How To Prep Your Kid’s Breakfast In Advance

Mornings with kids are brutal. No matter how prepared you think you are or how early you manage to drag yourself (and everyone else) out of bed, there’s still so much scrambling happening. There are so many teeth to brush, clothes to put on, stuff to pack up and whining to ignore.

I’m a fan of packing lunch up the night before (the only thing I hate more than packing school lunches at night is packing them up in the morning), but one parent on Reddit is taking meal prep to the next level: She’s prepping her kids’ breakfasts in advance, too — with jars.

I am prepping my kids’ breakfasts and it is making me a better parent. I helped my kid with homework this morning instead of slamming around the kitchen. Kids like choosing a jar and putting on the finishing touches better than eating whatever I feel like cooking.

She gives her kids three options:

• Oatmeal prepped with rolled oats, peanut butter, honey, vanilla and salt. In the morning, add boiling water, allow to sit for approximately three minutes and stir. (You obviously might need to help with the boiling water, depending on how old/capable your kid is.)
• Smoothie (sometimes mixed berry, sometimes chocolate peanut butter) prepped with soy milk, protein powder, mixed berries, vanilla and salt. In the morning, add banana and ice; blend until smooth.
• Yoghurt cups prepped with mixed berries, yoghurt and semi-sweet mini chocolate chips. In the morning, simply stir.

Overnight oats and no-bake energy balls would be good prep-ahead options, too. And if you really want breakfast to happen seamlessly, you could also set the table the night before.

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2018/08/set-your-family-breakfast-table-the-night-before/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/08/breakfast-410×231.jpg” title=”Set Your Family Breakfast Table The Night Before ” excerpt=”Of all the old-school parenting tricks I learned from my grandmother, who raised eight kids including me, one stands out as a lifesaver: Set the table before going to bed at night. This way, when anyone in your household wakes up, even if at staggered times, they’ll have their place at the family table waiting for them — no need to crash around the kitchen opening every cabinet and drawer looking for a spoon, a mug or Grapenuts.”]

There: Now you have more time to stress about other stuff in the morning.