---
title: "Breakfast for Kids: Nutritious Ideas and Recipes | Nu&Cru"
description: "Breakfast for kids with protein and healthy fat: what studies say, why to skip boxed cereal, plus easy recipes for busy school mornings."
url: https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/breakfast-for-kids-nutritious-ideas
---

[Blog](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog) babies and kids · recipes · Weston A. Price

# Breakfast for Kids: Nutritious Ideas With Protein and Healthy Fat

A breakfast for kids built on fat and protein: what the studies say, why to skip boxed cereal, and recipes for busy mornings.

October 7, 2026 · 27 min read · Nu&Cru

Breaking the overnight fast with nutritious food is like filling the tank before hitting the road. According to nutritionist Jen Allbritton, a good **breakfast for kids** (and for adults too) sets the mood and performance for the whole day, because it lays the groundwork for balanced body chemistry and hormones. Compared with people who skip the meal, those who eat well in the morning have more energy, more emotional stability and find it easier to maintain a healthy weight.

If you need motivation to make the family's breakfast a priority, keep reading. If you're out of ideas and need creative recipes, keep reading too. For the author, who wrote the children's nutrition column for the magazine of the [Weston A. Price Foundation](https://www.westonaprice.org/), breakfast should be relaxed, nutritious and... **non-negotiable**.

## Breakfast improves attention and memory

A [study with elementary school students](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16085130/) showed that they performed better mentally, including on attention and memory, on the days they ate breakfast than on the days they ate nothing. The researchers also compared a sugary breakfast cereal with oatmeal porridge, and **oatmeal, a more nutritious real food meal, did better** at boosting thinking skills and test scores. At Nu&Cru, this classic gets a twist in our [fermented oatmeal porridge](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/mingau-de-aveia-fermentada).

A [review of studies](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15883552/) also showed that people who eat breakfast get higher grades and miss fewer days of school. The author's conclusion: to excel at anything, whether school, work, play or relationships, we need breakfast to be at our best.

In Madrid, [well-nourished students](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12947453/) who ate an adequate breakfast, providing more than 20% of the day's energy, got better results on logical reasoning and academic aptitude tests than those who skipped the meal. A great argument for the teenager dreaming of college: **"Planning to take the entrance exam? Eat breakfast!"**

The same goes for those with a few more miles on the odometer. According to the author, a [group of adults aged 61 to 79](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11684539/) who ate a nutritious breakfast, with whole foods such as grains and eggs, did better on morning memory tests than when the same group ate sweetened cereals or doughnuts. A nutritious breakfast matters for the mental health of the young and the old alike.

## Breakfast helps control weight

People who skip breakfast tend to eat more calories throughout the day, which ends up leading to weight gain. One reason, according to the author, is that [skipping breakfast](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15699226/) ends up making insulin less efficient, a condition known as [insulin resistance](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistência_à_insulina).

Insulin is a hormone that carries sugar in the blood, delivering it to be used as energy by the cells or to be converted into fat and stored. Cell receptors work like little doors. When they become "less sensitive" to insulin, the cell refuses to open the door when insulin arrives loaded with sugar, and the excess sugar keeps circulating in the blood. The body then produces more insulin to try to push the sugar into the resistant cells, and a cycle begins.

This unstable situation not only causes weight gain and symptoms of low blood sugar (dizziness, low energy, brain fog), it also contributes to obesity and heart disease. Over time, the body may lose the ability to produce insulin, blood sugar gets out of control and type 2 diabetes appears, which the author describes as an extreme case of insulin resistance.

It is no surprise, then, that rates of obesity and insulin resistance syndrome are **50% lower among people who eat breakfast** than among those who usually skip the meal. People who eat breakfast also tend to make better food choices throughout the day, while skipping meals encourages overeating at the following meals and the urge to snack.

A study from Brown University's medical school looked at about 4,000 people who had managed to [keep off the weight they lost over the long term](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16002825/) and found that **78% of them ate breakfast every day**. On the other side, an [earlier study from the University of Massachusetts](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12835290/) showed that people in the habit of skipping the first meal of the day were four times more likely to be obese. In short: breakfast gets the metabolism going and keeps the body more balanced all day long.

