A healthy breakfast is important for your family. If your time is limited it doesn’t have to be a full course meal. Here are ways to start your child off in the morning with little time required:

• Ready-to-eat cereals – Just pour in a bowl. Many cereals are enriched or fortified with many vitamins, minerals and fiber. Offer your child a new variety every other week and try to have two or three cereals to choose. You can also mix cereals. Another alternative is hot cereal.
• Milk, yogurt or other dairy products. You can make a shake with buttermilk or yogurt and fruit and have it waiting in the fridge. Also, you can give your child an on-the-go cup of low-fat chocolate milk. Blending milk with a fruit such as strawberry or banana is also delicious and nutritious.
• A serving of fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruit or juice – remember eating fresh whole fruits add extra fiber to your child’s diet. Try cutting up whole fruit and serving with a yogurt dip.
• A serving from grain products – include whole grain breads, bagels, rice cakes, tortillas, low-fat muffins and breads made with fruits, vegetable, nuts and seeds. Serve with spreads such as jam, jelly, marmalade, peanut or apple butter, low-fat cream cheese or with butter, cinnamon, grated American cheese, or brown sugar.
• “Daily specials” – specials which are determined by available time. Also, daily ‘specials’ can mean what is on ‘special’ at the grocery store…. Toaster waffles, pancakes or French toast, hot cereal, a homemade burrito, or egg sandwiches/dishes are examples of ‘specials’ at the grocery store.
• “Unbreakfast” foods – Rice, tapioca or noodle pudding, peanut butter and jelly on a tortilla, English muffin pizza, grilled cheese sandwich, baked potato, soup, fruit salad, or leftover chicken.

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