Summer Breakfast Ideas for Tots

I've heard that some people lose their appetite in humid summertime weather. Sure wish that were my problem! But it has affected my toddler son who never seems to care about eating anyway. He'd much rather be constructing tall towers of Legos or Tinkertoys than having to stop and eat. It's actually become quite a struggle, especially on weekday mornings when I have less time to tempt his appetite before delivering him to preschool. One morning he was so resistant to eating that I caved in and gave him a few chocolate chip cookies just so that he wouldn't faint at school. Big mistake. He whined for cookies every day the rest of that week!

Thankfully I was able to tame the cookie monster with some new breakfast ideas. With any finicky eater, try keeping portions small but nutrient-packed. Here are two easy recipes to check out. The Mini Frittatas are protein-rich and easy to eat, and kids appreciate the miniature size. I'd keep it simple and not add too many fillings (i.e., leave out the ham). Halve the recipe if you want to do a test run with your kids. They taste best fresh but you can refrigerate leftovers and microwave them a few seconds for breakfast or a snack. The Yogurt Banana Pops are great for hot sticky mornings, and is there any food kids don't like when served on a stick? Feel free to use any flavor yogurt and type of crushed cereal (or even chopped nuts).

Mini Frittatas (yield 48 frittatas)

Modified recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

Mini eggs and fruit kabobs. I experimented with other fillings like red bell pepper and herbs but generally it's better to keep it simple for picky eaters!

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray

8 large eggs or 2 cups egg substitute

1/2 cup low fat milk

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

1/4 t salt

4 oz thinly sliced ham or turkey, chopped

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

2 T chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves or 1 T dried parsley

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray two mini muffin tins (each with 24 cups) with nonstick spray.
2. Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper, and salt in a large bowl to blend well. Stir in the ham, cheese, and parsley.
3. Fill prepared muffin cups almost to the top with the egg mixture. Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is just set in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and slide the frittatas onto a platter. Serve immediately.

Yogurt Banana Pops (yield 6 pops)

Modified recipe by Yoplait

Banana or Banana Yogurt Pop?

Ingredients

1 6-oz container vanilla or strawberry yogurt

6 wooden sticks with rounded ends

3 large bananas, peeled and cut crosswise in half

1 cup favorite cereal, crushed

Directions

1. Cover cookie sheet with waxed paper. Place yogurt in shallow bowl.
2. Carefully insert wooden stick into cut end of each banana half. Roll each banana in yogurt, then sprinkle with cereal. Place on cookie sheet.
3. Freeze about 2 hours or until firm. Store in covered container and keep frozen.

Bean Appétit!

That's the title of a great new cookbook that lures kids into the kitchen. The cover declares "hip, healthy, and fun"— perfect words to inspire busy families to enjoy eating and cooking together. Bean Appétit was written by the creators of Bean Sprouts, a successful healthy café and cooking school in Wisconsin that teaches kids how to whip up yummy recipes, which are shared in this cookbook. I can't rave enough...it's food, it's education, it's art! Not just a collection of kid-friendly recipes, every colorful page displays funky graphics or photographs ofTurkey Dragonfly Sandwich creative meals like Stick Stacks (kebobs of mini pancakes and fruit) and Bug Bites (a turkey sandwich with fruit slices fashioned to look like a dragonfly). There are recurring sections such as "Table Talk" that asks thought-provoking questions like "If you had to name your pet after a cereal, what name would you choose?" or "Refined Bean" that reveals sometimes surprising table manners from around the globe. One cute segment lists tasty variations on making your own trail mixes with just three ingredients: my fave was Elefunky Monkey with peanuts, banana chips, and carob chips. Actually I could ramble on describing the endless imaginative ideas in this book but you really have to read them yourself to fully appreciate. I tested a simple pesto recipe with spinach, lowfat cream cheese, olive oil and garlic powder and added it to Jake's favorite pasta wheels...voilà! Super easy to make and looked as cool as the photo in the book, as you can see in my version here: 

  

The Bean Appétit cookbook is available on the Bean Sprouts website or at a discounted rate on Amazon.com.