5 Healthy Vegan Breakfasts Your Kids Will Love

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Let me be clear right off the bat: my household is not vegan.

We have tried a few times, and will likely try again, but I have found it really hard to convert my family—myself included—to veganism. There are a number of reasons for this, which I won’t go into here, but suffice it to say, while we do still consume animal products, I am the first to say that I think a well-balanced, thoughtful vegan diet is the way to go.

Recently, I polled members of The Flourishing Foster Parent to see what topics they would like us to cover in upcoming coaching calls, and one request was from a couple who are vegan foster parents. They would like advice on how to feed children who come into their home via foster care without giving up their vegan values.

Honestly, this is a tough one. And if a child is in foster care, they are entitled to have food that is palatable to them—which, for many children, does not include almond milk and tofu.

While this blog post does not serve as my response to that couple’s question—I am actively looking for an expert (or at least experienced foster parent) who can speak into the specifics of their question—I did want to contribute a bit right now by sharing some meals we eat regularly that are nourishing, that our kids love, and that do not contain animal products.

If you have a favorite plant-based breakfast recipe, please share it in the comments below!

Kashi Waffles with Peanut Butter and Maple Syrup

What kid doesn’t like waffles? The trick is to get healthier version of waffles (or make them and keep them in your freezer).

Pictured above (I’m actually eating what you see there while typing this) is a simple, yummy breakfast with a good dose of fiber and protein—the two things I try hard to get into my kids’ bodies before sending them out the door to school. I really like these gluten-free vegan waffles from Kashi, which I discovered for $1.97/box at The Grocery Outlet (they are $3.50-3.99 in the regular grocery store). I started buying them there, then showed up one day and they were $.97/box! I bought the entire inventory (seventeen boxes) and now our extra freezer is stocked up for a bit. But you can make this so easily with any kind of vegan waffles you find.

Pop the waffles in the toaster. When they come, spread two tablespoons of peanut butter (or whatever kind of nut butter you use) and top with maple syrup. I also always try to put some fruit slices—apples or oranges—on the side to give a little burst of vitamin C as well.

Voila! Easy peasy, lemon squeezy—and so yummy and filling.

Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie

This Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie from The Kitschy Kitchen has been a favorite in our house since the first kids came to us in 2014. I can make a big batch in my Vitamix in minutes and each kid gets a delicious, filling dose of fiber, protein, and potassium—not to mention the fact that it tastes like chocolate!

I usually make some substitutions—for example, I use maple syrup or honey instead of agave nectar, and I will sometimes use soy milk instead of almond milk. I also usually use about half of the amount of cocoa powder called for, or I’ll use premade chocolate almond milk and skip the cocoa powder and syrup altogether (since the chocolate almond milk is already sweet). I also don’t always use frozen bananas—fresh ones work fine too, it’s just not as cold or thick. But this is the general recipe I follow—and my kids LOVE it.

Oatmeal with Maple Syrup

My kids don’t all love oatmeal, but the ones who do really love it. I don’t make it every day, but when I do, I usually add chia seeds while it’s cooking or sprinkle some on top to give it a little bit more goodness. Topped with maple syrup (or honey if you eat honey, which we do), this is a quick, simple, and really good-for-you breakfast. And did you know that, at 6g of protein per cooked cup, oatmeal is a higher-quality protein than many other grain-based foods? Now you do!

Toast, Fruit, and Yogurt

This is so simple and so quick. Whole grain bread, toasted and then topped with vegan butter and whole-fruit jam. Cut into squares on a plate with sliced fruit (I’ve never had a child who didn’t like at least one of the following: apples, bananas, and/or oranges) and a cup of plant-based yogurt. The vegan yogurt options have gotten really good in recent years—while my kids definitely prefer cow’s milk yogurt, they also like coconut-based vanilla yogurts, which are available at most grocery stores (though they are not cheap). I don’t give it to them in the container—I just put it in a bowl. That way, they are less likely to notice when it’s not the cow’s milk yogurt.

