I also learned that we all enjoy steel cut oats (which are healthier) much more than the quick oats so do branch out and try a few new things with your kids!

 

Naturally Sweetened Banana Bread | Anecdotes & Apple Cores

(pictured above)

 

Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal | The Yummy Life

I also make this recipe without adding apples and top it with fresh berries when we eat

 

7 Overnight Fridge Oatmeal Recipes | Another Root

Perfect for those hot mornings!

 

Vanilla Almond Granola | Sally’s Baking Addiction

Wonderful as a cereal or topping for fruit/yogurt parfaits

 

Cinnamon Apple Muffins | Pinch of Yum

 

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins | Nothing if Not Intentional

One of the kids faves!

 

Greek Yogurt & Honey Blueberry Muffins | Baker by Nature

 

Greek Yogurt Pancakes | Creme de la Crumb

These are wonderful but if you freeze them I recommend reheating in the oven instead of microwave

 

Healthy Chocolate Chip Waffles | Kristine’s Kitchen

Mix dry ingredients the night before and top with strawberries

 

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal | Five Heart Home

 

 

More Ways to Get Organized

5 Ways to Make Your Home More Kid-friendly

How to Begin Organizing Your Entire Home

 

 

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