## What not to eat for breakfast

The typical "politically correct," fat-fearing breakfast might include a refined-flour muffin, a glass of orange juice, a sweetened fat-free yogurt and, worst of all, an egg-white-only omelet. Oh, and the cup of coffee, of course. Even when these options are low in sugar, **the lack of nutritious protein and healing fats makes them poor choices** for nourishing a healthy body.

Even worse is Americans' reliance on boxed breakfast cereals, a collection of crunchy little pieces made by machines, in bright shapes that look like candy. The author lists four good reasons to leave them on the shelf.

### Reason one: sugar

The sugar content of many breakfast cereals rivals that of a chocolate-frosted doughnut. A 2008 analysis by Consumer Reports found products aimed at children that were 50% sugar. The effects of too much sugar are the subject of another article by the author, [Zapping Sugar Cravings](https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/childrens-health/zapping-sugar-cravings/).

### Reason two: extrusion

The process that gives cereals the flakes, shapes and crunch that delight children is called [extrusion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_extrusion). It combines high temperature and high pressure, which, according to the book Nourishing Traditions, destroys many nutrients and damages the grain's proteins (the amino acids), making them toxic. The foundation goes deeper into this point in [Dirty Secrets of the Food Processing Industry](https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/modern-foods/dirty-secrets-of-the-food-processing-industry/).

### Reason three: poorly prepared grains

Boxed cereals are made with grains that haven't been properly prepared and are therefore hard to digest. To get more out of the nutrients in grains and digest them well, the ideal is to prepare them in a way that neutralizes compounds such as enzyme inhibitors, which interfere with digestion, and [phytic acid](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ácido_fítico), which binds to minerals and prevents their absorption.

The traditional practices of **soaking and sprouting grains** do this work, in a kind of pre-digestion of the food, as explained in the article [Be Kind to Your Grains](https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/food-features/be-kind-to-your-grains-and-your-grains-will-be-kind-to-you/) and in our guide on [how to soak oats](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/nutritious-oatmeal-porridge-soaked-oats-butter). According to the author, this explains why sprouted foods cause fewer reactions in sensitive people. And flours containing gluten, especially wheat, are the main ingredient in most cereals and are among the foods that cause the most allergies.

Dr. James Braly, co-author of the book Dangerous Grains, believes that undiagnosed sensitivities to gluten and other grain proteins contribute to many autoimmune and neurological diseases, bone loss, chronic pain, learning problems, fatigue, digestive complaints and more. The sheer ubiquity of wheat may explain why so many people with gluten problems never suspect it is the cause. In addition, the author cites [a study published in The Lancet](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6111631/) according to which **high-gluten diets alter the normal lining of the small intestine even in healthy people**, which suggests that gluten, especially in large amounts, is not ideal for many of us.

### Reason #4: Too Much Fiber

Even families who steer clear of sugary cereals and choose the "healthy" options fall into the fiber trap, always with the promise of "keeping you regular." A single cup of some fiber-enriched cereals contains more fiber than the maximum recommended dose of fiber-based laxatives.

According to the author, overdoing fiber, whether it comes from food or from supplements, can be harmful. Konstantin Monastyrsky, author of [Fiber Menace](https://www.westonaprice.org/book-reviews/fiber-menace-by-konstantin-monastyrsky/), presents arguments and research showing that **high-fiber diets contribute to the very problems they are supposed to improve**, such as hemorrhoids, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome and even colon cancer.

Monastyrsky explains that too much fiber produces very bulky stools, which stretch the intestine and, over time, cause damage. In addition, gut bacteria ferment fiber, and when there is too much fermentation, the resulting acidity causes intestinal inflammation, bloating and gas. Fiber also interferes with digestion in the stomach, which leads to heartburn and poor digestion.

In the end, fiber is not the super-nutrient that people blindly believe it to be, especially the fiber in ultra-processed, hard-to-digest cereals. According to the author, the small amount of fiber that humans were designed to consume should come from whole, unprocessed, well-prepared foods, such as cooked vegetables, soaked grains and legumes, and flours made with [natural sourdough fermentation](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/swiss-sourdough-rye-bread-weston-price). Once again, real food, prepared with the wisdom of our ancestors, wins in the end.