Vegan Breakfast Sausage on an English Muffin with Hash Browns

OK, this is not the healthiest option, but if you have a child who likes McDonalds’ breakfast, this might be a good substitute. There are delicious plant-based meat substitutes available in the frozen section of most grocery stores. Field Roast, Gardein, Morning Star Farms, and others offer both links and patties. Toast up an english muffin, warm up the vegan patties, and top with vegan cheddar (we like Daiya cheddar style slices) for a hearty and filling breakfast that rivals McDonald’s sausage McMuffin. For a true fast-food breakfast experience, buy frozen hash brown patties and put those on the plate too, and include a glass of OJ. Again, this is not your healthiest option, but if your kids are used to eating meat at breakfast, this might do the trick!

What do they drink?

Honestly, this is one of the hardest parts of getting my kids to go vegan. They all love cow’s milk, and there is no denying that it is good for them. I have tried to woo them with soy and almond and oat milks, to no avail. For vegan foster parents, this might have to be a point of compromise. The kids need calcium and vitamin D, and milk is a great source of both. We also give our kids water to drink at least one meal each day (usually dinner). They get milk at school with lunch, and usually want milk with breakfast.

That said, you never know! If you have a new child in your home who is willing to try soy or almond milk, give it a try! But be willing to let them have regular milk if that’s what they prefer. If you are concerned about it going bad, since the child is the only one eating it, consider getting smaller containers like these from Horizon.

Let me know if you try any of these! How did your kids like them? What are some of your go-to vegan breakfast favorites?

Trauma-Informed Parenting: A FFP Coaching Call with Lesley Joy Richie

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If you follow A Fostered Life’s podcast, Facebook page, blog, or YouTube, you’ve heard me talk about The Flourishing Foster Parent, my support and equipping membership group for foster parents.

One of the benefits of being part of FFP is access to our weekly “Coaching Calls.” Each week, members join a live Google Meet where we focus on a topic relevant to foster parents. Sometimes I lead the discussion, but at least half the time, I bring in guest speakers and facilitate a conversation with them followed by a Q&A time with the call participants. It’s so good, and the feedback I’ve gotten from folks on these calls has been amazing.

Here’s what some of the participants have written to tell me lately:

  • “I very much love this community and know that the support is there.”
  • “Thank you for all you do. You have a huge impact on our lives and the lives of children and families in the welfare system.”
  • “Your content, as well as reading parenting books and resources you recommended, helped me feel prepared from a parenting perspective. I feel like the knowledge and skills I learned let me handle this as well as I could have… So thank you for all that you do!”
  • “This group has been a lifeline for me.”

The Coaching Calls are usually recorded (except when we do a “Caching Up and Checking In” call) so that folks who miss the live call can still access the content later. In additional to making these recordings available in the FFP Library, I’ve also begun offering digital downloads of a few of the recordings in my online Store.

I decided today to invite you to listen in on a recent Coaching Call. The topic was “Trauma Informed Parenting,” and our guest speaker was Adoption and Trauma Therapist Lesley Joy Ritchie, who practices in Seattle. Lesley helped develop the wonderful PATCH (Parenting Adopted and Traumatized Children) Program and was able to offer some really wonderful insight for those who are, well, “PATCHing.”

This Coaching Call contains some of the most valuable content I have! I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for anyone stepping in to the role of foster parent to do the heavy lifting of learning about the role trauma plays in a child’s development. This gives you an idea of what our weekly Coaching Calls are like!

If you are a foster parent who could use a regular support community and ongoing sharpening of your foster parenting tools, consider joining The Flourishing Foster Parent! The cost is $20/month, there is no obligation, and you may leave the group anytime. Click here to learn more.

No foster parent should ever feel like they’re going at it alone!

No, You're Not a Demon Child

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Back in November, I shared a post on Facebook about a phenomena known as “restraint collapse,” or “after-school restraint collapse.” This refers to the common experience many parents report of their children doing very well at school, but when they get home, the wheels come off. One reader’s comment summarized it well:

I did this my entire childhood. I remember my mom telling my pediatrician “she’s so good with anyone else but as soon as it’s just me and her she goes off”. Wish my mom was around for us to talk about this. It’s kinda comforting to know it’s a normal thing and I wasn’t just a demon child haha. 

