A good morning plate is one of the easiest bone-building habits a family can share. Breakfast is a great opportunity for growing kids to get nutrient-dense, satisfying foods that keep them full and energized until lunch, and a healthy breakfast can set the tone for the rest of the day.

If you’re feeding a growing young person and want to optimize their nutrition at breakfast, it might be easier than you think, even with a picky eater. There are plenty of healthy breakfast recipes and easy-to-throw-together meals that are both packed with the nutrients your kid needs. Plus they taste great, even to picky eaters. 

We've rounded up some of the best kid-approved breakfast recipes to support healthy development and strong bones.

4 Kid-Friendly Breakfasts for Healthy Bones

1. Yogurt Parfaits

Let kids design their own breakfast with fun layered parfaits. If you offer healthy ingredients like plain yogurt, whole grain granola and fresh fruit, kids can use their culinary creativity to build their own delicious breakfast. As a bonus, they'll also start their day with a high-calcium meal. Adequate calcium intake helps children build peak bone mass, which supports strong bones later in life. 1

Look for plain sugar-free yogurt to avoid added sweeteners. A 170-gram single-serving container of non-fat Greek yogurt contains 18% of the daily recommended intake of calcium. 

2. Chia Pudding

Chia seeds are naturally rich in fiber, iron, magnesium and calcium. And when you turn them into a spoonable pudding with cow’s milk or calcium-fortified dairy-free milk, it’s like eating dessert for breakfast. You can flavor homemade chia pudding however you like. Try adding pumpkin puree, nut butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, a drizzle of maple syrup, or a swirl of fruit jam. 

Iron and magnesium both play an important role in building a strong skeletal system. According to the National Institutes of Health, children between 1 and 3 years old need 80 milligrams of magnesium per day, while 4 to 8-year-olds should consume 130 milligrams per day. One ounce of chia seeds contains 95 milligrams of magnesium.2 

3. Veggie Omelette

Making an omelette for breakfast is a great way to incorporate more colorful and vitamin-rich vegetables into your morning meal. Add leafy greens like kale and spinach to sneak in more iron. Red bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms all pack their own long list of nutritional benefits. A bit of cheese can add some extra calcium.

Not to mention the eggs themselves, which are one of the few food sources of vitamin D. Our bodies need vitamin D to absorb the calcium that keeps bones strong. And though our skin makes vitamin D from sunlight, clothing and sunscreen reduce our exposure. Adding eggs to your diet is a tasty way to get closer to your vitamin D target. One large egg contains about 11% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin D. 3

4.Peanut Butter and Banana Toast

This five-minute breakfast is kid- and adult-approved. Use whole-grain toast for added fiber and natural unsweetened peanut butter to avoid added sugars and oils. If your child can’t have peanuts, almond butter or sunflower seed butter make great allergy-friendly substitutes. 

The sliced banana on top adds a nice sweetness to this breakfast, and it's also a source of magnesium and potassium. One medium banana contains about 12% of the daily recommended intake of potassium, a mineral linked to better bone mineral density. 4

Conclusion

A varied breakfast routine like these is an easy way to help your kids meet their nutritional needs. Food comes first; if you think your child's diet may have a gap, your pediatrician can help you decide whether a supplement makes sense.

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1 Stallings VA. Calcium and bone health in children: a review. Am J Ther. 1997 Jul-Aug;4(7-8):259-73. doi: 10.1097/00045391-199707000-00007. PMID: 10423619.

2 https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-Consumer/

3 Holick MF. Vitamin D and bone health. J Nutr. 1996 Apr;126(4 Suppl):1159S-64S. doi: 10.1093/jn/126.suppl_4.1159S. PMID: 8642450.

Sources

1. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
2. Weaver CM, et al. The National Osteoporosis Foundation's position statement on peak bone mass development and lifestyle factors. Osteoporos Int. 2016;27(4):1281-1386. doi:10.1007/s00198-015-3440-3. doi.org/10.1007/s00198-015-3440-3