Breakfast is such a great part of the day to spend with young kids! It’s also a brilliant time to get extra nutrients into young children’s tummies. I always use breakfast to top-up energy and nutrient intakes for my son. It just helps to know that they’ve had a great start to the day before they’ve even left the house. But I have also been asked about some dairy free breakfast ideas.
How do you add in the extra nutrients at brekkie? I tend to add plenty of extra ingredients to porridge, cereals and even toast. These could include: ground seeds, ground seed and nut mixes, nut butters, dried and fresh fruits, yogurt or dairy alternatives and even a few savoury veggie options too.
Dairy-Free Breakfast Ideas
If you’re looking for dairy-free breakfast ideas, it can definitely be a little more of a challenge. Milk and yogurt often make up a big part of breakfast in the UK and throughout Europe cheese does too. However it doesn’t have to affect what’s on offer for your little one at home. There are plenty of delicious, nutrient-filled breakfast options that don’t contain dairy, and there are also plenty of ‘dairy alternative’ products on the market, which are fantastic replacements for milk and yogurt.
My Top 5 Dairy-Free Breakfasts for Young Children:
- Pancakes! It’s so easy to make these dairy (and egg) free by replacing egg with banana and using oil instead of butter in the pan. You can also add plenty of ingredients to the top of pancakes including scrambled eggs and chopped grilled tomatoes or even grilled mushrooms in a little sauce. If you’re after a sweeter option, I like to top my son’s pancakes with whole, mashed or blended fruits and a little peanut butter too. You can always add a nice dollop of dairy-free yogurt for an extra creamy taste. Check out my vegan pancake recipe.
- Egg and soldiers…with a side of guacamole – (if you’re looking for egg free, you could always swap the egg for a dessert spoon of hummus and let your little one dip away with that). Let’s face it, avocado for brekkie is a great idea – it’s tasty, with a great nutrition profile, and can be eaten as finger food slices or made into a dip! I love making guacamole and offering this on toast with some scrambled eggs, or adding an extra twist onto egg and soldiers (avocado soldiers anyone?).
- Perfect porridge – such an easy way to top up nutrition intakes in the morning. I add milled linseed to my son’s porridge after cooking, as well as fruits such as blueberries, blackberries (which I add during cooking) and a knob of peanut butter just as it’s cooling for an extra dose of iron and protein. To make porridge dairy free you can choose any of the ‘milk alternatives’ available on the market such as oat milk, soya milk or almond milk – avoid rice milk though as it’s not recommended for children under 5, and it’s much better to opt for the milks that aren’t sweetened. Lastly, choose milk alternatives which are fortified to ensure your little ones get some extra calcium and B vitamins (and hopefully some iodine) in their first meal of the day.
- English breakfast – why not go all out and offer your little one an English breakfast with toast, grilled mushrooms, grilled tomatoes as well as some quality grilled bacon or scrambled tofu.
- Savoury porridge – there is no hard and fast rule with savoury porridge, and it’s all about experimenting with different flavourings and having the confidence that it can be done! My son loves porridge and so I have tried a carrot and apple mix with a little cinnamon and also a beetroot porridge, as there are so many beetroots popping up in the garden! Both went down a treat! Let us know if you try any at home.
Beetroot Porridge Recipe
Ingredients:
- 60g organic porridge oats (rolled oats are good if your little one likes a bit more texture)
- 150mls of a fortified, non sweetened milk alternative
- ½ a small beetroot grated
- ½-1 teaspoon of milled nuts/seeds (I use milled flaxseed)
- Optional – a little grated apple
Method:
- Add the oats and milk to a pan and heat slowly on about mark 5
- Add in the grated beetroot and apple, if using
- Once the porridge starts to get thick and gloopy and all the ingredients have mixed well (it should go a nice bright pink colour thanks to the beetroot) remove from the heat and add to a bowl for baby.
- Once the porridge has cooled, add a teaspoon of two or milled linseed to the top of the porridge and serve.
