The Most Important Meal of the Day

We can go without lunch... We can go without dinner..... But heaven help us if we skip breakfast!! It is the most important meal of the day and it usually determines what kind of day we will have. When you have children with autism or ADHD it is critical that they get a healthy breakfast. I've had some requests for quick and easy ideas for breakfast and I thought I would post that now.

My most favorite thing to make is eggs. I have discovered an easy way of making them. All I do is take one egg and scramble it in a microwave-safe bowl. I then sprinkle whatever I like on top. Some suggestions are: REAL bacon bits, cheese, shredded or chopped-up ham, and left-over taco meat (trust me... it's good). You then microwave it for one minute and you have an instant omelet. I sometimes fold it over and top with salsa. It's definitely quick and easy.

My next favorite thing is pancakes. I make large batches and freeze them and put them in Ziploc bags. All you have to do is pop them in the microwave for a few seconds and you've got breakfast! You can add anything to them. I have even added fiber to them. You don't have to use sugary syrup either. If you are concerned about sugar intake then top them with preserves or apple butter. You can also make them into sandwiches. My oldest loves the McGriddle sandwiches from McDonald's and you can make your own at home. Also, there are low sugar syrups out there and they come in a variety of flavors.

Another thing we love to eat is oatmeal. I usually don't bother buying the packets. I make my own. You can make it with milk instead of water to make it creamier. I love to add cinnamon to mine and it's so good for you. There have been studies that show that just 1/2 a tsp. of cinnamon can lower your cholesterol and even help with regulating blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. (This is my source: http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-cinnamon.html) One thing I used to do for one of my kids was put the oatmeal in a blender with a little bit of milk before cooking it. That will change the consistency to a creamier texture and you can even feed it to a baby that usually gags on it. My youngest loved it that way!

In the South we eat something called grits. It's basically a type of cooked coarsely ground cornmeal. We love to add cheese to ours. It's nice and salty and my kids all love it. They also sell them in various flavors and I love to try them out. My favorite is the cheddar cheese flavored kind. My kids love to eat them with eggs in the morning.

My kids LOVE to eat egg in a nest. It's basically a piece of toast with a hole cut out in the middle and you fry the egg inside on a skillet. You can make these ahead of time as well and freeze them. However, they don't take too long to make so I usually don't do that. Another thing along this line is french toast sticks. I dip wheat bread in egg that has been scrambled and has cinnamon sugar in it(coating both sides) and then just fry it up in a pan with butter. I sometimes sprinkle more cinnamon sugar once it's done. Then I cut the slice into four strips and give them different sauces such as syrup, preserves, cheese, or anything else to dip them in.

Of course, there is always the bacon, sausage patties, and links. I try not to feed them these things too often. My neurologist told me that nitrites and the preservatives in these things are not the best thing for brain development. We will have these usually when we are on vacation or if we go somewhere out to eat for breakfast. You CAN find some healthy alternatives out there such as Turkey bacon and sausage made of higher quality ingredients.

I hope this helped some of you. Maybe some of my ideas will inspire other ideas for you. It's hard when you have a child that has allergies or sensitivities. Trust me... I know. However, there are a lot of options out there for us. My daughter can't have chocolate, but we get carob for her. Also, if your child is allergic to eggs that can be a challenge but it's not impossible to substitute. I found this neat article online: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianvegan101/f/eggsubstitute.htm (It discusses how you can replace eggs in recipes.) Hope this helps!
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Today's the day to try something new!
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