Something I’m really passionate about, is helping families with making simple, balanced and nutritious meals for their little ones, without too much effort! I’m often asked about how to ADD extra nutrients into meals, and in this blog, I’m going to write all about how I like to add nutrients to your child’s breakfasts. I’m not a big fan of ‘hiding’ ingredients in kids’ meals, as it’s not that helpful in terms of helping children to learn about foods in their full form. BUT that doesn’t mean I don’t try to bulk out the nutrition as much as I can.
Whenever I’m feeding my kids I always think about the nutrients and the foods that I’m including.


I’ve written posts before on iron, folate and fish for young kids and suggested what foods need to be included to help meet the recommendations for these nutrients.
It’s not always about meeting every nutrient every time BUT ticking off each of the food groups on most days can really help. These include:
- Fruit and vegetables
- Wholegrains
- Protein/iron rich foods
- Dairy Foods
For me there are so many savvy (and, importantly, easy) ways to balance out meals and to include the little extras into children’s diets without being sneaky or having to really over think what you’re doing.
Here are some of my top tips for including more nutrients into baby and toddler’s breakfasts:
Porridge


I’ve written before about porridge and what a wonderful food it is. It’s SO easy to use porridge to top up nutrient intakes and to add fruits and veggies in. Some of the extras I include in porridge (or cereals for that matter) include:
- Berries – using up berries that are on their way out is a winner and adds some extra vitamins, fibre and polyphenols to breakfasts
- Mashed pear/apple
- Frozen fruits – such a quick way to add extras into breakfast – pour them in and cook on a low heat on the hob for 5 or so minutes and voila!
- Vegetables such as beetroot and carrot (and even courgette) – grate them in and cook the porridge slowly so they soften!
- Dried fruits such as dates and apricots (if you’re worried about constipation for example)
- Yoghurt
- Milled seeds and nuts – a great way to add extra nutrients and omega-3. I love using packs of milled linseeds which often come alongside milled berries and chia seeds too. This is such a good way to add in extras in the morning without changing much about their favourite cereal or porridge.
- Nut butters – using no added sugar and salt nut butters is a great way of adding a delicious flavour throughout baby’s porridge, as well as adding some extra nutrients in.
- Spices – even thought you don’t add much, spices can pack a mini nutritional punch in breakfasts as well as adding flavour. Try ginger, nutmeg or cinnamon in breakfasts
- A mashed banana – my kids are hit and miss with bananas, so one of the things I’ve been doing recently is adding ½ a mashed banana into their porridge – it adds some sweetness, texture and also bulks the porridge out a bit too (and they both love it)
Check out my SR Nutrition porridge ‘top picks’ for some of my favourite recipes.


Breakfast cereals
Breakfast cereals are popular option in many households, as they’re super quick and convenient, and generally well accepted. Lots of the tips on adding extra to porridge above can be applied to breakfast cereals as well, just to add that little bit extra nutrition in the morning.
It’s best to try to opt for ones with no-added-sugars for little ones, I’ve written a blog about this previously as well – Breakfast cereals you CAN give to kids. Also it’s a good idea to opt for cereals that are fortified so you’re getting extra nutrients from them too.


Some of the things I add to cereals for the kids:
- A handful of oats, which can add to the texture of the food they are having but also offers a source of wholegrains, beta glucans and some extra fibre to their morning.
- Some spices – a little sprinkling of cinnamon helps add some extra flavour and a few extra nutrients
- Mix different cereals in – if your little one loves one type of cereal, try and encourage them to mix and match for example weetabix with some rice krispies on top.
- Add a piece of fruit on the side so they have some finger food and a portion of one of their 5 a day to munch on.
- Throw in some berries or dried fruits to cereals too
- Top with milled seeds.
When my two have cereals in the morning, I usually combine them with some oats, some finger foods and top with milled seeds as standard! It’s not for everyone, but it does help them make the most out of their breakfast!
Toast
Think outside the box when it comes to toast – don’t just rely on jam and butter. Why not try no added sugar peanut butter and jam (check out the chia seed jams I have in my How to Feed Your Toddler & How to Feed Your Family Book) or try your little one with a thin spread of marmite, which contains B vitamins and a little iron.
In my book I also have a recipe with peanut butter, slices of banana and some squashed blueberries that always goes down a treat. Or why not just mash up some raspberries and add that to the top!
Also try to offer fruit fingers alongside a slice of toast if it doesn’t work using it as a topping.
Remember that baked beans ), scrambled egg and mashed avocado are also great toppings for toast in the morning and all add plenty of extra nutrients too. They are also really simple to whip together. If you’re looking for a dairy option cream cheese or melted cheddar cheese can also work and this goes really well with some mashed avocado in the morning too.
When I’m adding egg, avocado or cream cheese I’ll also often think about adding herbs and spices too. Paprika goes really well with scrambled egg and a little chilli flakes and lemon go nicely with guacamole and dill or parsley go well with cream cheese. These added extras are not going to hugely change the nutritional profile of the food but it’s helping your little one to get used to different tastes and flavours and also helps to add a few nutrients here and there too.
For more toast topping ideas, check out my 10 healthy toast ideas for babies and toddlers.


Pancakes
Pancakes are another breakfast favourite, and there are plenty of ways to add extras to them. I love alternating between savoury and sweet pancakes, as they can be a great way to experiment with more savoury flavours your little ones may not be so keen on.
Adding oats to your pancake batter is a good way to add some extra nutrients – using fortified oats (e.g. Readybrek or supermarket own brand) work well too.
Making colourful pancakes by using fruit and veg in the batter – e.g. berries, spinach or beetroot can help to add a little fun to your breakfast and can help get little ones excited
Try my 10 pancake ideas for babies and toddlers here.






English Breakfast
A full-English may not be something you’re whipping up for the kids every morning, but I do love the idea of experimenting with savoury breakfasts when I have a bit more time. The typical ‘fry-up’ may not be the most nutritious breakfast, BUT there are plenty of ways to make a cooked breakfast with plenty of added extras!
Making a ‘family style’ cooked breakfast where everything is placed in the middle and everyone can pick and choose bits of what they want can be an ideal way to expose little ones to a variety, without any pressure for them to eat.
Some of my favourite savoury sides to include are:
- Grilled tomatoes
- Sauteed mushrooms – these quick creamy mushrooms would work
- Avocado
- Baked beans – I’ve got a fab veg-packed recipe for homemade baked beans in my book How To Feed Your Toddler
- Sauteed spinach


Check out the other posts I’ve done in this series for more tips!
How to Get Extra Nutrients Into My Child’s Lunch