Her comment broke my heart, not least of all because her mom is not around anymore to discuss things with, but also because she has likely spent years believing that she was uniquely “bad.” One of my motivating factors for writing this blog and the other resources I create is to educate and inform parents and foster parents/caregivers so we can support our kids and help them find emotional wholeness and vibrant mental health.

If you, too, experience after-school meltdowns, or if you get home from church and your children seem to have been possessed by demons somewhere between “Jesus Loves Me” and that week’s Memory Verse, you’re not alone.

And they’re not possessed.

It’s called “restraint collapse,” and it’s a very real thing. Pay attention. I thought of it as a behavior problem for too long, and my irritation and frustration only added fuel to the emotional fire. One of the big “A-ha!” moments for me was recognizing how much children thrive in structure, and how lack of structure can leave them feeling insecure and unsafe. Think about it: they are going from a (presumably) highly-structured environment to a non-structured environment, and they don’t know what to do with themselves. Add a bit of mental exhaustion from trying to pay attention all day and meeting the expectations placed on them, and conditions are perfect for meltdowns.

Once I saw it for what it was, I was able to take some proactive steps to help my kids regulate their emotions through the transition back home. Here’s what we do:

1) After-school snack, pronto! Not cookies and milk, either (well, sometimes cookies and milk, if I’m honest, but not usually). Yogurt, cheese sticks, protein balls, pepperoni sticks, mixed nuts and crackers, fruit (apple slices, bananas, grapes are favorites). And water! If you have after-school activities, have snacks in the car on the way. The kids haven’t eaten in hours. Feed & hydrate them! And I find it helpful to have a snack ready as soon as we get home. Lately, a piece of cheddar cheese and apple slices is my go-to. Not enough to ruin their appetite for dinner, but something to satisfy for the meantime.

2) Debrief. Sit with them as they munch. Ask good questions (not yes or no questions). “What was one thing that made you happy today? One thing that made you sad? What was on the lunch menu? Who did you sit with at lunch? Was recess inside or outside? What did you do during recess?” I will share that my children are usually talking over one another at this point, competing for my attention and affection. This little scenario can get loud and heated very quickly, so I try to be intentional about directing my questions and making sure everyone feels heard. Sometimes I have to work hard to keep my demeanor positive (I don’t always succeed—nothing triggers me more than my kids fighting with each other—but when I’m mindful of it, it helps a lot.)

3) Get them moving. Some kids need “down time” after school. I don’t know what that’s like. My kids need to MOVE and SCREAM. We often stay on the school playground or head to another playground after school. Alternately, we come home and, after snack, I tell the kids they have fifteen minutes to play outside before it’s time to start homework (or, for the little ones, twenty minutes of looking at books.) I use my timer and, again, stick to a structure.

4) Find a way for each child to feel seen and heard. When I pick my younger kids up from school, there are four children in my van, and they are all talking at the same time! When we get home, during snacks or after snacks, I give each child some individual attention. Hugs and eye-contact are key. It’s not as hard as it sounds! 🤪 But it does take planning.

5) Meal plan and fix make-ahead meals so you’re not trying to make dinner while the kids are losing their minds. You know the drill. #witchinghour

6) When all else fails, let them watch a show. Honestly, I almost never do this after school, because it’s too hard to pull my children away from the TV once they’re locked and loaded. If homework needs to happen, it must happen before screens. But that said, PBS Kids has some great options that are around 22 minutes each. Sometimes kids just need to chill out after working so hard at school. Let them!

Let me be clear: what I am suggesting here is not coddling our kids and never letting them exercise their own emotional self-control. I am not painting a picture of bringing children home from school and then coddling them in order to avoid them having to manage themselves. What I am getting at here is that we need to recognize what’s happening and set our kids up for success. Younger children don’t always know what they need. With a bit of effort, we can help. Sometimes I don’t do all of the above, but when I do, things go much more smoothly after school.

Hope you find this helpful!!!

Photo by Marco Albuquerque on Unsplash