Teenagers and breakfast

[Ragana]

How do you get your teenager to eat breakfast? My 13-year-old usually manages to drink a bit of water and take her vitamins in the morning, but if I don't push the issue will happily leave the house not having eaten anything. Her lunch is sometime around 12 (not sure exactly), and she is not allowed/doesn't have time to eat snacks in the morning in class or between classes. Even when I push it she doesn't eat much. This morning it was about 8-10 pieces of cold pasta from the fridge. I get that she's not a traditional breakfast person - I am not either. We often heat up leftovers for breakfast, for instance. She's not into yogurt or cereal. She knows how to cook eggs, but won't do it often. I can't make pancakes or anything more complicated very often because I work from home and often have to answer customer e-mails while getting the kids ready in the morning. She is vegetarian and had a vit. D deficiency, so I do want to keep on top of her nutrition somewhat. On the one hand, I want to make sure she's eating well and able to concentrate in school. On the other hand, I think maybe I should just let her roll with how she wants to eat as long as it's not harming her health. Any advice?

[mtiger]

My daughter never ate breakfast at home. I made her breakfast sammiches to take on the bus. You can make them yourself, and freeze them, to be nuked in the am. Or buy premade ones. Waffles are easy in the toaster. So are pancakes. A sandwich she likes.

How long does it take to make breakfast for her? You can't hold off on answering emails for the 20/30 minutes the morning routine takes?
 

[nextcommercial]

I think she needs something in the mornings.  A frozen waffle on the way out the door.  Ovaltine in a disposable cup on her way out the door.... something.  One piece of bread with peanut butter and folded.  Almost anything quick and easy.  

Most teens eat on the fly in the mornings.  So, when my daughter was that age and getting ready, i'd (I had to make it for her, because heaven forbid she do this for herself) handed her a lidded coffee cup with ovaltine or hot chocolate with milk or as many healthy ingredients as possible.  She'd drink that while she got ready in her bathroom....then a few days later, i'd wonder where all the cups were, and they were on her sink with 1/4 of nasty old chocolate milk.  

[Mirzam]

My 15 DD isn't much of a breakfast eater either, but in her case it is because she can't be bothered to make herself something in the mornings. She also often gets up late so is in a rush to get out the door. If I made her breakfast she would eat it no problem. If she is ready early enough to sit and eat, I will cave make her some eggs and toast or she will sometimes fix her self some cereal. My almost 13 DS gets up with plenty of time to get ready to eat before school, and he generally has eggs and a cup of tea or a raw egg smoothie. I understand your dilemma, with DS I really want him to eat, he is an elite young athlete, so we have to manage his diet to ensure he is getting enough nutrients to sustain the amount of training he does. With DD, she is older and I feel she should take more responsibility for feeding herself, but as mother, I don't like to see her go to school without something inside her.

[mtiger]

We're also not huge breakfast people. I used to toss hot dogs in a pan for her.

[rnra]

Breakfast is a hard meal for me too.  I really dislike most breakfast foods, and my stomach/body never feels quite ready to eat for the first few hours that I am up.  

Green smoothies have been a great breakfast for me.  I have them almost every day and it's really helped me to be able to drink something rather than eat it.  Here's the basic guide that I follow:  http://greenmonstermovement.com/

I typically do something like this...

1 cup packed fresh baby spinach

1 banana, frozen

1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 spoonful almond butter

1 spoonful ground flax seed

Dash of cinnamon

Small handful of frozen berries

Coconut milk

Also, put a straw in it.  I dislike drinking it from the cup, but with a straw everything is fine.

[4evermom]

I used to make muffins for dh to grab and go so he would eat breakfast... Nutrition bars would be just as easy though cost a bit more. I usually eat a piece of sprouted grain toast with peanut butter because it's fast and easy.

I've been giving my ds vit D drops in his mac n cheese. They are pretty close to flavorless. Your dd can't get any vit D from the sun as far north as Chicago at this time of year. I've heard the rule of thumb that your shadow can't be longer than you to get any benefits from the sun.

[whatsnextmom]

Some people really are on a different eating pattern. Neither my DD 15 nor my DH can really do breakfast. Mornings are rough for them. They aren't ready to be up and food soon after waking makes them feel a little queasy. So, I've let it go. DD eats about 11, 3 and 7 but she DOES get 3 full meals, enough calories and nutrition (we are vegetarian too.) 

DS 12 and myself are opposite. We rise early and naturally. We both couldn't function without some breakfast and neither of us do that 3 pm meal than DH and DD seem to prefer (though DS will sometimes do a small snack.)

