Child-Friendly Recipes: Simple Oatmeal Muffins

If you're like me and have kids that suffer from the curse of "Picky Eater Syndrome," you know how stressful it can be making sure that your little ones eat a healthy breakfast before heading out in the morning. Whether they're just tired, crabby or generally averse to eating first thing, there is a way to overcome their finicky mood and get some nutrients into them before a long day at school.


Most kids love muffins and cakes, so here's how I use this fact to my advantage many mornings. The key here is to throw in healthy stuff that the kids don't know is there,so that they get their quotient of nutrition for the day. There are many variations - feel free to add any number of items that you feel your kids will like, or need ;)


The following recipe is a snap to make (prep time is less than 10 minutes and even quicker once you've done it a few times) and baking time is between 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven strength. The basic recipe is here with variations below (I've added many of these at different times - they all work!). These muffins freeze particularly well also, so make a big batch and have them ready to go in a snap (defrost in microwave or in a covered container overnight).

Simple Oatmeal Muffins

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Ingredients:


1/4 cup of vegetable oil or melted butter
1 egg
1 cup of quick oatmeal
1/4 cup of white sugar (you can substitute 1/2 cup of applesauce here)
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of nutmeg


Yield: A dozen medium-sized muffins


Things that you can add to this basic recipe:

• 1/2 of a banana
• 1/2 cup of grated or pureed carrots or zucchini
• 1/4 cup of ground Pecans, walnuts or other nut products

The oil or butter in the recipe seems to work by keeping the muffins from sticking too badly. I use a non-stick muffin tray as well, but have done this recipe with a non non-stick pan also, and they come out pretty smoothly. If you'd like, use muffin cups/paper to ease them out with little hassle.


Here's a picture of a batch that I cooked up this morning: the kids gobbled them up!

Image copyright Multiple Mayhem Mamma

* Another tip: My toddler boys love when I make these in a mini-muffin pan like the one below - they seem to think it's a particular treat to eat them like this. Whatever works!

Image courtesy of www.chicagometallicbakeware.com

What tips and tricks do you use to get your kids to eat breakfast in the mornings? Please share in the comments below.


For more food-related advice and tips, check out these great ideas from my fellow 30 Second Mom contributors:

• Hearty, hot homemade breakfast any day of the week
• Make over fat, salt & sugar by using less processed options
• A sleep solution may be as near as the kitchen
• Make meal time fun for kids by using shapes and colors
• Bake crispy fries at home with no mess
• Almond butter - A healthy alternative to peanut butter