The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Eating for Kids - M.s.j., Dana Villamagna [60]
Fruit won’t be enough on its own to keep most kids fueled for an entire morning. But in a pinch, a banana paired with a handful of nuts, or an apple, some grapes, or a peach paired with a slice of pumpkin bread gives a good start to the day.
Cereal can often be surprisingly vegan (although it’s unlikely that the vitamin-fortified nutrients in the cereal are all vegan-sourced, but go for the BPO here). Go for the whole-grain, low-sugar varieties. Our favorite milk with cereal is rice milk because it’s light and seems to make cereal stay crispy longer than the heavier soy or nut versions. But experiment with your child’s favorites. If he will eat cereal with calcium-fortified soy milk, just 1 cup can provide most of his daily calcium needs and some B12 as well.
A nut-butter-and-jelly sandwich is an all-time kid favorite. Experiment with different nut butters beyond peanut. Expand your child’s jelly and jam selections from grape and strawberry with new flavors like raspberry, blueberry, peach, rhubarb, and apricot. (To be sure it’s vegan, look for pectin, not gelatin.) Or thinly slice a banana into the sandwich. If storing in a quick-take bag overnight, lay a piece of waxed paper between the jelly/ jam and the bread to prevent mushy bread.
Parent Trap
Beware the bread. Many manufactured breads contain milk or milk derivatives and honey. Very few mass-marketed breads exclude these nonvegan ingredients, but your local natural foods store might have some options for you. Or you could make your own!
Cold pancake sandwiches can serve as an inventive twist to Monday morning breakfast if you have some leftover vegan pancake batter from Sunday brunch. Make up the rest of the batter after brunch, and store the pancakes in the fridge. In the morning, slather some nut butter and a tiny drizzle of syrup on top, fold in half, and go.
Leftovers can work for breakfast, too. If last night’s meal was one of your child’s favorites, don’t be shy about warming it up and serving it this morning. There’s no rule that says dinner can’t be breakfast every now and again.
Bagel sandwiches are relatively easy and a quick warm breakfast. Toast two halves of a bagel, spread thinly with vegan cream cheese, add a microwaved soy sausage cut in half lengthwise, drizzle with maple syrup, and you’ve got a simple and delicious breakfast.
Soy or coconut yogurt are transportable—just don’t forget the spoon! Some soy-based yogurts do contain dairy, so check the label. Coconut milk-based yogurt comes in individual serving size cartons and can be absolutely delicious.
Muffins and quick breads can be sugary, fatty morning downers, or good sources of fiber, iron, and protein, depending on the ingredients. Check labels, or again, make your own.
Energy-style bars can become pricey if you rely on them too much for quick meals and snacks, but they do work to quickly quell hunger and meet nutritional needs. Stock some vegan bars in your pantry and in the car, in case you run out of the house and remember breakfast halfway to school!
Almost all these quick breakfast ideas can be stored in the fridge the night before, paired with a juice box or bottle of water, and put in a sack with a handful of nuts and a multivitamin for a portable breakfast your child can eat on the bus or in the car on the way to school.
That’s So Vegan
No scientific evidence shows one time of day is better than another for taking a multivitamin most effectively. But if you give your child his multivitamin first thing in the morning, you’re most likely to remember. Another consideration: iron is more readily absorbed when eaten with vitamin C-rich foods.
Vegan Brunches
The time to get fancy with vegan breakfast foods is at brunch. Brunches are fabulous family breakfast-lunch combos after a