You can try having some easy things on hand ... a muffin, half a bagel, an orange or just a glass of juice, boiled egg... but honestly, if she's getting the calories she needs throughout the day, it might be something I'd let go. Just continue to have some easy options. Talk to her about her body, if she notices a difference in concentration when eating and not eating, ect.

We are vegetarians too and I grew up one. You have to look at the whole days intake to balance your nutrition as opposed to wanting each meal balanced. It tends to all work out naturally.

[Ragana]

Thanks! I think I will try harder to keep easy, portable things on hand - cheese slices, almonds/raisins, hard-boiled eggs, bread/PB, green smoothies (DH and I have these a lot anyway) and make sure she knows what is there. Thinking of nutrition over the course of the day is a good tip, too.

I probably place some of my own issues on her - I have to eat every few hours or my blood sugar crashes & I need protein with every meal. As for the vit. D - she takes a supplement for that. I didn't mean to imply that her being vegetarian caused that or means she has poor nutrition (she's fine otherwise, including with iron), it was just an extra piece of info to mean things like bacon and sausage wouldn't work as food choices.

As for the comment that I could take 20-30 minutes to take care of my kids' morning routine - I do, but I also run my own business that works with clients 7 hours ahead, meaning they are sitting waiting to go home from work after they get an answer from me, so sometimes I really do have to do business in the morning. Besides, this kid is 13, not 3, and will be heading off to high school in a year, so we believe getting her ready gradually for more responsibility is important - having her cook, do her own laundry, help us clean, etc. and that includes eventually both making breakfast and lunch for herself. Before I send her off to do all that on her own, though, I want her to know what constitutes a healthy breakfast and lunch that would give her a good chance to feel well and do well in school that day.

I appreciate the responses!

[whatsnextmom]

Oh, I know you weren't suggesting that. I just know that vegetarianism is different enough and teen girls do have to pay a little more attention. I worried more when mine were little (even though I have been one from a young age.) Someone else gave me the "add everything all day" tip and I tried it for a week. I was actually amazed that even though my DD was a real grazer and seemed to eat nothing, when you plunked all the numbers, she was getting the right grams of everything she needed. 

It's hard to get past the breakfast thing too because as a society, we focus so heavily on "the most important meal of the day." I think for most of us, it is really important but some bodies just work on a different time table.

[Neaera]

My daughter would probably not eat breakfast either if I didn't push the issue, but I am a big believer in eating breakfast. She eats a lot of hummus with bread for breakfast when she doesn't have a lot of time. I typically make a green smoothie for myself in the mornings, so sometimes I just give her a travel cup full of that for her to take on her train ride. I also have lots of nut/trail mix type stuff that she can either take along with her, or eat while getting ready. She also loves banana/peanut butter/yogurt smoothies with a handful of cereal thrown in for some texture, if she has time to make it. We also sometimes make twice as many whole wheat pancakes on the weekend so she can heat them up in the microwave. We only do eggs if I wake up early and make them for her, which I do occasionally if I know she has a long day.
 

[onlyzombiecat]

Originally Posted by Ragana 

How do you get your teenager to eat breakfast? My 13-year-old usually manages to drink a bit of water and take her vitamins in the morning, but if I don't push the issue will happily leave the house not having eaten anything. Her lunch is sometime around 12 (not sure exactly), and she is not allowed/doesn't have time to eat snacks in the morning in class or between classes. Even when I push it she doesn't eat much. This morning it was about 8-10 pieces of cold pasta from the fridge. I get that she's not a traditional breakfast person - I am not either. We often heat up leftovers for breakfast, for instance. She's not into yogurt or cereal. She knows how to cook eggs, but won't do it often. I can't make pancakes or anything more complicated very often because I work from home and often have to answer customer e-mails while getting the kids ready in the morning. She is vegetarian and had a vit. D deficiency, so I do want to keep on top of her nutrition somewhat. On the one hand, I want to make sure she's eating well and able to concentrate in school. On the other hand, I think maybe I should just let her roll with how she wants to eat as long as it's not harming her health. Any advice?

I dislike breakfast foods and usually don't feel hungry for an hour after waking up myself. I was also a breakfast skipper for a long time. I now think it is best to eat or drink something for breakfast even if it is a small amount.

You can actually make pancakes or waffles in advance and freeze them. Your dd can put them in the toaster.

