Getting Tired of Picky Kids and Planning Breakfasts

[RealLifeMama]

First, my children are not really picky, it is just that each one has one or two aversions that make meals hard.
I have one child that really, really dislikes coconut. The rest of us *really* like it. Plus, we are dairy free, so it makes coconut milk a necessary part of our cooking. But, when I add coconut milk to stuff, he tastes it, even if he does not see me making it. The only things he likes for breakfast are smoothies or eggs and regular pancakes.
I have one child that detests eggs. Protein at breakfast is hard for him.
He really can't stand eggs. And, he detests bananas. Strange...I mean, who hates bananas? That means that he very rarely will drink our smoothies, as I always put a banana in.


So, breakfast is hard. If I make things I want to serve, there is always that one kid that is not going eat it and will want to eat something else. Then, the rest of the kids see that child making a frozen waffle or whatever the picky child of the day can make himself, and they decide they want one, too. I feel like breakfast goes on forever, and by the time all 5 children have eaten, it is almost lunch!!
The things I have on my breakfast rotation are :
1.Baked oatmeal (with full fat coconut milk because it is creamy and delicious- everyone else likes it except for coconut hater.
2.Protein smoothies X 2 - with banana
3.Coconut flour/banana/egg pancakes and fruit - only three kids eat these, but I don't want them eating regular pancakes in the AM.
4.eggs/cinnamon toast
5.yogurt parfaits (another kid does not like yogurt, but the other kids love them) and frozen waffles- non yogurt eater will just eat a million frozen waffles and get no protein. I tried boiled eggs for her, but egg aversion kid nearly vomits from the smell.
.6.Muffins or other baked good with eggs and fruit -non egg eater will eat yogurt, but then if I let him eat yogurt, everyone else wants it, too, and I can't afford for everyone to eat yogurt, it puts us over budget.

Help!

[The Tickle Momster]

I am right there with you. I have one who can't eat oatmeal in the morning. That also leaves out cream of wheat for her.

The others picky preferences come at different times. We also are dairy free and use a lot of coconut milk. We were using almond milk but one of the kids has a hard time with almonds. Could you use almond milk instead?

We do a rotation of homemade scones and sausage, pancakes with peanut butter, oatmeal, cereal and coconut milk with sausage, eggs 2x/week, chia pudding is a favorite too.

I know some families that don't do traditional breakfast. They do soup or toasted pb&j.

[Lady TS]

I've wimped out/given up the fight/stress of breakfast and just started usually only offering a selection of (semi-nutritious) cereals, milk, and toast/nut butter if they don't like the cereal selection. I have 3 boxes of cereal out and a box has to be completely finished off before I will allow them to open another box (too many wee little bits of cereal in boxes in my cupboards, hence the rule).

And it's my goal to make smoothies a couple times/week to supplement the cereal/toast regimen.(hasn't happened consistently yet)


Some days, like when I am not fighting bad allergies(like I am now), I can manage to wake up early enough to make eggs and/or sausage, pancakes/waffles, "catastrophe"(sausage, hashbrowns, scrambled eggs together in one pan), or biscuits and gravy. But that's semi-rare. Once a week maybe. Big maybe.

Dd will make herself oatmeal. The boys have an aversion to it.

I just cannot eat first thing when I get up...I have to totally wake up first, or it sits in my belly in a hard mass.

I was worried at the beginning of the school year about the cereal for breakfast thing(I'd sworn off for a long time), but it's gone over well, and I'm not playing short-order cook or putting a jillion things away after they make 5 different things in the morning.


Can you maybe pick a cereal and have a box of almond milk(anything other than coconut)?

(and I'm not a banana fan, either. )

[RealLifeMama]

My non-egg and banana eater also does not like peanut butter, or really any nut butter. He does like cereal, but only stuff like Honey Nut Cheerios, and he would eat them every day, just like his dad does, if I let him. But, I want him to eat less sugar and more protein and fat in the AM. He will burn through it so fast, he could eat three bowls (which is a *lot* of sugar) and be hungry in an hour.
I have one other child that will eat cereal. The rest do not. My 13 year old eats anything, so she will eat cereal, but she eats anything else, too.

TickleMomster, I would love your scone recipe. You are my PlantoEat friend, right? Is your dairy free recipe on there? We like scones.
And, I would like to know a good chia pudding that does not have bananas or coconut if you have one. My only recipe has both.

[The Tickle Momster]

I use lots of scone recipes. I am on Plan to Eat and I have 4 on there. Honestly, I just sub coconut oil for butter and alternative milk for milk. They turn out fine. Works for just about any recipe.

[esperanza]

Not dairy free, but here is the scone recipe I use. Super easy and so good! Now I want some!


2 cups flour (I have used half wheat flour with no problems)
1/3 cup sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
6 T cold butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup dried fruit
1 egg
1/2 cup cream
1 t orange or lemon zest (I never use this)

Whisk together first four ingredients.
Cut in butter with pastry blender, working quickly so butter does not melt.
Add fruit or chocolate chips
Whisk together the egg, cream, and zest and add all at once. Mix just until blended.
Form into wedges. Place 1/2 inch apart on a baking sheet. Put in a preheated oven at 425 on the center rack.
Bake 12-15 min.

[Little Forest]

I have the same type of thing happening. i tell them that they are all allowed one bugaboo so it seems less unfair if someone doesn't gave to eat something. If I make a snack or breakfast someone doesn't like, I tell them to wait until the others have had it to stop everyone else from not eating what was made and going for the alternative instead.
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[The Tickle Momster]

We run into this with every meal. I have one who would like to be vegetarian. Two who love meat. And one who would live on bread alone, if I let him.

I've started requiring that he (the bread only 6 year old)try one bite of one veggie offered at lunch or dinner. He is getting better about that much at least.

---------- Post added at 03:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:11 PM ----------

Another breakfast I do is sautéed ground sausage with shredded sweet potato. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon.

[Mother of Sons]

What about something like potato veggie scramble with a little sausage or left over chicken? We do Pannekoeken which has lots of eggs in it but doesn't taste like eggs. You could boil or steam eggs in advance and keep them in the fridge. That way the egg eaters can have them without making the non egg eater sick. What about leftovers from dinner?

[Kiara.I]

Leftover pizza made the night before?