My trash can is full of plastic wrappers. Why does this irritate me so much?

Probably because I have a fridge full of food that no one under 18 grabs unless it’s prepared for them.

I’m not sure what the draw is about having pre-packaged bars readily available. I suppose it’s the convenience and mindlessness.  

It doesn’t matter what other healthy, easily prepared foods we have, that’s what they grab. And when I say “easily prepared,” I mean scooping peanut butter from the jar and cutting up an apple. This isn’t Iron Chef, people. I’m not asking for much.

Nonetheless, I continue feeding the beast by purchasing the Costco-sized Fig Bars and Z Bars. And those wrappers continue to fill my trash, particularly in the morning and after school (and often when I wake up, indicating a midnight snack). Maybe I should stop there and learn to quit buying them.

Let’s prime the brain a little better

I finally set some limits.  Please limit your bar consumption to two per day. I realize this sounds somewhat counter to my post on nagging my children. But I’m not perfect and I deal with the punches as I get them.  

Snacking on bars is understandable, but I really want their bodies and minds better prepared for the day. Let’s add a few more real ingredients and a few less wrappers.

The plan going forward

This is the space that I wish I could tell you we will be making changes. Ideally I’d tell you my children will be preparing one of the items below every morning.

The reality is I’m going to challenge them to make one of these a week. Maybe we’ll get crazy and shoot for twice a week. We will go from there. Sometimes they just need the confidence they can do something before they commit to making it happen.

Maybe you can challenge your children as well, or perhaps this will give you some different ideas when preparing your own breakfast.

Rather than giving them a blanket statement of “make something healthier,” I’ve broken it down to the 3 S’s.  First, have them identify what they feel like. Next, pick one of the options.

What are the 3 S’s?

Sweet

Savory

Shake

(which admittedly is somewhat sweet but I consider it a class of its own)

If you’re stuck in your own breakfast, or you are tired of seeing your children consume YET ANOTHER Carnation Instant Breakfast and Fig Bar, give these a whirl.

Sweet

Oatmeal

Click here for my favorite no-cook oatmeal recipe

Ooey-gooey English Muffins

Toast an English muffin, preferably whole wheat. Immediately after toasting, spread some peanut butter on and top with 5-6 chocolate chips. If you have a toaster oven, use this to toast and place back in the oven (keep it turned off) for a few minutes to allow the chocolate chips to melt. Honey is a nice alternative to chocolate chips and of course has greater health benefits.

Shakes

Chunky Monkey

In your favorite blender, combine 1 handful spinach, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I like Healthy Skoop Boosted Protein), ½ to 1 banana, 1 tablespoon peanut butter, and 1 cup milk of your choice. Add ice to make it cooler and thicker.

Pink Power

(note: I just made up this name. My kids have no idea what a Pink Power Shake is, though they do know what a beet-blueberry shake is. Market it to your people as necessary.)

In your favorite blender, combine ½ cooked beet*, ½ cup blueberries, ½ to 1 banana, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder. For a nutrition bonus, add 1 tablespoon chia or flax seeds.

*Find prepackaged, shrink-wrapped cooked beets at Costco, or easily make them in your Instant Pot (recipe here).

Savory

Fried egg

Self-explanatory. Put a piece of bread in the toaster before you start on the eggs. By the time your eggs are done, your toaster should be dinging.  Nutrition bonus: serve with any leftover roasted vegetables you may have. My favorites are asparagus, roasted Brussels sprouts, and red potatoes.

Scrambled egg

Technically, it should take longer than a couple minutes to scramble your eggs if you do them right. Personally, I’m not concerned with the fluffiness, so I just scramble them up quickly. Nutrition bonus: saute some frozen fajita vegetables before cooking the eggs.

Looking for recipes you can make ahead of time? Click here to enter your email and download some of my family’s favorites. Breakfast cookies, Superhero Muffins, and Egg Muffin recipes are all included!

I realize the savory section of this article isn’t very creative. I’d love to hear from you. What are your favorite savory quick-fix breakfasts? Anything you’d like to add in the others? Comment below!