Breakfast Time is Family Time in Our House

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day. Eating together builds strong families. These are two nutritional and developmental guidelines that while important, may perplex many families. Kids are on the run and busy schedules often prevent entire families from sharing meals together. Parents, me included, are often faced with just trying to do the best they can. In my household, we've decided that breakfast time is our family's sacred time. My husband often works late and my kids often have afternoon commitments that have us eating dinner on the run. We only have dinner together on the weekends.

Mornings, however, are times we spend together as a family. My husband loves to get up with the girls and take them out for a quick breakfast before school or before he has to be at work. Thanks to him, my kids have developed a disturbing breakfast sandwich addiction. Our pocketbook can't take the expense, so I've been making those same sandwiches at home using their favorite veggie sausage patties and low-fat Swiss or Cheddar cheese. Other breakfast favorites include low-fat yogurt to which honey and fruit have been added or luscious, cheesy scrambled eggs made with shredded low-fat Monterey Jack or Pepper jack, Swiss, or sharp Cheddar. They also love Greek-style yogurt mixed with homemade muesli and figs.

The best part about breakfast for my family is that it's a meal that my culinary-challenged husband can handle on his own, and he's actually great at breakfast. He makes the best coffee and hot chocolates. He can set out milk and cereal or make oatmeal. He can scramble eggs and heat veggie sausages. Best of all, because he's so jazzed about spending time with the girls, I get to sleep in until I smell the coffee brewing. Breakfast is the time of day when my husband and I can give the girls our undivided attention before being faced with the pressures of work, carpool and errands. It's a quiet time when we do come together as a family and talk over what's going to happen that day instead of talking over what has happened. We don't feel as bad for not spending dinner time together knowing that we've started our day together. Our girls are fresh, cheerful and rested, and it's generally a pleasant way to start all of our days.