Simple Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Teens
Busy mornings need easy simple breakfast ideas especially when it comes to active and growing teens. Some may say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. As the saying goes that breakfast is an important meal, it is important to find healthy breakfast ideas for teens.
Planning your breakfast for teens ahead may help on those days when they accidentally hit the snooze button one too many times!
There are many healthy breakfast options that you can prepare ahead of time and have it grab-and-go or breakfast ideas that you can prepare if you have a little more time.
Why is a Healthy Breakfast Important for Teens
Many active teens are in sports making it even more important to meet their needs for macro-nutrients such as carbohydrates, protein, and fats.
Additionally, even if the teen is not in sports, they are growing and have an increased need for nutrition which also include vitamins and minerals like calcium.
As a dietitian, I like to say that all of the meals are important, not just breakfast. However, a balanced breakfast is a great way to have a healthy start to the day. Breakfast can be a vehicle to help teens meet their nutrient needs for the day such as calcium, protein, vitamin c.
It is also an opportunity to get more fruit servings into the day by adding items such as a fruit smoothie, fresh berries, or even a quick breakfast such as banana with almond butter.
Every parent and every teen knows the importance of academic performance in those high school year and early college years. Therefore, it is even more important to get all of those food groups in throughout the day. Moreover this study shows supportive evidence of a relationship of students’ nutrition, physical activity, and academic achievement.
Junk Food vs Healthy Breakfast for Teens
A healthy meal for teens is very important especially when it comes to setting the tone for the school and activities for the day. Teens need fuel that will keep them satisfied and nourished to help them be alert for learning at school.
Of course, there is always room for the occasional pastry or donut at breakfast. These treats can be part of a healthy lifestyle, however, it is the rounded habits that we look at for a balanced nutritious breakfast. For instance, we can answer this simple question: Are the majority of the breakfasts eaten by the teen balanced including complex carbohydrates or whole grains, proteins, and healthy fats? If the answer is no, then let’s take a deep dive into the list of healthy breakfast ideas for teens.
List of Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Teens
Being a dietitian and a mom of two teens, there is one thing I can tell you is that easy breakfast ideas are a clear winner. Busy families have very little time in the morning to prepare elaborate breakfasts.
Regardless of the age of your teen, it is important to keep healthy breakfast ideas for school quick and easy.
Therefore, easy healthy breakfast ideas or preparing ahead help to make it more likely for teens to eat breakfast.
- Whole Grain Cereal, Milk, and Fruit
- Baked Muffins with Fruit
- Egg Muffin
- Vegetable Omelet with red peppers and leafy greens
- Whole Wheat Waffles with Fresh Fruit
- Turkey Sausage Patty
- Egg and Cheese Breakfast Burrito
- Breakfast Casserole
- Turkey Bacon
- Apple Slices and Peanut Butter
- Banana and Peanut Butter
- Breakfast Smoothies
A Few Reminders About Healthy Breakfast for Teenagers
There is nothing wrong with cereal and milk. Find a whole grain cereal is a great idea. However, if you want to get a traditional cereal, look for cereals that are less sweetened and add fruit to sweeten the cereal.
One of my family’s favorite muffins are blueberry muffins. Have you ever noticed that there never seems to be enough blueberries? Pro-tip is to add additional frozen blueberries. This will add more fruit serving and more flavor!
A vegetable omelet is a nice savory breakfast which also gives teens an opportunity to have some vegetables at breakfast as well. Keep waffles simple with frozen waffles.
A breakfast casserole is a make ahead item. Cook this ahead, then heat and eat when it is breakfast time. Here is an easy recipe for breakfast casserole.
Apples and peanut butter is a personal favorite. Combining fruit with nut butter is a great way to get fruit, protein, and healthy fats all in one meal. Smoothies are a great way to use fruit that needs to be eaten. In addition, it is simple to make and easy to drink on the go.
More Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Teens
- Tofu Stir Fry
- Hot Oatmeal with Fruit and Nut Butter
- Overnight Oats
- Over Easy Egg with Grits
- Whole Wheat Toast
- Avocado Toast
- French Toast with Maple Syrup
- Cottage Cheese with Fruit Bowl
- Yogurt with Fruit
- Smoked Salmon Bagel
- 100% Fruit juice
- Turmeric and Wellness Shots
- Sweet Potatoes Hash Browns
- Breakfast Bowls
- Smoothie Bowls with fresh strawberries
- Banana Waffles
- Hard-Boiled Egg
- Egg Sandwich
- Banana Slices with Seed Butter and Chia Seeds and Chocolate Chips
- Breakfast Trail Mix
- Yogurt Parfait
- Greek Yogurt Bowl
- Breakfast Burritos
High School Breakfast Ideas on the Go
Teens like their sleep which means sometimes no time in the morning to eat. Therefore, prepare a breakfast on the go for the teen to grab on the way out of the door.
Here are a few ideas for high school breakfast ideas on the go.:
- Protein Smoothie
- Breakfast Trail Mix
- Yogurt Parfait in a Mason Jar
- Overnight Oats in a Mason Jar
- Breakfast Burrito Wrap
- Egg Muffin
Making a Healthy Breakfast for a Teenager
One key takeaway in talking about a healthy teen breakfast is that teens need to know the importance of eating a healthy breakfast. We can go through all of the trouble making items, but if the teen doesn’t eat it, it will not benefit them.
See these ideas for snack station ideas for healthy options for teens as well.
Breakfast Ideas for Picky Teenager
Just when you thought it was difficult to feed a teen breakfast, they are particular about the food that they eat. It is normal for a teen to want to have a voice in their breakfast.
Therefore, here are a few tips to finding the right breakfast fit for your teen:
- Bring them shopping with you.
- Let them prepare their breakfast.
- Experiment with different flavors and textures.
Simple Breakfast Ideas for Teens
Now that you have some delicious breakfast ideas for breakfast foods for teens listed and ready to go, it’s time to start preparing.
You choose from simple cold breakfasts, make ahead heat and eat breakfast, and meal prepped breakfast.
Breakfast must be tailored to your household. This makes it easier to make decisions. Moreover, if you are rushed in the morning with little time to think about breakfast, plan ahead and have a grab and go option.
If you have a little more time, heat and eat or quick breakfast ideas will be the best option.
Remember to combine food groups to be able to get the most out of the meal by adding nutrients, flavors, along with fiber and protein as well.