## The Corn Flakes Experiment

To reinforce the case against boxed cereal, in the book [Nourishing Traditions](https://www.westonaprice.org/book-reviews/nourishing-traditions-by-sally-fallon-and-mary-enig/) Sally Fallon Morell tells of an unpublished experiment carried out at the University of Michigan in 1960. It was done almost as a joke, but the result is no laughing matter.

Three groups of six rats were observed. The first ate corn flakes and water. The second ate the cardboard box the flakes came in, with water. The control group received rat chow and water. The rats in the control group stayed healthy throughout the test. But **the rats that ate corn flakes died before the ones that ate the box**. Judging by their behavior and by the autopsies, the corn flake rats showed signs of severe insulin instability, caused by strong assaults on blood sugar, and of damage to the nervous system. Who would have thought it would be better to eat the cardboard box than the cereal!

## A Fixed Menu for the Week

Some children (and some adults) do best with a plan. That is where a **weekly breakfast menu** helps, especially on busy school days, when there is no time for indecision. Why not set a breakfast for each day of the week? Involve everyone who will share the meal in choosing it. A suggestion from the author:

- **Monday and Wednesday:** oatmeal porridge with a generous amount of butter and mixed frozen berries.

- **Tuesday and Thursday:** scrambled eggs with vegetables, made in a single pan.

- **Friday:** yogurt or kefir smoothie with a boiled egg.

- **Saturday:** pancake day, like our [banana pancakes](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/panqueca-de-banana).

- **Sunday:** a day to celebrate with an omelet.

## The Breakfasts of Weston A. Price Followers

Here are the favorite breakfasts of some well-known names in the foundation.

**Sally Fallon Morell**, president of the foundation: "Our favorite is to bake nitrite-free bacon on a baking sheet with fruit, such as pineapple rings, apple slices, banana and even apricots, peaches or nectarines, or with cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. We serve it with eggs any way you like: scrambled, fried, in an omelet." She has a glass of raw whole milk on the side. Her morning tonics include [Swedish bitters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_bitters), beet kvass, and cod liver oil with high-vitamin butter oil, mixed into warm water. A simple version of this combination is our [eggs with bacon](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/ovos-com-bacon), ideally made with [real bacon, without nitrite](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/is-bacon-bad-for-you-how-to-choose).

**Summer Waters**, an acupuncturist, nutritional therapist and leader of a local chapter of the foundation: "My favorite breakfast is homemade soup. I like chicken soup made with [chicken broth](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/caldo-de-frango), sautéed vegetables, chicken and a spoonful of bacon fat, ghee or butter. When serving, I add a spoonful of miso to each bowl, to keep the miso alive. That way I get all my favorite food groups in one meal: meat, vegetables, broth, fat and something fermented! Varying the herbs adds even more nutrition. A spoonful of sour cream or crème fraîche, smoked salmon or crumbled bacon on top of the soups is also excellent."

**Ramiel Nagel**, author of [Cure Tooth Decay](https://www.westonaprice.org/book-reviews/cure-tooth-decay-by-ramiel-nagel/), with his children and wife: "Sweet potato baked and then fried in beef tallow, lard or ghee, with sausage or bacon and [sauerkraut](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/chucrute) or kimchi, plus cod liver oil and/or butter oil as a supplement."

**Chris Masterjohn**, writer and creator of the Cholesterol and Health website ( [current site](https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/) ): "Three raw egg yolks. I crack the egg into my hand, let the white slip between my fingers into the trash and put the yolk in my mouth. A big bowl of raw-milk yogurt fermented for 24 hours, full of frozen berries. A big spoonful of raw sauerkraut and an orange. If I'm being good, I add 55 to 115 g of liver, lightly fried for about a minute in coconut oil." Liver can also take other forms, as we show in [how to prepare liver for people who don't like it](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/how-to-cook-liver-tender-mild-taste).

For a heartier breakfast after a workout, Masterjohn eats something closer to a lunch: a grass-fed beef burger with melted cheddar and bell peppers sautéed in coconut oil, on two slices of 100% naturally fermented sourdough rye toast with butter, with tomato sauce and an orange. Plus 2 liters of salad made with romaine lettuce, strawberries, unpasteurized olives, scallions, carrot, celery, bell pepper and feta cheese, dressed with macadamia oil and raw apple cider vinegar. Raw sauerkraut or pickles on the side.