You can also freeze muffins, quick breads or biscuits. You can make mini omelets in a muffin pan and freeze those. http://www.dawnsrecipes.com/nomlettes-mini-egg-omelettes-to-go-1198.htm

granola bars

bean burritos

soup (I love soup for breakfast)

fruit alone

fruit and yogurt dip or peanut butter dip

toast or bagel

milk or smoothie

string cheese

cheese and crackers or peanut butter and crackers

deviled eggs

veggies and dip

cottage cheese, plain or with veggies or fruit mixed in

nuts, seeds and dried fruit- trail mix or Chex mix

pita chips and hummus

sandwiches of any kind- egg salad, pbj, hummus

cold pizza

[Ragana]

Whatsnextmom - I think the same way about teen girls. If she were a meat eater, I would probably be worried as well. She does eat beans, lots of vegetables, fruit, etc. Not very picky within the vegetarian realm, so that's a plus.

Those are our kinds of breakfasts, onlyzombiecat! Sometimes we do quesadillas or fried rice. I often eat cottage cheese with nutritional yeast. I have had some egg dishes like those omelettes bookmarked for a while - must try. Getting lots of ideas here.

[skreader]

Originally Posted by Ragana 

How do you get your teenager to eat breakfast? My 13-year-old usually manages to drink a bit of water and take her vitamins in the morning, but if I don't push the issue will happily leave the house not having eaten anything....... She is vegetarian and had a vit. D deficiency, so I do want to keep on top of her nutrition somewhat. On the one hand, I want to make sure she's eating well and able to concentrate in school. On the other hand, I think maybe I should just let her roll with how she wants to eat as long as it's not harming her health. Any advice?

DD is 16 and every school day morning I make her a cup of tea w/ milk and sugar or a cafe au lait. For food she'll have toast w/ jam or butter, or eggs, or toast and eggs.Ot yoghurt and nuts; or some cheese and nuts. I prepare it for her.

DS is 14. Every school day he has the same breakfast: oatmeal squares and peanut butter and a cup of home-made cocoa made w/ about 1 cup of milk. I prepare the cocoa and set out the peanut butter and cereal on the table.

They both wake at 6:30 and are out the door at 7:15.

I got in the habit of making their breakfasts when they were in kindie, and still do it.

[pek64]

13 might be a bit young to be responsible for breakfast. I didn't get my own until 15. Maybe she just needs a bit more maturing. In the meantime, others have given plenty of 'on the go' morning meal ideas. Good luck.

[mommy68]

You can make and freeze pancakes and waffles for the week ahead. I buy the choc chip Eggo waffles for my kids in the mornings when rushed and the mini pancakes by Eggo. :) works good on hectic mornings.

My oldest is 17 and he leaves before I wake on my days off :-P and that is around 5am. He usually grabs leftovers from the day before or prepares something the night before or waits til lunch to eat. He is homeschooled but is up with the chickens to work with his dad each morning and again each evening. I'm a proud mama!

[KittyProblems]

Sometimes I will forget to have breakfast, and leave the house happily without having it. It is an important meal though, and i would stress the issue that if she doesn't eat right, she can actually damage her body, after all, my mother skipped breakfast everyday, and ended up gaining weight, to the point where she weighed over 100kg by the end of her teens. So occasionally a skipped breakfast won't hurt, but really stress that she needs to look after her body.

[Ragana]

I have been helping her out in the morning, and we usually make her lunch together with the main item being something she can have for breakfast as well (soba noodles lately).
 

[incorrigible]

I have to keep on top of mine or they won't eat anything in the morning either...or if they do it's like a banana or toast or something. Without any protein to keep the carbs from spiking their blood sugar, they might as well be having left over halloween candy for breakfast. *eyeroll* 

We taught ds how to make some "cool" things for breakfasts and now he's pretty good about eating. He usually has an egg in a hole or some kind of breakfast burrito out of eggs and left overs. Dd generally has a handful of pistachios or almonds and a piece of toast. When she's growing she'll have an egg instead of nuts. 

You make an egg in a hole by heating a pan and your choice of oils. Use a cup to cut a circular hole in a piece of bread. Put the bread in the pan. Crack an egg into it. Cook the egg how you like (dd will mix the egg first so it's scrambled. The rest of us like ours over medium). The egg will fuse to the bread while it's cooking. It's a finger food, and I think it's particularly fun to eat if you like runny eggs. =D

Another "cool" food ds came up with is something he calls Roman Times Hashbrowns. When he was like 5 he studied Pompeii and came up with this, but it's still one of his faves. So, it's frozen hashbrowns and chopped hot dogs mixed up and microwaved with cheese on top. You could sub beans or tofu or something for the hot dogs easily. The hashbrowns are the buildings, the hot dogs are the people, and the cheese is the lava. ;)

[phathui5]

When I read French Kids Eat Anything (I think that was the title), the author mentioned that breakfast may be baguette and butter or bread and chocolate. It was reassuring, since their other meals are so balanced and diverse, but their goal in the morning is to just get the kid to eat something.