A few days ago on my Instagram stories, I posted a picture of some muffins I made for my kids as part of meal prep for the week. I had a few messages expressing interest in doing the same, and requesting more recipes. So, the inspiration for this blogpost was born!
(about time too since it’s been A MINUTE since my last post)
I like to make one or two yummy baked items for my kids to have with breakfast or for an afternoon snack each week. It helps that my 10 year old daughter loves to bake, so we do it together.
Everyone does better with some sort of meal plan, and my kids are no exception. It’s so much easier for them to know ahead of time what options there are and how to create a balanced breakfast to start the day, or something quick to grab after school on their way to whatever sport they are practicing.
As you might assume, I do have some criteria for a the items I make. I want them to be:
- Nutrient dense: I want big nutrition in a small package since none of my kids are big fans of breakfast (I don’t relate).
- High in fiber: To help with sustainable energy throughout the morning or afternoon.
- Something they will look forward to eating and find satisfying: I want them to enjoy what they are eating (I do relate)!
These items on their own wouldn’t be enough to fuel their morning at school or an after school practice, so I have a list of ideas on our fridge of items they can add. Usually they choose to add milk or yogurt, eggs, any leftover bacon or sausage and/or fruit. In the afternoon they like to add an applesauce, yogurt and/or a cheese stick, and a piece of candy from their stash.
And sometimes they opt for a bowl of cereal or some other store-bought snacks I keep on hand, and that’s fine too!
Your children’s food preferences might be different than mine, but I want to share our tried and true recipes that I rotate through regularly. I try new things here and there, but I know they will eat and love these things, so I really just mostly stick to them.
First, up is the recipe that started it all…
Whole Grain Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins
I made these on repeat for MONTHS a few years ago before I branched out and tried other things. I LOVE them. Shoutout Natalie who’s the founder of Super Healthy Kids. We had lots of very early mornings together in the NICU as diet techs when we were dietetic students at BYU and working at the hospital together. Good memories; even better muffins!
But I did eventually branch out and try some new muffins. We like these equally well:
Blender Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
Banana Bread Muffins (This is an original recipe of mine. I make these into muffins instead of a loaf so they can grab and go easily)
You’re probably noticing that I use chocolate chips a lot (see criteria bullet point 3 above). These are my go-to.
And then there are THE Super Charge Me Cookies. Currently, this is the recipe that I make most often, and I just go ahead and triple the batch because we will eat them all. I take these to social gatherings, share them with friends, and even make them for my nutrition students for our protein party (an example of a complementary protein, meaning they contain all amino acids without having animal products). I bet I have made thousands of batches by now haha.
I do make a few tweaks: I use oat flour instead of spelt flour, coconut oil, PB and I only add chocolate chips with no dried fruit or nuts. But you do you! They will be delicious however you choose to make them. There is a decent amount of flaxseed in this recipe which will give you a healthy dose of Omega-3 fatty acids, which I discussed recently on IG.
Lastly, pancakes! I usually make breakfast for dinner at least once a month, so I make a large batch that will feed us for that meal + a lot leftover for an easy breakfast. My kids just toast them in the toaster and add some syrup + milk/fruit.
We are loving these two recipes and can easily eat them on repeat:
I can’t get over how easily this comes together. Perfect for a busy weeknight. I double the recipe and put it in a cookie sheet for 12 pancakes instead of 6. Feel free to cut them into smaller squares if you’d like.
I love the addition of yogurt to this recipe for a little more protein, calcium and staying power. They are also incredibly moist and delicious. When my kids warm them up in the morning the whole house smells like cinnamon.
Lastly, every one needs a go-to energy ball recipe. Here is ours. These are so fun and really hit the spot after school.
Ok friends! I hope you have some helpful inspiration for your own meal prep if you’re into that. What are your go-to meal prep recipes? I’d love to hear!