Rushed weekday mornings can be tough on families. There’s a lot to do in preparation for the day ahead.
Is the backpack packed? Is lunch ready? Is that form signed? Are they dressed? Did they brush their teeth? DID THEY EAT A SATISFYING BREAKFAST?!?
These questions run through my mind, too. And today I’m sharing my secret breakfast hack for getting your kids to eat some protein in the morning. Check out my breakfast board that takes just 5 minutes to make and makes nutritious foods very inticing.
I know a lot of parents worry about protein, and while it’s not usually necessary to panic about it, if you’re anything like me, you still want them to be satisfied until lunch time – and eating some protein along with some carbs and fat will help keep that energy going throughout the morning.
Enter in a little protein boost in a yummy package…breakfast sausage!
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
This healthy breakfast for kids hack is sponsored by . I’m excited to partner with them more in 2022, especially because we use their products every single week. (If you’ve ever seen my Costco hauls, you’ve seen me recommend their sausages in BULK!)
Today features one of our favorites – . This breakfast sausage is fully cooked, for fast and easy preparation and is made without binders or fillers (aka it tastes great). I know that’s important for you busy, modern moms. Watch the video below or keep reading for how to add a protein boost into your kid’s breakfasts. (And be sure to try this hack on yourself, too!) 😉
Watch my Breakfast Protein Hack for Kids
The Easy Breakfast Protein Hack You May Not be Doing…
Far too often, we ask our kids, “Do you want some sausage?”
And then if they say no, we’re kind of stuck, because we really wanted them to eat it.
So the simple shift is to just put it out for them.
Don’t ask, just provide the opportunity.
I talk a lot about providing the opportunity for your kids to eat a variety of nutritious foods, and then letting them make the decision on what to eat. In my opinion, that’s not asking if they want something (anyone else’s kids typically answer most questions with a no?!), it’s putting it out for them without pressure or expectations.
The more we can stay in our lane, when it comes to food (by following the Division of Responsibility), the less they need to eat/not eat something just to take a stand.
How to Provide the Opportunity for Protein at Breakfast
If you watched the video above, I explained that my oldest daughter (unknowingly) proved this point for me when I was recording this video.
I put a piece of sausage out along with her breakfast spread and she said, “I don’t want any sausage.”
And I responded with, “Ok, you can decide what to eat.”
And then she proceeded to eat five sausages.
Because I stayed in my lane of providing the sausage, without asking her to eat it, or pressuring her to eat it, or saying, you can’t have any more cereal until you finish it…she could make her own decision and listen to her own body.
Start with Small Portions
If your sausage is a new food for your kids, or you’re not sure they will like it, start off with small portions and put them on a food pick, like I’ve shown here:
Does it Always Work?
NO! Nothing in parenting ever works every single time. (Sorry!) But the more you can shift to focusing on providing the opportunities, the less meal time battles you need to have.
Try it and let me know what happens at your house!
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