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I was never really a fan of breakfast when I was growing up. I would usually eat whatever my mama fixed so as not to rock the early morning boat, but it was mostly something I tolerated, not enjoyed. And when I got to college, breakfast became something that I just flat-out ignored. I wasn’t even remotely interested in it.
I would not recommend this practice, by the way. My breakfast-less philosophy was right up there with my maybe-if-I-only-eat-popcorn-I’ll-lose-10-pounds philosophy. That is to say: worthless.
Youth is wasted on the young, my friends.
But when I was in my mid-20s, a switch flipped, and suddenly breakfast became my very favorite meal of the day. I don’t have any idea what caused this seismic shift – it certainly wasn’t because I loved to wake up early, because truth be told I would sleep until the crack of noon whenever I could – but I started to see breakfast as a meal that was chock-full of possibilities. I also started to recognize that I was way more productive – not to mention cheerful – when I took the time to fix myself a good breakfast. It’s a habit that’s stuck with me through the years.
Since I know firsthand the difference between a day that begins with a great breakfast and one that doesn’t, I’ve tried to be very intentional about making sure our little guy gets a good start to his day – every day. I really like to fix a hot breakfast, but time doesn’t always cooperate (or maybe the real problem is that I don’t always cooperate with time). My husband leaves the house much earlier than my little boy and I do (most mornings), so it’s usually just the two of us at the breakfast table. It’s one of my favorite times of the day. We both love cheese grits (not the instant kind), so that’s always a big hit, and we love to talk about how tasty our grits are while we’re eating. Perhaps we have some grits-related issues.
I’m a die-hard oatmeal person in the fall and winter, but since my child does not share my oatmeal-related enthusiasm, I usually sacrifice the oatmeal for the convenience of making something we’ll both eat (I don’t know if I mentioned it, but we’re fans of cheese grits). But we like other stuff, too: cheese toast, peanut butter toast with a banana, cinnamon-sugar toast or bacon and eggs. Last spring I got on a kick of making breakfast sandwiches with English muffins, eggs and bacon, and that’s probably going to be our go-to breakfast when we crank up our back-to-school routine in a couple of weeks. Some mornings we eat cereal, and it never ceases to fascinate me that my child likes his milk on the side. To me this practice is sort of like making chocolate chip cookies with the chocolate chips on the side, but apparently dry cereal is loaded with all sorts of tasty nuances that I have yet to experience. I’ll just take his word for it.
More than anything, it’s important to me that we share that time together in the morning – the food and the conversation fuel our day. I think it’s critical for kids to have variety in their meals and to continually try different foods. Breakfast is a great time to introduce them to new kinds of bread, cereal and fruit, don’t you think?
So what about you? What’s your favorite breakfast food? Leave a comment with your answer, and you’ll be entered to win a $100 Visa gift card (and come back next week to enter again – because these giveaways will continue for the next 11 weeks).
And be sure to visit the BlogHer.com Kellogg exclusive offers page – you have 24 other chances to win $100 every single week that this program is running!
Mom’s Breakfast Club was started to help educate moms and families about kids’ cereal and share the scoop on their nutritional benefits and ingredients. To learn more about the program, visit www.betterbythebowl.com.
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French toast is a favorite here.
Overnights oats are my new favorite thing!
I need to get a morning routine! I always say that I am going to make myself breakfast in the morning, but I usually don’t feel hungry by the time I leave my house. But that is a big mistake because I start feeling hungry on my one hour drive to work so I end up stopping at a fast food place for some greasy foods that my body really doesn’t need. I need to be more prepared and pack a healthy breakfast that I can eat in the car on my way to work.
Cereal!!! Any kind…and sometimes I put my milk on the side. :)
My kids (ages 10 and 13) prefer cereal or English muffins in the morning. My hubby is responsible for making sure they’re up and ready on time each day. Me? A banana and granola or breakfast bar every day at the office.