**Anne Fischer Silva**, clinical nutritionist: "I created a breakfast recipe that is a good alternative to eggs and a very healthy swap for pancakes or French toast." It's the bar recipe further below.

**Jill Cruz**, leader of the foundation's Chicago chapter: "Our favorite is a berry smoothie: three tablespoons of raw yogurt, two tablespoons of raw cream, half a cup of fresh berries and two or three raw egg yolks. Just blend and drink. Without the yogurt, increase the cream to three or four tablespoons and use only two yolks: it becomes a delicious mousse to eat with a spoon from a bowl." Along the same lines, try our [banana and egg smoothie](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/smoothie-de-banana-e-ovos).

**Jen Allbritton**, the author, has two breakfasts that leave her well nourished and ready for the day. The first is a bowl of homemade yogurt, fermented for 24 hours, made from the raw milk of pasture-raised animals, with fresh or frozen raspberries, a raw egg yolk, a drizzle of raw honey and a handful of coconut granola (recipe below) or ground almonds or walnuts, a supercharged version of our [yogurt with fruit and honey](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/iogurte-com-frutas-e-mel). The second is scrambled eggs with vegetables in a single skillet: she sautés whatever she has at home (usually onion, cabbage, carrot, zucchini and bell pepper) in plenty of butter, ghee or coconut oil and, when the vegetables soften, adds two eggs (or leftover meat and one egg) and stirs until cooked. She serves it with feta cheese, raw cherry tomatoes and a portion of raw sauerkraut.

**The author's boys** love oatmeal. She soaks the whole oat grains overnight (or during the day, when she'll be cooking them in the slow cooker at night), often together with another grain, such as amaranth or brown rice, and a spoonful of yogurt to speed up the action of the enzymes. When it's time to cook, she adds a can of coconut milk to the water, for its nourishing fats. Into the finished oatmeal go a pasture-raised hen's egg, plenty of butter and coconut oil, a pinch of salt, flaked coconut and a sweetener. Before serving, she stirs in a little frozen fruit to cool it down. She usually makes enough for four or five days and only reheats it each morning. On hot days, the breakfast strawberry ice cream (recipe below) and very rich [kefir](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/kefir-de-leite) smoothies, with several egg yolks and coconut oil, are a hit.

## The four rules of a good breakfast

Breakfast can be as simple or as elaborate as you like, but the author stands by four rules:

- **Fat and protein are the stars.** For most people, a carb-heavy breakfast built on juice, fruit, grains, flour and sugar doesn't have enough nutritional staying power to start the day well. The best protein- and fat-rich candidates, preferably from pesticide-free, pasture-based farming, are eggs, meat, fish, whole-fat dairy such as yogurt and kefir, nuts and seeds, coconut oil, lard, butter and avocado. Once the fats and proteins are settled, fruit, vegetables, tubers and whole grains come in as great sides.

- **At least part of breakfast should be easy to digest**, thanks to soaked grains, natural sourdough breads, fermented dairy, or [lacto-fermented](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/lacto-fermentation-at-home-sauerkraut-pickles) fruits and vegetables. In Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon Morell reminds us that "in almost every part of the world, people ate fermented foods every day. They often ate them at breakfast, no doubt because after a night's sleep the body needs something that is digested quickly and easily."

- **No rushing!** Make a habit of going to bed early enough to have time to eat your morning meal calmly.

- **Plan ahead.** Know what you'll eat the next day, whether it's a lovely table with flowers and a tablecloth or something put together in under two minutes.

## Traditional breakfasts around the world

Many cultures have drifted away from their food roots, but some traditional, nourishing breakfasts are still served around the world:

- **Cambodia:** [congee](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congee), a kind of rice porridge-soup, is a popular breakfast, usually served with salted eggs, pickled vegetables or dried fish. Chicken, pork blood and seafood congee are among the favorites.

- **South Korea:** breakfast usually includes a bowl of rice and a broth of meat, bones, shellfish or anchovies slowly cooked with vegetables (radish, onion, seaweed, cucumber, squash) and some oil or fat. Kimchi, made of fermented vegetables and seasonings, comes on the side.

- **Japan:** a traditional breakfast includes miso soup, rice with nori or other toppings, natto (fermented soybeans), rice porridge, grilled fish, raw egg and a pickled vegetable.

