Tag: breakfast

Banana Bread

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This nut-free banana bread is sweetened with agave and applesauce and has no added oil. Perfect for babies and toddlers, in other words, but big kids love it, too!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, divided
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 cup melted Earth Balance butter
  • 2 tablespoons thawed apple juice concentrate
  • 1/3 cup agave nectar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ripe bananas
  1. In a bowl, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Pour the applesauce into a large bowl and stir in the remaining baking powder. Whisk in the butter, apple juice, agave, and vanilla.
  3. Mash the bananas in a bowl and add to the applesauce mixture.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined.
  5. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour; a wooden pick inserted in the center should come out clean.

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Build-Ahead Breakfast

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Mornings are crazy enough without having to worry about making a hearty breakfast and packing a bagged lunch. Take one piece out of the equation with this fantastic wrap you can put together the night before. Bonus points: Kids will love helping, and can alter the ingredients until they find their favorite combo.

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We like these with the California burger from Amy’s Kitchen.

Ingredients:

  • 2 small flour tortillas
  • 1 veggie burger patty, cooked and chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
  • 1/2 cup shredded Daiya cheddar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
  1. Place the tortillas on a flat work surface. Arrange the ingredients in rows working from left to right, dividing evenly among the two tortillas.
  2. Fold up the bottom of the tortilla over the toppings, then begin rolling from the left and roll up tightly.
  3. Wrap in parchment paper and refrigerate overnight. To serve, microwave for 30 seconds.

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Apple or Banana Yogurt

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If you want to introduce yogurt to your baby, adding fruit is a great way to incorporate a little sweetness without buying a sugary variety. For both of these recipes, I use almond milk yogurt.

Apple Yogurt:

  • 3 tablespoons plain non-dairy yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons applesauce
  1. Stir together until combined.

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Banana Yogurt:

  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1 (5-ounce) container plain non-dairy yogurt
  1. Mash the banana with a fork until very smooth. Stir in the yogurt.

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The latter recipe is best served immediately, or you can freeze it in the cubes of an ice cube tray for high chair shenanigans.

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Blueberry Mini Muffins

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These adorable mini muffins are just the right size for a baby’s hands, making them a fantastic Baby Led Weaning breakfast.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup apple juice concentrate, thawed
  • 1/4 cup plain non-dairy yogurt
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 and 1/2 cups blueberries
  1. In a bowl, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a second bowl, stir together the applesauce and remaining 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Add the flaxseed, canola oil, vanilla, apple juice, yogurt, and milk.
  3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until combined. Stir in the blueberries.
  4. Divide the mixture between 42 mini muffin cups, about 1 tablespoon per muffin. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.

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Sunshine Granola

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Add sunflower seeds to the kids morning granola to make the perfect sunshine-y batch – just right for the final days of summer! Whip up a batch now and the first few breakfasts during hectic back-to-school will be a cinch.

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Ingredients:

  • 2 cups oats
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons melted Earth Balance butter
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  1. Arrange the oats and sunflower seeds on a baking sheet.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the butter and maple syrup. Drizzle over the oat mixture and sprinkle with the salt.
  3. Bake at 300 degrees F for 15 minutes. Stir and return to the oven for an additional 15 minutes. Let cool completely before storing in an air-tight container.

We love this stirred into non-dairy yogurt!

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Serve a Picnic Breakfast

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Oh the dilemmas of summer; you want your child to have plenty of sunshine and fresh air, but by late morning it’s already so oppressively hot that you retreat indoors.

Cue the picnic breakfast! Today we were outside before 7 a.m. (so early that big brother remarked he was a little chilly) to enjoy the fresh breeze, the sound of the birds, and… breakfast!

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Both kids thought this was just the best! Veronika didn’t actually eat much, but she loved sampling the puffs, teething bars, and banana slices on her plate.

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And then she loved tasting her plate!

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To add extra beauty to the moment, don’t forget to break out the bubbles.

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Then head back inside, throw the whole picnic blanket into the laundry machine for the easiest clean up ever, and rest easy that you’ve already gotten your quota of fresh air and vitamin D for the day.

