Breakfast ideas and an increasingly picky free-ranger

[sunnygir1]

I have been feeding my dd whole grain hot cereal for breakfast most mornings of her food-eating life.  She is almost 4 and seems to have gotten sick of it.  Sometimes she won't eat it at all, or will only eat a few bites, and then, of course she is hungry again soon.  I made brown rice instead this morning, and suggested she have it with tamari.  She opted for a little maple syrup instead and only ate a couple bites.  Her suggestion is that we have eggs and toast every morning.  I'm tempted, but I really think we should have real, whole grains if we're eating grains for breakfast.  We are gluten-free, so buy expensive gluten-free bread (I'm not sure I'm up to making my own just now).  Dd has a huge appetite, and I don't think I can afford to buy enough bread for her to have it for breakfast every day.  She also asks for cheese and crackers for breakfast often...maybe I should just go for it -- I mean, what's wrong with chevre and crackers?  So, I was thinking of other ideas for breakfast.  Maybe serving more things, like rice, miso soup, and a vegetable or oatmeal, fruit, and nuts/seeds.  I don't want to make it so much work that I won't stick with it, though.

So, a related issue is that she is increasingly vocal about what we're having for meals and snacks and we have long conversations several times many days about what she can have for a snack.  It's driving me nuts.  There is a list of things she can have whenever she wants, but she's started saying she can't eat hard things -- which is basically everything on the list.  She also asks for fruit, dried fruit, or sweets a lot more than she used to.  I've always just let her eat when she's hungry and not worried about it too much, but I'm having a hard time with it right now.  She will ask me for a snack 10 times a day, even though my answer is always the same -- go get yourself something.  Then (probably a mistake) I wind up reminding her what she can choose from and she starts angling for something else.

I don't want a power struggle.  I don't want to be expending a bunch of energy discussing it every day.  I guess I should make up a snack tray for her, but I just feel like I don't have time.  I soaked some almonds last night that I am slow-roasting right now, so that will be a good, healthy item, but sometimes I'm just at a loss, ya know?

I really don't want to cater to her, and I generally don't, but occasionally I make her something else when she doesn't want what I've suggested we have for lunch...before I made it, though; I don't make 2  lunches.  At dinner I do make her something else or make sure we have sides she likes if we are having something I know she doesn't like or can't eat (i.e. too spicy).

She has always been a great eater, and eats a wide variety of foods.  I kind of think she is just trying to assert herself.  Maybe there are some good ways I can let her have some control without it driving me crazy or making more work for me.

Please tell me how you have dealt with similar issues and give me some breakfast and snack ideas!

[skreader]

Breakfast -  sure go for oatmeal or congee (rice porridge). We often make it savory (w/ chicken bones & garlic). Maybe make one day a week the special eggs and toast day - maybe on a weekend?

Or, just let her have some boiled eggs & some fruit.

Fried rice for breakfast? My dd likes that.

Noodles and broth for breakfast (not uncommon here).

It sounds like you eat dairy - what about yoghurt w/ a banana cut up in it - maybe w/ sunflower seeds or flax meal?  Yoghurt & kiwi fruit? Yoghurt and jam? etc.

Or, if you have a microwave - last night's rice w/ cheese melted on top?  Refried beans w/ a fried egg on top? 

Tortillas made w/ corn for breakfast? Left-over mashed potatoes for breakfast?

Or peanut-butter and banana or peanut butter and apple - she's old enough to cut up a banana w/ a spoon so she can start to participate.

re: the snacks - Instead of a list, is there a shelf or drawer where she can get stuff herself? If she asks, say "go get it" and if she asks for something  else say - what's on the shelf is what you can have & that's it. If she says "I want something different" than  you can say "I guess you're not that hungry then"  (I know, easy to for me to recommend that from so far away...plus I've been saying that on and off to my kids for the past 10+ years. Doesn't make it less true 'though;) )

Good luck!

