Frugal & Healthy Breakfasts

QM · 10-20-2008, 08:37 AM

I don't know where to post this question, so I'm posting it here!

Please tell me what frugal breakfasts you and your family enjoy. I'm used to having boxed cereal (Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Fruit Loops, Raisin Bran), but since joining this website I'm wondering (other than toast with cheese whiz or jam), what frugal, healthy and yummy breakfasts I could make for my kids. (Dh doesn't eat breakfast normally, so I'm not thinking about him.) Note: DD#1 (4-1/2 year old) is picky and doesn't like muffins.

Any ideas would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!

**perSue** · 10-20-2008, 09:13 AM

there's always porridge, oatmeal, barley, grits, hominey.
you can flavour the porridges with butter, s&p, jelly, honey, cinnamon, brown sugar, your choice of flavours.

sure toast and jam is good too.
but there's also toast with cinnamon-sugar, or honey.
what about biscuits instead of toast?

you can make cheap "cinnamon rolls' using canned or hm biscuits... top with a pat of butter and cinna-sugar.

homemade donuts are always a great hit!

or a breakfast stack as a sandwich....
toast, biscuit, waffle, pancake....
top with egg, bacon, sausage, cheese, veggies of choice...
and there you have a sandwich!

hope this little bit helps... i'll post more when i think of more.

**elphie** · 10-20-2008, 09:25 AM

Anyone have a recipe for making pancake mix from plain flour?

-here are some frugal pancake recipes which we enjoy with homemade syrup
-bacon and sausage we buy in bulk
-eggs from the farm are still pretty cheap (at least around here)
-oatmeal, malt-o-meal, white rice w/sugar and butter
-homemade muffins
-fruit
-homemade biscuits and gravy
-hashbrowns
-homemade granola bars (there's a link around here, look under cookies and bars)

HTH!

**Momto2Boyz** · 10-20-2008, 09:39 AM

most of what we do, has been said already.

My 4 1/2 year old is picky as well. But I've found that he'll eat real oatmeal (not microwave kind, which is more pricey), pancakes, waffles, muffins, cin. rolls, cin. toast, etc.

So, normally, what I do is make pancakes and waffles on the weekends (even if we aren't eating them for a weekend breakfast) and I make them in huge batches, then freeze. Pancakes can go into the microwave frozen, for 30-60 seconds and come out perfect. Waffles can be cut down if necessary and go into the toaster just like the store bought ones!

Good luck. And don't count out cereal either. Just catch it when it is on sale or buy the generic. I lucked into generic froot loops the other day and got them for 99 cents per box. I can't beat that with most of my homemade breakfasts, or at least the price is comparable and it is a nice treat for my boys!

**joyofsix** · 10-20-2008, 12:26 PM

My kids are weird. They will eat breakfast foods but what they really like is reheated dinner leftovers. I wouldn't want a taco, or pizza or spaghetti for breakfast but they do and it's nutritious so I go with it.

**Starlight9803** · 10-20-2008, 04:12 PM

most have been mentioned, but my children usual have one of the following for breakfast:
oatmeal
grits (somtimes with a slice of bacon microwaved and then crumbled into them)
scrambled eggs and toast
toast (either buttered, with jam, with cinnamon/sugar, or open faced with cheese)
yogurt and fruit, either separate or blended into a smoothie
pancakes (we make a huge amount at one time and freeze the leftovers - you can pop them in the microwave to quickly reheat whenever you want - they also sometimes eat these with pb&j rolled up in them)
canadian bacon on english muffins
carrot cake "muffins" (carrot cake cupcakes with lots of shredded carrots, raisins, and walnuts - no frosting on them)

**elphie** · 10-20-2008, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by joyofsix

My kids are weird. They will eat breakfast foods but what they really like is reheated dinner leftovers. I wouldn't want a taco, or pizza or spaghetti for breakfast but they do and it's nutritious so I go with it.

My ds does this too! He had leftover hm pizza this morning, lol... my daughter and I stick to the more traditional fares I mentioned above.

**pip** · 10-20-2008, 06:03 PM

My kids like leftover pizza for breakfast, too. Sometimes I will make them a PBJ sandwich and milk, scrambled eggs and toast, cheese and crackers. I like a piece of ww toast with some peanut butter and a slice of cheese on top. I like to get some protein in our breakfasts, seems to stay with longer.

**IntlMom** · 10-20-2008, 06:08 PM

Ok, so everyone mentioned great options.....I have only more thing to add:
muffins are super cheap to make, and are great, cause you can even turn leftover oatmeal that didn;t get eaten into muffins........
my hubby and I decided to not "allow" our kids to be picky. In other words, I fixed what I decided to make that day for breakfast, lunch, or whatever, and if they decided to be picky, no big deal, I just kept offering that same item unitl they got hungry.....eventually they will eat it. We just didn't want our children to become picky or ungrateful for what they were given.
ok, I'm off my soapbox...............everyone gave you great breakfast suggestions!

QM · 10-20-2008, 06:40 PM

Originally Posted by IntlMom

...my hubby and I decided to not "allow" our kids to be picky. In other words, I fixed what I decided to make that day for breakfast, lunch, or whatever, and if they decided to be picky, no big deal, I just kept offering that same item unitl they got hungry.....eventually they will eat it. We just didn't want our children to become picky or ungrateful for what they were given...

Other than breakfast my kids have to eat what's given to them. If they don't eat it they have to wait until the next snack or meal.

I let my kids choose their breakfast only because I don't want them to start their day hungry since breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I started this thread because I find that my girls are only choosing boxed cereals. I know that some of them are healthy (like Cheerios and Raisin Bran), but they're also quite expensive in the long run. Today I baked two dozen banana chocolate chip muffins. Both girls had one for dessert after supper and I told them they're having one for breakfast tomorrow morning. DD#1 (who is normally the picky eater) liked it...hurray!

Thank you for all the wonderful replies. This has given me many great ideas.

**zakity** · 10-20-2008, 10:18 PM

My guys eat leftovers for breakfast too.

**LynnLC** · 10-20-2008, 11:53 PM

Originally Posted by joyofsix

My kids are weird. They will eat breakfast foods but what they really like is reheated dinner leftovers. I wouldn't want a taco, or pizza or spaghetti for breakfast but they do and it's nutritious so I go with it.

Nothing wrong with that! My kiddos do this too. Heck, I figure as long as they are eating something in the morning...