The Great Breakfast Debate

Mornings with a toddler are never easy, but the breakfast debate is what I dread the most.

Whether it just runs in her genes, or is just part of being a preemie, my 3 1/2 year old daughter has never been good at gaining weight.  When she was about 12 months old, and switched to cow's milk, our pediatrician recommended that we start giving her a Pediasure drink each day.  The Pediasure wasn't meant to be a meal replacement, but an additional caloric factor. 

What started as a bedtime snack became a routine in the morning,too.  That's right, two Pediasure drinks per day.  If you're unfamiliar with Pediasure, it's a thick milk-like drink with added vitamins & minerals, comes in a 6-pack, and typically runs about $9-14 in price.  It averages out to be $1.90 per 8-ounce drink, and my daughter consumes two 8-ounce drinks per day.  No, insurance doesn't cover it. 

These Pediasures have become a breakfast norm, sometimes with food, sometimes alone.  Mornings in our house are chaotic for a number of reasons.  I work part-time, so only 2-3 mornings a week do we get up against nature (that means with an alarm clock) and rush to leave the house.  The other mornings, we wake lazily and take our time facing the day.  Breakfast ranges from "here's a breakfast bar with your Pediasure" to "you're eating at daycare but here's your Pediasure" to "Daddy made pancakes and eggs, after you drink your Pediasure!"  We never know what the little one will be craving, but sometimes her cravings make me want to run into the street screaming. 

How can we make breakfast enticing, healthy, and fast?  Well, if M&Ms and marshmallows were good for us, my problem would be solved.  Since they're not, I'm going to borrow my dad's dehydrator and attempt a good trail mix.  My daughter loves dried bananas, apples, and blueberries.  I'm going to try mixing those with roasted, sliced almonds rolled in cinnamon sugar and a handful of Kashi O's (like cheerios, but minus the high fructose corn syrup).  On days that I need to bribe her, perhaps throwing in a few chocolate chips will work... but even with milk I think this will be yummy. 

Or at least I hope, because one more morning of "Honey, we're out of waffles, what else do you want?" leading to 6 open packages, mom's late for work, and a tantrum isn't good for my sanity!