- **Scandinavia:** the table is rich in fat and protein, with fish, cheese, eggs, bacon, whole-grain porridges, breads, potatoes and fruit, plus juices, coffee and tea or, in Norway, kulturmelk, a fermented milk similar to buttermilk or yogurt.

One of the reasons protein and fat are so essential at breakfast is that they are crucial for balancing brain chemistry. And one of the best sources of both is the incredible egg! **Eggs from hens that get sunshine and eat insects**, like the ones you can raise [in your own backyard](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/backyard-chickens-pasture-raised-eggs), make for an especially "smart" breakfast, because they are the richest source of [choline](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colina_%28vitamina%29). This brain-friendly nutrient is a key component of cell membranes, giving them flexibility and structure. It also supplies much of two fat-like molecules that make up a large percentage of the brain's total mass, which means choline supports healthy brain function.

## Eggs for Breakfast

Speaking of eggs, a [study funded by the American Egg Board](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18679412/) found that **eating two eggs for breakfast instead of a bagel led to more weight loss and more energy**, even though both breakfasts had the same calories. The author draws three lessons from this study:

- Protein is the regulator of metabolism: it creates balance and steadies appetite and hunger.

- Grains, especially refined ones, and certainly when they come without protein and fat, tend to throw the body's chemistry into an uproar while it tries to recover and compensate.

- Calories are not all the same: where they come from makes a big difference in how they act on the body and metabolism.

A tip from Sally Fallon Morell for fried eggs: fry them without flipping, with the lid on the pan. That way the yolk stays soft and the white cooks all the way through. **Nothing turns kids off eggs more than runny egg white.** And scrambled eggs need to be beaten very well, so that no bit of egg white shows: some children can't stand seeing egg white in their scrambled eggs.

## Egg Beaters: The "Egg" That Doesn't Sustain Life

[Egg Beaters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_Beaters), an egg substitute sold in the United States, reached the market in the early 1970s. Made of egg whites, corn oil, nonfat dry milk, emulsifiers, additives, artificial flavor and synthetic nutrients, it has the same levels of protein, fat, calories, macrominerals and vitamins as real eggs. But it has no cholesterol, no saturated fat, and none of the important unsaturated fatty acids, such as arachidonic acid.

In a [study published in the journal Pediatrics in 1974](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4856709/), newly weaned baby rats fed Egg Beaters did not grow well and did not develop proper fur. **All of them had diarrhea within a week and died within three to four weeks.**

The study's authors, Meena Kasaii Navidi and Fred A. Kummerow, concluded that the product was not suitable "as a substitute for egg yolk in infant feeding by pediatricians who consider early supplementation with cholesterol-free substitutes to prevent the development of atherosclerosis." In the author's view, these dramatic results may have spared thousands of babies from being fed Egg Beaters. Even so, the product continued to be routinely served to elderly people in nursing homes.

## Breakfast Ideas for Variety

The basic, old-fashioned breakfast menu is still great: eggs (scrambled, poached, boiled, fried or as an omelet) with sausage or bacon from pasture-raised animals; porridge made from soaked grains, with plenty of butter, coconut oil, nuts, seeds and berries; or [rabanada](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/rabanada-ancestral) (Brazilian-style French toast) made with natural sourdough bread or sprouted-grain bread, served with sausage, butter and a fruit sauce sweetened with melado (sugarcane molasses), berries and cream.

But there are days when you feel like stepping off the script. For those days, the author suggests:

- **Soup for breakfast.** As Nourishing Traditions teaches, "in many cultures, soup is a breakfast food. The Japanese start the day with a bowl of fish broth and rice. French children traditionally had the leftover soup before going to school." See Summer Waters' account above.

- **Meat and egg muffins** (the "meffins"). The variations are endless, with different meats, sausages, vegetables and cheeses. Make a big batch and freeze your favorites. The recipe is further below.

- **Organ meat sausages**, such as American [scrapple](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrapple) and liverwurst, with a texture similar to pâté (here, the equivalent would be a [beef heart and liver salami](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/salame-de-coracao-e-figado-de-boi) or a chouriço, a spiced pork sausage): sliced and fried until crisp on the outside, served with scrambled eggs or inside a burrito.

- **Fruit and cheese parfait.** Cottage cheese or ricotta with berries, nuts and seeds, layered in a pretty glass.

