Devotion Nutrition Back to School Breakfast Ideas and Protein Snacks for Kids
Back to school season brings new schedules, earlier mornings, packed lunches, after school activities and a whole lot more planning.
And somewhere between finding the missing shoe and getting everyone out the door on time, there is breakfast.
While mornings may never be completely stress free, having a few easy back to school breakfasts and snacks ready to go can make feeding the family one less thing to think about. With a little preparation and a few favorite Devotion Nutrition recipes, getting back into the school routine can be easier for everyone.
Why a High Protein Breakfast Matters for Growing Minds
There is a reason breakfast deserves a place in the back to school conversation.
After sleeping all night, kids are heading into a morning filled with listening, learning, problem solving and remembering new information. Research examining breakfast and cognitive performance in children has found that eating breakfast, compared with skipping it, may provide short term benefits in areas including attention, memory and executive function.
That doesn't mean there is one “perfect” breakfast that guarantees better grades. It does mean that sending kids into their school day fueled and ready to learn is a habit worth prioritizing.
And that is where protein can become part of a well rounded morning meal.
Protein provides essential amino acids needed for normal growth, development and countless functions throughout the body. Pairing a protein source with foods that provide carbohydrates, fiber and healthy fats helps create a more complete high protein breakfast for kids that keeps them fueled through a busy morning.
The best part? A nutritious breakfast doesn't have to mean getting up an hour earlier.
Easy Make Ahead Breakfast Ideas for School Mornings
One of the easiest ways to make school mornings less stressful is to stop relying on school mornings to make breakfast.
A few minutes of preparation the night before or over the weekend can turn a make ahead breakfast for school into something everyone can simply grab, heat or finish in minutes. These easy breakfast ideas for kids are the ones our Devotion families come back to all year long.
Overnight Oats
Overnight oats were practically made for busy school mornings.
Prep individual jars the night before and breakfast is already waiting in the refrigerator when everyone wakes up. Using Devotion Nutrition Protein Powder makes it easy to add protein while changing up the flavor so breakfast doesn't feel exactly the same every morning.
Try this Devotion recipe:
Add fruit, chia seeds, nut or seed butter, or another family favorite to create a breakfast that works for your household.
Pancake Bowls
Love pancakes but don't have time to stand over a griddle before school?
Enter the pancake bowl.
A Devotion pancake bowl gives families all the comfort of a pancake breakfast in a much easier weekday format. It is also one of the easiest breakfast ideas for kids to customize with berries, banana, nut or seed butter, or other favorite toppings.
Try this Devotion recipe:
It feels like a fun breakfast to kids without creating another complicated morning task for parents.
Jumbo Protein Muffins
Make them once. Have breakfast ready for days.
Devotion jumbo muffins are an ideal meal prep option because they can be made ahead of time and stored for mornings when there simply isn't time to cook.
Pair a muffin with fruit, yogurt or another favorite side for an easy breakfast before heading out the door.
Try this Devotion recipe:
Better yet, make a batch over the weekend and let everyone choose their favorite flavor for the week.
Healthy After School Snacks for Hungry Kids
The school bell rings and suddenly they're starving.
Having a snack plan can be just as helpful as having breakfast ready. Instead of waiting until hungry kids are standing in the kitchen asking what there is to eat, prepare a few healthy after school snacks ahead of time.
Protein can be included alongside fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other nutrient dense foods to turn snack time into another opportunity to help kids meet their nutritional needs.
And snacks don't have to look like “health food” to provide nutrition.
With Devotion Protein Powder, some of the foods kids already love can be made into fun, family friendly protein snacks for kids.
Kid Friendly Devotion Snack Ideas
HIGH PROTEIN CINNAMON PEANUT BUTTER DIP
1 INGREDIENT BROWNIE BATTER PUDDING
These can work for lunchboxes when appropriate, after school snacks, weekends or those evenings when sports and activities mean dinner is still a few hours away.
Back to School Meal Prep: One Session, Fewer Decisions All Week
Back to school meal prep isn't about creating a picture perfect refrigerator filled with individually labeled containers.
It's about making the busiest parts of the week easier.
Pick two or three recipes your family actually enjoys. Make what you can ahead of time. Keep simple ingredients available for the days when the plan changes. Then repeat the meals that work.
A Sunday prep might be as simple as making overnight oats for the next morning, baking a batch of Devotion jumbo muffins and preparing one grab and go snack.
That's it.
Because consistency doesn't require doing everything. It requires making the things that matter easier to keep doing.
Devotion Makes Back to School Fuel Easier
Getting back into a school routine takes enough energy already. Breakfast and snacks don't need to become another source of stress.
Devotion Nutrition Protein Powder makes it easy to add protein to recipes your family already recognizes and enjoys, from overnight oats and pancake bowls to muffins and kid friendly snacks.
Prepare a few favorites ahead of time, keep the routine simple and give everyone something they will actually look forward to eating.
Because when the alarm goes off tomorrow morning, breakfast shouldn't be the hardest part of getting out the door.
