Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, but many of us opt to not eat it due to finances and lack of time. For many, breakfast becomes one more trip through the drive thru or is avoided with a large and sugary cup of coffee. There’s a whole lot of ways that you can take back your breakfasts though, which will really improve your health and your family’s budget. When you utilize these tips you’ll be ready to make time to start each morning with your family. After a few weeks you’ll notice amazing health benefits as well as a closer bond with your loved ones. Once you get in a routine you’ll never want to avoid or breakfast or eat it out of a wrapper ever again.
1. Grow Fruits
When it comes to breakfast nothing satisfies hunger quite like a sweet treat. Fruit is one of the healthiest options you can utilize when planning breakfasts which is why it might be a good idea to start planting your own fruit. Sure, this tip is really only useful during certain seasons of the month, but it can really cut down on your food bill. Try doing some research to find out what fruits grow best in your area. You may even find that you have an easy time growing some fruits in planters in the home. Once you find out the best fruits to plant per season then you’ll be well on your way to a fun garden that really transforms your lifestyle and health. Planting your own fruits can also become a fun family project that really teaches the kids about where food comes from. You may even consider planting food trees that will grow alongside your children! The possibilities are endless and can be customized to suit every family.
2. Farmer’s Market
Shopping for breakfast foods can be easy, but if you’re looking for an inexpensive and healthy option then you may want to check out your local farmer’s market. These foods usually lack many of the preservatives, pesticides and other items that you probably don’t want your children eating. Shopping in these locations also helps out the local economy and promotes food alternatives that will keep you and your family healthier. You should be able to find everything you need for most of the breakfast meals you plan. A lot of market’s will primarily cater to seasonal fruits and vegetables, but many will also offer honey, flour, eggs, milk and meats that will transform the taste of your meals entirely. You may even notice your family gets sick a lot less thanks to the delicious honey and local ingredients that help fight off colds and allergies.
3. Go Oatmeal
If you have picky kids in the house then oatmeal may just be your saving grace! Oatmeal is not only cheap but is nutritious and helps keep the appetite down for quite some time. This cheap meal can also be spiced up with fruits, honey, sugar and other ingredients to help keep the meal exciting and edible for all members of the family. When it comes to shopping for oatmeal you have to be very careful though. It can be a very inexpensive meal if you buy it in bulk or purchase the oats to make your own oatmeal. However, if you try to purchase pre-made packages or expensive name brands then this meal will cost you too much. Purchasing the oats will also give you the freedom of creating a classic oatmeal or baking it to create a special cereal. You can really work this amazing food into so many meal plans that will really make the whole family smile, especially on colder mornings.
4. Smoothies
Not every family has enough time to sit down and eat with one another. For these families a smoothie might be the answer to your breakfast dilemma. Many store or restaurant smoothies are filled with sugars which turn many people away from feeding this meal to children. However, if you create your own smoothies at home then you may find this meal is super fast and nutritious for everyone. Try buying fruits in bulking, cutting them up and freezing them to help ensure you don’t lose money on fruits. From your fruit packages you can choose based on your family members preferred taste or what they are lacking in their diet. You can also incorporate yoghurt that can be purchases inexpensively or made at home, or other low fat dairy products. Sometimes granola and oats can be added to the mel to help ensure your family will stay full for longer. Of course, if you’re really feeling adventurous, or sneaky, you might want to consider adding a few vegetables in before the kids see. They’ll never taste them and you’ll know they’re getting plenty of nutrients.
5. Make it From Scratch
We’re all guilty of strolling past the frozen food or prepackaged meal section at the grocery store. Shopping for items like this can not only be unhealthy but incredibly expensive for your budget. Instead of going with the convenince of these unhealthy packages you may want to try out making some of your foods from scratch. There’s countless recipes you can try in a hurry that will appease your family. Most breakfast foods can be simply made with flour, water, milk and eggs which are all pretty cheap to shop for. So, instead of throwing something in the microwave first thing in the morning try preheating a pan and do a little mixing. Your family will love your homemade biscuits, scones, muffins, pancakes and waffles and you’ll love how little time they actually take. Of course, if you are really pressed for time in the morning you can mix your ingredients at night, or go ahead and prepare the meal and heat it in the morning.