- **Cold cereal or homemade granola.** The book Eat Fat, Lose Fat, by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon, has recipes for cereals and granola made with properly prepared grains. Serve with cream or a fermented dairy product.

- **Dinner leftovers.** Salmon cakes, roast beef with gravy and sides, sautéed shrimp, egg salad or chicken salad, simple bison burgers with sides.

- **Smoked salmon**, with cream cheese or butter, on properly prepared crackers or natural sourdough bread.

## Breakfast Recipes for the Whole Family

### Coconut Granola

- 4 to 5 tablespoons softened butter or coconut oil

- 4 to 5 tablespoons honey

- 3 cups large coconut flakes

- 1 cup crispy cashews, halved

- 1 cup crispy almonds, chopped or ground

- 1 to 2 cups crispy pecans or walnuts, halved

"Crispy" nuts are nuts soaked in salted water and then dried in a low oven. The technique comes from the book Nourishing Traditions, and the Foundation teaches it in its [Crispy Nuts](https://www.westonaprice.org/crispy-nuts/) recipe.

Preheat the oven to 120 °C. In a large bowl, mix the butter or coconut oil, the honey and the coconut flakes. Add the nuts and stir until they are well coated. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for about 20 minutes, stirring from time to time so nothing burns. Be careful not to overbake! When the granola is golden, take it out of the oven and let it cool completely: that is when it turns crunchy. It makes a good snack and is great over yogurt or fruit. This recipe is a variation on one created by Deb Millard.

### Strawberry Ice Cream for Breakfast

- 1½ cups frozen strawberries

- 1 cup thick yogurt or ricotta

- 1 tablespoon honey

- 1 avocado

- 2 tablespoons strawberry jam without refined sugar (optional)

Blend everything in a food processor or blender and serve right away.

### Breakfast Bars

- 1¼ cups almond flour (almonds soaked, dehydrated and ground)

- ¼ teaspoon sea salt

- ¼ teaspoon baking soda

- ¼ cup coconut oil

- ¼ cup maple syrup or melado (sugarcane molasses)

- 2 tablespoons filtered water

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- ½ cup shredded coconut

- ¼ cup raisins or dried cranberries

- 2¼ cups of a mix of pumpkin seeds, almonds or chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseed and so on, soaked and dehydrated beforehand

In a large bowl, mix the almond flour, the salt and the baking soda. Add the coconut oil, the syrup, the water and the vanilla, and fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones. Stir in the shredded coconut, the seeds and the dried fruit.

Grease a 20 x 20 cm pan with coconut oil and press the dough into the bottom, wetting your hands to help level it. Bake at 180 °C for 20 minutes. Let it cool before cutting, because the bars crumble. They are very tasty with a spoonful of yogurt or crème fraîche on top.

For a grain-free granola, make the recipe without the water. After the bars have cooled, break them into small pieces, spread them on a baking sheet and bake at 180 °C for 10 to 15 minutes, until crunchy and golden. This recipe is by Anne Fischer Silva. Nu&Cru has a similar version, the [nut, honey and toasted coconut bars](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/barrinhas-de-castanhas-mel-e-coco-tostado).

### Meffins: Meat and Egg Muffins

Makes about 12.

- 450 g ground pork from pasture-raised animals (other ground meats work too)

- 12 eggs from pasture-raised hens, beaten

- salt and pepper to taste

- about 1 cup grated or crumbled cheese

- 1 cup cottage cheese

- 1 cup chopped vegetables of your choice (onion, garlic, bell pepper, carrot and scallions work well)

- herbs and spices to taste (sage, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder and so on)

Preheat the oven to 180 °C and grease 12 muffin cups. Brown the ground meat in a skillet over medium heat and transfer it to a bowl. Use the fat left in the skillet to sauté the vegetables, adding more fat if needed (butter, ghee, coconut oil, lard or beef tallow).

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add the meat, the cottage cheese, the sautéed vegetables, the salt, the pepper and your chosen herbs and spices. Put about ¼ cup of the mixture in each muffin cup, sprinkle with cheese and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the eggs are set. If you prefer a skillet version, try our [ground beef frittata](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/fritatta-de-carne-moida).

