I don’t know about you, but mornings at my house are crazy! With three kids going to three different schools, two parents getting ready for work and the dog barking, things can get chaotic. In an effort to simplify life…I started a breakfast buffet!

In a perfect world, I would love to be able to cook a hot meal every morning for the kids, but life is…well…life. And reality is I can’t do that every day. If you can, BRAVO! Keep it up! So, I try the best I can, but two to three days, we use our little buffet!

On the kitchen table, we have two baskets. The first basket is filled with granola bars, cereal bars, boxes of raisins, pre-packed fruit cups, and a few other healthy options. In the second basket, we have fresh fruit. It could be bananas, oranges, apples, grapes, or any combination. Also on the table are paper plates, napkins, a stack of cups, a container of milk, and a quart of orange juice.

The rules are, you pick at least one thing from each basket and make your way to the dining room table to eat. Elementary aged children and older are independent with this! For younger kids, I encourage the older kids to help them, thus encouraging kindness and compassion for their siblings. And making Mommy’s life a MILLION times easier!

The best part is that most of this can be prepared the night before, or even on the weekend for the upcoming week. And it helps me to know that I am hitting at least three out of the four food groups.

Get creative with this idea! Have a bowl of hard boiled eggs available, or multigrain bread and a container of peanut butter, maybe even muffins. Set up a toaster station! Allow the kids to take part in the planning…teaching them about the four food groups and healthy choices. The kids think this is fun, and they are learning valuable skills toward independence!

Enjoy!

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