Written by Elizabeth Rietz

Now there’s even more reason to teach our kids to eat breakfast. A new study by the University of Minnesota shows that eating breakfast is critical to maintaining a healthy weight throughout the teenage years. See CBS.com article “Eating Breakfast May Beat Teen Obesity.”

An estimated 12 – 34% of all kids and adolescents skip breakfast in the morning, and according to researchers, this percentage rises with age. So, let’s buck this trend and get our kids in the habit of eating a healthy breakfast each morning.

Need some quick, kid-friendly breakfast ideas? Here are some to try:

•    Egg in a hole – Cut out the middle of a piece of whole wheat bread with a circle or other shape cookie cutter. Melt a Tbsp. of Smart Balance butter spread in a skillet. Place bread in skillet and crack an egg in the center. Cook until egg is fully cooked and golden brown.

•    Open-faced breakfast sandwich – Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Place a piece of whole wheat bread on a cookie sheet. Place two thin slices of apple on the bread and a slice of cheddar cheese on top. Bake until cheese melts.

•    Instant oatmeal (like the “Oats & Flax” oatmeal packets from Trader Joe’s) -  Add cashew pieces, a sprinkle of cinnamon and dried blueberries or fresh blueberries. You can also make a large batch of the Irish cut oatmeal, the healthiest variety that is slightly more time-consuming, at the start of the week to reheat each day. Reheat with a little vanilla soymilk.

•    Monkey flip smoothie – For a protein-packed morning smoothie, add one banana, 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter, 1 Tbsp. of ground flaxseed, a small handful of raisins (or 1-2 dates), about 1 ½ cups of vanilla soymilk or milk and ice.