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Purr-fect Pancakes

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These kitty-faced pancakes are the purr-fect way to kick off Memorial Day weekend (or any leisurely morning) to set the tone for a lazy summer ahead. After all, no one nails the art of napping quite like a cat. In sum, this fun twist on pancakes had Travis grinning.

Prepare a batch of your favorite pancakes – or  heck, just use a mix!

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We spread our pancakes with about 1 tablespoon maple syrup to help our fruit faces “glue” on.

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Add ears, noses, mouths, eyes, and don’t forget the whiskers! Ideally we would have used blueberries for the eyes, but a certain sous-chef ate them all up.

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Please share your animal face pancakes in the comments!

 

Have Breakfast Together

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All too often on weekdays, we eat breakfast in a rush and then it’s time to get everybody ready ready ready and out the door. On weekends, consider making breakfast feel extra special for your baby, even from a young age. This will help set the tone for the day and create bonding moments for your family. At almost seven months old, I can finally make Veronika and big brother Travis the same recipe – and mom and dad can enjoy this one, too!

The night before, prepare the apricot puree:

Combine 3 and 1/2 ounces dried apricots and 8 ounces water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes, until soft. Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Let cool, then refrigerate overnight.

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In the morning, prepare the oats:

In a saucepan, combine 3/4 cup rolled oats and 10 ounces hemp milk (we like unsweetened vanilla). Bring to a boil and continue to cook just until thickened, stirring frequently.

Ladle into bowls, varying the serving size depending on family member; that means about 2 tablespoons for Veronika and about 1/2 cup for big brother! Stir 1 tablespoon apricot puree into each bowlful.

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Now that you have your meal, enjoy each other’s company! It was a delight watching these two dine together.

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Veronika decided she liked eating clumps by hand rather than spoonfuls.

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Other meals that will fit into a Baby Led Weaning menu plus appeal to big kids include: English muffins with non-dairy cream cheese;

Biscuit Cream Cheese

Melon – cut it into strips for baby, and cubes for big kids;

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Muesli made with oats, non-dairy yogurt, and chia seeds;

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and French toast fingers!

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For a super-easy French toast, dip slices of bread in a mixture of: 1 cup hemp milk, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Cook for 4 minutes on each side and serve with raspberries.

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I also like to involve Veronika when I pause for my mid-morning snack. She loves to “share” my apple, and I always hand her my smoothie carton when I’m finished.

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Involving your baby in family meals right from the start will help set a great foundation for the years ahead.

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Easter Egg Granola Tarts

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These adorable tarts will get things off to a perfect start on Easter morning! Bake the night before and they’re ready to go as soon as you wake up.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups rolled oat
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup agave nectar
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • Plain or vanilla non-dairy yogurt
  • Fruit or food coloring for garnish
  1. Combine the oats, coconut, sunflower seeds, and flour in a bowl. Set aside.
  2. Combine the agave and canola oil in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until warm. Drizzle over the dry ingredients, and stir to combine.
  3. Pat the mixture into 4 egg shapes on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. It will be quite crumbly, but will set as it cooks.
  4. Bake at 300 degrees F for 25 minutes. Turn off the oven but leave the pans inside with the door propped open to cool completely. You can even leave them this way overnight!
  5. In the morning, spread with the yogurt. Decorate with berries to resemble decorated eggs, if desired, or make stripes by swirling through a little natural food coloring.

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Berries-on-the-Bottom Chia Pudding

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Whip up these breakfast puddings the night before, and all you have to do on a sleepy morning is open the fridge and grab one out.

Ingredients:

  • 1 and 1/2 cups raspberries
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup, divided
  • 3 and 1/2 cups vanilla coconut milk
  • 1 cup chia seeds
  1. In a bowl, mash together the raspberries with 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Divide evenly among 6 (8-ounce) ramekins or jars.
  2. In a second bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup, coconut milk, and chia seeds, whisking for about 1 minute, or until slightly thickened. Divide evenly among the ramekins.
  3. Cover and refrigerate overnight. We left ours ungarnished, bur you could add more fresh raspberries or toasted coconut on top for a pretty presentation, if desired!