First Day of School Pancake Stacks & Best Back to School Breakfasts Ideas!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it is even more important when we're preparing it for our kids as they head out the door for school this Fall! Our pancake stacks would be a fun First-Day-of-School breakfast idea, plus we've gathered a few more of our favorite Back to School breakfast recipes that you can use on the first day of school til' the last day of school!

I've partnered with Allstate to bring you fabulous Back to School breakfast tips and ideas!

Breakfasts at our house this summer have been extremely casual. We all waking up at very different hours and we usually don't have anywhere to be for a few more. The food ranges from cold cereal to peanut butter sandwiches and not a lot of attention has gone into making it exciting. All of that changes in a matter of weeks! When school is back in session, I am adamant about my kids eating something healthy and substantial so that they can feel their best and DO their best at school! A great way to get my kids excited and interested in breakfast is to change it up a little, get creative, get them involved, and make something fun! Here are some of our favorite tips, and all of these tips can be applied to packing healthy lunches, too!

Let them Choose

Your children will be more likely to eat their breakfast (and the lunch) that they helped put together. Be involved and look for teaching moments as they pick out nutritious foods and take some responsibility for the choices. Make a calendar where they can see what breakfasts will happen on which days, and include them on your shopping trips as they pick out the ingredients.

Start with Healthy Basics

Most baked items can be made with whole grains, and there is often a low-fat variety of every dairy item in the grocery store. Look for whole wheat flour, reduced-fat cheeses, and skim milk when you're gathering your grocery items. Find any opportunity to add fruits or vegetables to the meal, whether they are cooked in or just on the side.

Switch it Up

Children like familiar things, but they LOVE novelty. If your child insists on pancakes every morning, you can still make new pancake shapes in the griddle and pull out all sorts of new toppings. Rethink the classics by changing up the flavors, colors, or ways to eat it, as you'll see in some of our great examples below.

Make it Interactive

Get your child engaged in mealtime! Give them something to do that will put their fingers to work at getting that food right into their bellies. Look for meals that could include a yogurt, syrup, or peanut butter dip. Find ways to add mix-ins, like extra dried fruit, cinnamon, or cheese. Let your kids stack, roll, slurp or slice!

Keep it Safe

Make sure you and your child have washed your hands before there is any food preparation (for breakfast and their packed lunch!). Invest in food containers that will keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold and remember that most perishable foods can only be safely eaten if they've been left un-refrigerated for two hours or less. Consider eco-friendly back-to-school tips like freezing your juice box to serve as an ice pack instead of purchasing cooler packs.

One of our favorite First-Day-of-School breakfasts is pancake stacks!

You can start with a basic pancake mix or make your own batter with whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, skim milk, egg and oil. Use a measuring cup to scoop out the same amount of batter every time so that the pancakes will all be the same size. Stack them up with layers of yogurt, peanut butter, Nutella, or fruit in between! We used marshmallow fluff, which isn't the healthiest option, but it is such a great pancake topping!

To make the flag/banner sticks, I used black bamboo skewers and white cardstock paper, the two ends folded and glued together. Once dry, I clipped the triangle shape out of the end and painted on the letters with acrylic paint. Spear some fruit with your skewers and poke them in the middle of your pancake stacks to keep them upright.

This breakfast is quite the a celebratory kick-off on the first day of school! Here are some more excellent Back to School breakfast ideas to get you started on an excellent school year of fun, nutritious, and absolutely exciting breakfasts!

Mini Muffin Pancake Bites from hello, Wonderful

Greek Yogurt Banana Bread from Lovely Little Kitchen

Back to School Apple Donuts from Your Homebased Mom

Monkey Bread Muffins from Brooklyn Farm Girl

Strawberry Banana Smoothie from Gimme Some Oven

 Wise Owl Fruity Toast from Daisies & Pie

Glazed Blueberry Scones from Wholesome Yum

Make Ahead Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches from The Suburban Soapbox

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Shake from Cooking Classy

Make-Ahead Grab-N-Go Omelet Cups from Live Simply

Cinnamon Rolls in a Waffle Iron from Little Bit Funky

Apple Cinnamon Cookie Energy Bites from Kristine's Kitchen

Egg and Sausage Breakfast Taquitos from Tastes Better from Scratch

Customizable Protein-Packed Oatmeal Cups from The Healthy Maven

Tater Tot Breakfast Pizza from The Gunny Sack

The post was written as part of the Allstate Influencer Program and sponsored by Allstate. All opinions are mine. As the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurer, Allstate is dedicated not only to protecting what matters most, but to help protect your firsts and the moments in between.
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