Breakfast is not only an incredibly important meal, but it’s a great starting point for kids when it comes to getting interested in food.
The first meal that my little boy (now six) was able to make himself was scrambled eggs - made in a cup and finished off with my help in the microwave! He was about three years old at the time and was fascinated with cracking eggs into a bowl, pouring them into a cup and then cooking them. Despite the fact that he actually only needed two items, an egg and a cup, he would take out almost every single kitchen utensil he could get his hands on and all the pots and pans. I was always very careful to watch him and help him, especially when we graduated to the stove, but within the boundaries we set I was keen to allow him to experiment as much as possible. It’s great to see him as keen to help out today as he was as a toddler – and his favourite dish by far to make is still our scrambled eggs!
Scrambled eggs are probably one of the most straightforward breakfast recipes that children in the kitchen can help out with helping them pick up lots of skills, such as cracking eggs, whisking and learning about good hygiene. You can talk to them about where eggs come from, show them the Kids’ Zone on www.egginfo.co.uk, or even better, organise a visit to a local open farm so your children can see for themselves.
When making the scrambled eggs, be encouraged to throw in some extras. Get the kids to add in some chopped up tomatoes, mushrooms, or a little grated cheese and ham. Snipping in some fresh chives is a favourite activity, too, and a tasty addition for older children.
Breakfast is always a great time to get some fruit into the children, as the day can pass by so quickly and by the time they get home from school you’ll probably be on the back-foot. At home, we enjoy making our own fruit-flavoured yoghurts, adding stewed fruit to plain, natural yoghurt. Porridge for breakfast is also another brilliant way to get your children involved in the kitchen. Try a handful of blueberries, fresh or frozen, or have a look at some of Jamie’s ideas for porridge, lots of ways, including blackberry and apple porridge, banana, almond and cinnamon porridge or even the dessert-inspired apple, maple syrup and pecan porridge for a treat at the weekend. The kids will love measuring out the porridge and the milk (using soya milk or water, if required) and once the porridge has cooked and cooled, they can happily add their own toppings and flavourings at the table. It’s a more fun, and cheaper, way of eating porridge without having to resort to the overly sugary ‘flavoured packet porridge’ sachets jumping out at us from the supermarkets shelves.
Are there any quick breakfast recipes that your kids enjoy helping out with? Let me know in the comments below.
