Simplify the start of your homeschool day by using these quick and easy breakfast ideas. A smooth start always helps the day go better.
I am not a morning person at all (just ask my husband, lol). But as a mom, I still have to make breakfast for four hungry kids as soon as possible. Or else the meltdowns come quickly, and I don’t want to deal with that first thing in the morning.
I have simplified our homeschool breakfast routine over the years, and hope that these ideas will be helpful for you as well. Simplifying any meal is beneficial, whether you are a homeschool mom or not, but especially if your brain isn’t fully functioning yet.
Homeschool Pre-Breakfast Ideas
I always stay well stocked on bananas, oranges, and apples. Fruits that are easy to grab and eat without any prep required. This was especially helpful when I was breastfeeding and having to take care of feeding and changing the baby first. The older kids were able to grab a fruit to eat to tide them over until breakfast was ready.
Bananas are the easiest and cheapest option by far, and the overripe ones never go to waste! One of the kid’s favorite breakfasts utilizes a lot of bananas and is a great one to prep in advance. Check out breakfast prepping ideas.
Homeschool Breakfast Prepping Ideas
My favorite thing to do to make breakfast as simple as possible is to have things prepped beforehand. The sooner I can get breakfast on the kid’s plates and served the better. This gets all their bellies full sooner and allows us to start our homeschool day more quickly. If breakfast gets stretched out later, there are a lot more fights and whining and the start to our morning basket gets pushed later. I would much rather get breakfast knocked out faster so that the kids have time to play outside for a little bit before lunch and quiet time. So, here are some ideas of the things I like to prep in advance to make our homeschool breakfast as simple as possible.
Protein
The first thing I like to keep available are boiled eggs. They are a great source of protein and so easy to make a large batch of them. Boiled eggs are my go-to option on mornings when we have to be out the door quickly. My preferred method of making them is in the instant pot. I discovered this method of cooking them this year and was blown away by how much easier they are to peel. My kids love to peel the eggs, and with this method they can peel the whole batch in less than two minutes! Without destroying the eggs…hallelujah!
Sausage that I can quickly heat up in a skillet or the microwave is another option to switch things up. My husband and I either make our own breakfast sausage using the meat grinder attachment on our stand mixer, or we buy organic sausage links from Costco.
If there are no boiled eggs, we go with scrambled eggs. I never skip the protein!
Carbs
The second thing I like to have prepped is a side to go with the protein. Something with carbs to help fill them up for longer. Toast is an easy choice, with jelly, butter, or peanut butter. My preference is peanut butter because it’s a little more filling.
When we have a bunch of overripe bananas, I make my kid’s favorite peanut butter banana pancakes. A batch of these gets us through the week, which is super helpful for making breakfast simple. I love using my ceramic, electric skillet to make pancakes because I can cook 6-8 pancakes at a time, and it’s non-toxic. Always a plus in our house.
Another great carb option is muffins. We love using Kodiak muffins because they are easy to whip up, and add more protein to their plate as well. Make them the day before and you have a great side good to go for the next few days. I try to avoid snacks between breakfast and lunch at all costs if you can’t tell…
And finally, I always keep easy fruits around to throw on the kid’s plates. Blueberries are my typical choice for breakfast, but really anything that can be washed in advance and thrown on the plate easily.
Note: If your kids like oatmeal, that is a great carb option too.
Homeschool Breakfast Ideas for Kids to Help
The absolute best thing is when your kids are finally old enough to help! Being able to hand off small tasks lightens your load as a mom immensely. And helps teach life skills they need to know anyways!
The main way my kids help with breakfast prep is by peeling the boiled eggs. The four of them can knock them out so quickly, which gives me more time to focus on other kitchen things. Plus, they love doing it.
My 8-year-old is my most helpful in the kitchen. She begs all the time to help out and I am very thankful for that. She ends up being the main one to bake the muffins ahead of time, and I will be teaching her how to make the pancakes very soon. There are a lot of mornings too that she sneaks in the kitchen and starts the scrambled eggs on her own.
Another fun addition to breakfast that we recently added is a mini waffle maker…to make eggs. Not the typical function but it works perfectly for one egg and in a fun shape. It can turn boring scrambled eggs into something fun. And it’s easy enough for kids to make themselves.
Kids wanting to help in the kitchen doesn’t come about naturally. Invite them into the space with you. Allow them in at a young age, even though you can do it faster on your own. The more you turn them down at a young age, the less likely they will want to help as they get older. Teach them easy tasks to start and add more difficult ones as they learn and get older. Buy child safe knives. Enjoy the time spent together! It is so precious.
How do you simplify breakfast? Share your tips in the COMMENTS.
Check Out These Posts:
- Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes
- Greek Yogurt Pancakes
- Simple Homeschool Lunch Ideas
- 5 Simple First Day of Homeschool Ideas
- Meal Planning Ideas for Families
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Sadie
Thanks for these ideas! Breakfasts can always be a little tricky to keep fun and fresh while homeschooling!
akinforthesimplelife
Agreed. I like to switch it up every once in a while so my kids don’t get bored.
Emily
Love this! Thanks so much for sharing, I definitely have to work on letting my kids help out more in the kitchen, because I know they love it so much!
akinforthesimplelife
I’ve had to force myself to slow down and be really intentional with inviting them in the kitchen to help. It helps if you start getting things ready a little earlier than you typically would because things tend to take longer when you are managing a bunch of kids too.
Lindsay
Great ideas! Nothing like starting the day off on the right foot!!😀
akinforthesimplelife
For sure! I am not a morning person so it truly helps to have a simple game plan.
Joanna
We’re always needing easy meals, I love the little waffle maker for eggs. We have been using hashbrowns coins in our waffle iron for quick potatoes and eggs!
akinforthesimplelife
Oh, that’s a fun idea too! My kids love hashbrowns.
Kayla
Great tips! Love your system of always having both a protein and a carb. And love the idea of having hard boiled eggs always available- definitely going to implement that!
akinforthesimplelife
Protein is the key to keeping everyone full for longer! I love boiled eggs as a snack for myself when I’m feeling munchy in the afternoon too. They are so easy.