6. Skip the Restaurant
Although breakfast foods tend to be a bit cheaper at restaurants they’re still not good for your budget. Most restaurants that require you to go in and sit down tend to have higher prices and could force you to lose up to two hours of your morning time. This loss in time would have allowed you to cook three or four different meals in the same about of time it took you to sit down and eat one. Fast food restaurants can also be pretty pricey, but they the main concern with eating in these places is the unhealthy food. May fast food locations will actually pack so many calories into one item of food that you’ll end up consuming half of your daily intake of calories without actually getting full. These foods also provide very little nutritious qualities and can cause you to become addicted to the foods.
7. Potatoes
When it comes to feeding your family for cheap there is nothing quite as amazing as a potato. Potatoes not only cost you very little in bulk, but will help fill up everyone so they won’t become hungry again until lunch time. Apart from being filling and remarkably cheap there’s a whole lot of things you can do with a potato. For instance, if you throw in a couple of potatoes into the food process then you’ll have hash browns in no time flat. Pan fries are also another great addition to the breakfast place and go great with meats or sweet foods. You can even mix your potatoes with eggs or vegetables to add protein and other nutrients to the meal. The best thing about potatoes is they can be cooked in a hurry and will hold up in your refrigerator for longer. You may even want to utilize some of your leftover potatoes to create your breakfast side dish.
8. Eggs
You can’t plan a breakfast without considering the delicious options eggs bring you. There’s a whole lot of things you can do with eggs which can really promote your family’s health while keeping the appetite satisfied. One of the healthiest things to do with eggs is to create an omelet rich with vegetables. This is a great incentive to get kids to eat veggies without making them think they taste disgusting. If you don’t have time, or perhaps patience, to work with an omelet then you can easily add vegetables to the eggs to create a tasty scramble. Eggs are also an easy thing to make for children before school as they have been known to help improve school performance throughout tests and longer lessons. If you’re looking for a meal on the go then you might want to consider making your own breakfast sandwich or a breakfast burrito with eggs and other items. These items can even be improved using leftovers, like meats and vegetables, that you otherwise would just throw out.
9. Coupons
Finding coupons for breakfast foods is incredibly easy. From online coupons to looking sales ads you should be able to find a wide collection of coupons based around your family’s favorite breakfast foods. With these coupons you should be able to cut down hundreds of dollars on your food bill for year and will allow you to shop a wide assortment of breakfast foods you’d never think of trying before. Even if you’re looking to buy prepackaged or frozen meals you should be able to easily work your way through the price so you can enjoy the convenience of your meals. You may even find more deals on items tat can be bought in bulk which will help keep your pantry in supply for breakfasts as well as other meals.
10. Freezer Meals
If your family tends to have a hectic schedule the you might want to make some time two or three times a month to cook some breakfast meals in bulk. This will allow you to buy your groceries in bulk while also preventing you from having to wake up even earlier to make breakfast. Try looking online for recipes that make great breakfasts if you’re looking to try something new. Of course, you can always stick with the classics. For instance, if you buy a lot of eggs make up a bit batch of breakfast burritos, wrap them up, label them and freeze them. This makes for a quick meal in the morning or a snack for teens who are constantly hungry. You might also get to baking if you really love baked goods in the morning. Try making biscuit dough in bulk. You can go ahead and cook the biscuits and freeze them or put the dough in the freezer for early morning baking. This can also be done with pancakes, waffles, scones and muffins. This will also allow you to use a lot of dough without having to worry about throwing out the craps. Another simple idea is to piece together ingredients for a quick potato scramble and freeze them in a bag. Simply empty the bag into a pan until thawed and then add eggs. Of course, on of the fastest options around is to make prepacked smoothies. Your mornings will never be as smooth and your budget will be incredibly happy.
You shouldn’t have to skip out on breakfast because you think your budget doesn’t allow for it. With these simple to follow tips you’ll be ready to feed your family healthy meals without worrying about how much you spent or how much time it takes to prepare them. Breakfast will certainly gain a new meaning to your family when you utilize these tips!