## Breakfast for Busy Days

Being short on time is no excuse to skip this important meal. The author suggests keeping this list of quick ideas on the fridge door. Many of them need to be prepared ahead of time, like the hard-boiled eggs and the muffins. And eating in a rush is never ideal for digesting and absorbing food made with so much love, so try to make these hurried meals the exception.

- **Yogurt popsicles:** yogurt, frozen berries, vanilla or almond extract and egg yolks, blended and frozen in popsicle molds or small paper cups with wooden sticks.

- **Smoothie in a thermos:** pour your favorite smoothie, like our [banana smoothie](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/vitamina-de-banana), into a thermos and take it to school, work or a friend's house.

- **Granola bars:** a ready-made batch of your favorite recipe, like the breakfast bars above.

- **Apple "donuts":** core an apple and cut it into thin rounds. Spread [peanut butter](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/pasta-de-amendoim) or another nut butter on one round and sprinkle on whatever you like: dried fruit, crumbled dehydrated banana chips, cinnamon. Top with another round and you're done. This simple, fun idea comes from the author's friend Julia.

- **Cheese and crispy nuts:** it couldn't be simpler! Add a few dates for a natural touch of sweetness.

- **Hard-boiled eggs:** always keep a few ready to grab and go.

## Sprouted Grains, More Nutrition

Sprouted foods of all kinds, such as nuts, seeds and grains, are easier to digest and more nutritious. According to the author, researchers at the University of Minnesota found that **sprouted whole wheat has** 28% more thiamin (vitamin B1), 315% more riboflavin (B2), 66% more niacin (B3), 65% more pantothenic acid (B5), 111% more biotin, 278% more folic acid and 300% more vitamin C than unsprouted whole wheat.

## Start the Day Right

Nothing compares to starting the day with a breakfast that sits well, gets your brain working and keeps your energy and mood steady all morning. For some families, nourishing their children with real food is already routine. For others, it is a habit still to be built. Either way, with these tools in hand, there's no more excuse for not making breakfast easier, tastier and more interesting in your home.

## Read Also

### On Nu&Cru

- [Picky Eating: How to Handle It at Home](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/picky-eating-children-phase-or-red-flag)

- [Healthy Lunchbox: How to Pack the Perfect One](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/healthy-school-lunchbox-what-to-pack)

- [Oatmeal Porridge: How to Make It More Nutritious](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/nutritious-oatmeal-porridge-soaked-oats-butter)

- [Is Butter Bad for You? Why It's Better](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/is-butter-bad-for-you)

- [Backyard Hens: Pasture-Raised Eggs at Home](https://nuecru.com.br/en/blog/backyard-chickens-pasture-raised-eggs)

- More breakfast recipes: [coconut pancakes](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/panqueca-de-coco), [creamy egg yolks](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/gemas-cremosas), [poached eggs in bone broth](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/ovos-poche-no-caldo-de-ossos), [soufflé with fermented oats](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/sufle-com-aveia-fermentada) and [pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread)](https://nuecru.com.br/en/recipes/pao-de-queijo)

- [181 Receitas Ancestrais](https://nuecru.com.br/en/ancestral-recipes), Nu&Cru's recipe book

### On the Weston A. Price Foundation (in English)

- [Zapping Sugar Cravings](https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/childrens-health/zapping-sugar-cravings/)

- [Be Kind to Your Grains and Your Grains Will Be Kind to You](https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/food-features/be-kind-to-your-grains-and-your-grains-will-be-kind-to-you/)

- [Soup-stenance](https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/childrens-health/soup-stenance/)

- [Cooking Traditionally with Little Time to Cook](https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/childrens-health/cooking-traditionally-with-little-time-to-cook/)

- [Princípios Atemporais de Dietas Tradicionais Saudáveis](https://www.westonaprice.org/principios-atemporais-de-dietas-tradicionais-saudaveis/) (in Portuguese)

## References

- Mahoney, C. R.; Taylor, H. A.; Kanarek, R. B.; Samuel, P. [Effect of Breakfast Composition on Cognitive Processes in Elementary School Children](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16085130/). Physiology & Behavior, vol. 85, no. 5, pp. 635-645, 2005.