[DaisyMay]

If she's asking for eggs but you're not so keen on the toast, how about an omlette with potatoes, or rice cakes with eggs?  Or scrambled egg with refried beans?  Baked eggs with spinach and cheese?

for the snacks, how about if you have her help you make up a snack tray/lunch box for the week, then she knows what is available and allowed and will hopefully not have to go over it again every time.   

[sunnygir1]

Thank you for the replies and great ideas.

Dd will ONLY eat fried egg whites -- won't touch yolk, scrambled, omelet, hard boiled, etc.

They love beans, that's a great idea. I'm not quite as keen on noodles nutritionally speaking, but we could do it sometimes.

We love mashed potato patties fried for breakfast (ds can't have dairy, so I have to make sure to have some plain potatoes or something for him).

Thanks again for new ideas. They love fried rice, maybe grated cheese on rice would be a winner too.

Yeah, I should just get organized about a snack tray/drawer so I can be really clear with her and then step back and let her deal with it how she will. I just was kind of broad-sided by her emerging defiance and boundary-pushing, and want to keep food struggles off the table, so to speak. We have plenty of other things to butt heads about ; )

[ollyoxenfree]

Latkes or rosti - basically grated potato pancakes - are nice with eggs, instead of toast. You can make them with regular potato or sweet potato or a mix of both. Sometimes, I'll grate other veggies into the batter - zucchini works really well.  

Similarly, corn or cauliflower fritters are really good too. 

You can make them up ahead of time and quickly re-heat in the morning. 

[sunnygir1]

Originally Posted by ollyoxenfree 

Latkes or rosti - basically grated potato pancakes - are nice with eggs, instead of toast. You can make them with regular potato or sweet potato or a mix of both. Sometimes, I'll grate other veggies into the batter - zucchini works really well.  

Similarly, corn or cauliflower fritters are really good too. 

You can make them up ahead of time and quickly re-heat in the morning. 

Dd hates pancakes.    I mean, who doesn't like pancakes and omelets?!

[ollyoxenfree]

Originally Posted by sunnygir1 

Originally Posted by ollyoxenfree 

Latkes or rosti - basically grated potato pancakes - are nice with eggs, instead of toast. You can make them with regular potato or sweet potato or a mix of both. Sometimes, I'll grate other veggies into the batter - zucchini works really well.  

Similarly, corn or cauliflower fritters are really good too. 

You can make them up ahead of time and quickly re-heat in the morning. 

Dd hates pancakes.    I mean, who doesn't like pancakes and omelets?!

Oh, that's too bad. These veggie ones aren't dough-y like pancakes, though, they are just shaped and cooked like them. They don't even look like a regular pancake, really. It might be worth a try. 

If she likes hash browns, their kind of like hash browns formed into a patty. 

[imogenlily]

Do they eat fried rice with egg and vegetables in it? Especially if it's made with brown rice, that's pretty balanced, even if it's usually lunch/dinner time food.

[raelize]

we are also GF and my dd sounds a lot like yours. she could easily go through 3 loaves a week which is super expenisve for GF no matter where you buy or it or make it yourself.  we often eat corn tortillas instead of toast.  we make scrambled eggs and wrap them in a couple of tortillasi get a big stack at the grocery store for a few dollars and it lasts at least all week.  you can either heat them up in a dry skilet or put a couple in a paper towel in teh microwave for about 15 seconds.  she also will often eat a quesadilla instead of grilled chesse

[lovebugmama]

Sounds like she just wants a new crop of options.  Sort of like when kids get tired of the toys they're playing with, so you put them away in the closet and pull them out a few months later and they love them again. 

Rethink breakfast and have leftovers and all sorts of "non" breakfast choices.  It's just another meal, there is no reason why you can't eat whatever you want.  Eggs are great but you are justified in limiting the bread if it's too expensive.  Brainstorm for a different side dish for the eggs.  Potatoes are great because they reheat so nicely.