With its round, cake like shape and cheese melted over the top like frosting, it’s understandable how this classic egg dish go the nickname “Breakfast Cake.” Though this recipe by Cricket Azima from our friends at ArchetypeMe looks and sounds decadent, breakfast cake is a simple way to serve a healthful, nutrient-packed breakfast!

What Matters to Mom?

For one thing, feeling great about serving a homemade breakfast without having to get up at the crack of dawn to cook! What’s more, this dish can be whipped up on Sunday, then frozen into individual portions for reheating on hectic weekday mornings- a time- saver. To make it extra-appealing to the kids, this “cake” can be made as “cupcakes” by baking it in a muffin tin for handy single-serving portions. Then there’s the satisfaction of sneaking nutrient-rich vegetables into their morning meal.

Breakfast cake can be prepared according to the recipe below, or customized to include other family-favorite vegetables. For example, if your gang is crazy about red peppers and not the biggest fans of zucchini, go ahead and substitute! And since kids are more likely to eat vegetables they’ve selected themselves, offer an array and have them weigh in. Cook with what you have on hand, or according to individual dietary needs. For a lactose-free version of this dish, simply leave out the cheese. Similarly, for a heftier rendition, stir in leftover pasta.

Yields 8 servings 

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium potato, diced

1 small zucchini, diced

1 cup broccoli florets

1 teaspoon salt, divided

Freshly ground black pepper

12 eggs

1/2 cup shredded cheddar

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet

2. Add onion and cook 2 minutes

3. Add potato, zucchini, and broccoli. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender.

4. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste.

5. Beat eggs in a bowl. Add remaining salt, to taste.

6. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and stir to combine. Cover and cook approximately 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat without stirring.

7. Sprinkle with cheese and cover. Cook until cheese is melted and eggs are completely set. Cut into wedges.

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner. Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children.  She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.

Are your kids getting enough daily protein?! Not sure? Well here is any easy way to calculate from our friends at Cooking Light: Just take your child’s weight in pounds and multiply by the appropriate number above to get the grams of protein they need per day. So if your 3-year-old preschooler weighs 30 pounds, that means she needs about 12 grams of protein each day. So keep those muscles growing big and strong with these easy and nutrient packed tasty recipes. From recipes for breakfast to snacks to dinner we have you and your little body builders covered!

Let ‘Em Get Sloppy

Little ones like hand-held foods, and a sloppy joe is always popular. It’s also a great opportunity to add in vegetables, like carrots, as in this sloppy joe recipe, which is made with lean ground beef. Each serving provides 23 grams of protein, 111mg of calcium, and 4mg of iron.

Protein-Powered Snacks

Main dishes aren’t the only way for kids to get protein. After school snacks are a great opportunity too. Our edamame dip serves up 4 grams of protein per 3 tablespoons and encourages your child to eat their veggies. Offer up a colorful assortment of bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, sliced jicama, sugar snap peas, and carrots, and watch them disappear!

Fish Sticks the Healthy Way

Most kids are not fans of protein with fins, but they’re generally open to fish sticks, which are easy for even 1-year-olds to eat. Most adults know they should be getting more fish in their diets, but they forget it’s important for the whole family. Not only is seafood a lean source of protein that is great for heart health, the omega-3 fats found in fish are essential for a child’s developing brain. This recipe for fish sticks serves up about 18 grams of protein per 3 fish sticks, which is the perfect serving size for kids.

Don’t Forget About Breakfast

Not only is breakfast the most important meal of the day, it’s a great opportunity to get kid-friendly protein on the table. Mini frittatas are easy for parents to make and for kids to pick up and eat. Win-win! This recipe uses a mini muffin pan. The frittatas can be made in advance and reheated before serving. They are perfect for lunches too! Each bite-sized frittata has 4.4 grams of protein.

The Creative Kitchen™, LLC, teaches children about food and how to cook in a fun, safe, and educational manner.  Targeting families with children ages two to teen, the company focuses on teaching, writing creative content and curriculum, special events, recipe development, spokesperson work, webisode production and consulting to present educational and entertaining content through food-related activities. The founder, Cricket Azima, is an expert in cooking for and with children.  She inspires kids to express themselves creatively through food and cooking, while complementing lessons with traditional educational material such as social studies, math, arts, science, and more. Visit www.thecreativekitchen.com for more information.