- Rampersaud, G. C.; Pereira, M. A.; Girard, B. L.; Adams, J.; Metzl, J. D. [Breakfast Habits, Nutritional Status, Body Weight, and Academic Performance in Children and Adolescents](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15883552/). Journal of the American Dietetic Association, vol. 105, no. 5, pp. 743-760, 2005.

- López-Sobaler, A. M.; Ortega, R. M.; Quintas, M. E.; Navia, B.; Requejo, A. M. [Relationship Between Habitual Breakfast and Intellectual Performance (Logical Reasoning) in Well-nourished Schoolchildren of Madrid (Spain)](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12947453/). European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 57, suppl. 1, pp. S49-S53, 2003.

- Kaplan, Randall J.; Greenwood, Carol E.; Winocur, Gordon; Wolever, Thomas M. S. [Dietary Protein, Carbohydrate, and Fat Enhance Memory Performance in the Healthy Elderly](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11684539/). American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 74, no. 5, pp. 687-693, 2001.

- Farshchi, Hamid R.; Taylor, Moira A.; Macdonald, Ian A. [Deleterious Effects of Omitting Breakfast on Insulin Sensitivity and Fasting Lipid Profiles in Healthy Lean Women](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15699226/). American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 81, no. 2, pp. 388-396, 2005.

- Pizzorno, Joseph; Murray, Michael. **Textbook of Natural Medicine**. 2nd ed. Churchill Livingstone, 1999.

- **Eating Breakfast May Reduce Risk of Obesity, Diabetes, Heart Disease**. Science Blog, March 2003.

- Wing, R. R.; Phelan, S. [Long-term Weight Loss Maintenance](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16002825/). American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 82, suppl. 1, pp. 222S-225S, 2005.

- Ma, Y. et al. [Association Between Eating Patterns and Obesity in a Free-living US Adult Population](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12835290/). American Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 158, no. 1, pp. 85-92, 2003.

- **Better Cereal Choices for Kids? Some Child-focused Products Are 50 Percent Sugar**. Consumer Reports, November 2008.

- Fallon, Sally; Enig, Mary. **Nourishing Traditions**. Washington: New Trends Publishing, 2005, pp. 25 and 486.

- Ibid., p. 25.

- Pitchford, Paul. **Healing with Whole Foods**. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1993, p. 184.

- Morris, E. R. **Phytate and Dietary Mineral Bioavailability**. In: Graf, E. (ed.). Phytic Acid Chemistry and Applications. Minneapolis: Pilatus Press, 1986, pp. 57-76.

- Pitchford, Paul. **Healing with Whole Foods**. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1993, p. 233.

- Braly, James; Hoggan, Ron. **Dangerous Grains**. Avery, 2002.

- Doherty, M.; Barry, R. E. [Gluten-induced Mucosal Changes in Subjects Without Overt Small-bowel Disease](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6111631/). The Lancet, vol. 1, no. 8219, pp. 517-520, 1981.

- Monastyrsky, Konstantin. [Fiber Menace](https://www.westonaprice.org/book-reviews/fiber-menace-by-konstantin-monastyrsky/). Ageless Press, 2005, pp. 15-16 and 42.

- Fallon, Sally; Enig, Mary. **Nourishing Traditions**. Washington: New Trends Publishing, 2005, pp. 468-469.

- Ibid., p. 478.

- Mateljan, George. **The World's Healthiest Foods**. 2007, p. 745.

- Vander Wal, J. S. et al. [Egg Breakfast Enhances Weight Loss](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18679412/). International Journal of Obesity, vol. 32, no. 10, pp. 1545-1551, 2008.

- Fallon, Sally; Enig, Mary. **Nourishing Traditions**. Washington: New Trends Publishing, 2005, p. 197.

- Crisafi, Daniel. Alive Magazine, 1995.

- Navidi, Meena Kasaii; Kummerow, Fred A. [Nutritional Value of Egg Beaters Compared with "Farm Fresh Eggs"](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4856709/). Pediatrics, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 565-566, 1974.

This article is an adaptation of "Morning Nourishment: Bountiful Benefits and Creative Ideas" by Jen Allbritton, published in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing Arts, the journal of the Weston A. Price Foundation, in Spring 2011. [Read the original in English](https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/childrens-health/morning-nourishment-bountiful-benefits-and-creative-ideas/).

As informações têm caráter educativo e não substituem avaliação individual de profissional de saúde habilitado.

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