Around the Breakfast Table

As summer winds down and school routines return, one simple habit can make a remarkable difference for the whole family: sharing a balanced breakfast.

As a child, dinner together wasn’t always possible because my dad commuted to New York City. But breakfast was sacred. Every morning, my sister and I gathered around the kitchen table while my dad quizzed us with vocabulary flashcards before school. Looking back, those mornings gave me more than a healthy meal—they gave me confidence, connection, and memories that have lasted a lifetime.

Breakfast fuels both body and brain. A balanced meal helps stabilize blood sugar, improve concentration, support memory, and provide lasting energy for the school day. Build breakfast around protein, whole grains, healthy fats, and colorful fruits or vegetables. Think eggs with avocado toast and berries, overnight oats with walnuts and fruit, or a smoothie with yogurt, spinach, berries, oats, and flaxseed.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children isn’t a perfect breakfast—it’s our presence. Put away the phones, gather around the table, and enjoy a few meaningful minutes together. Those ordinary mornings often become the extraordinary memories our children carry into adulthood.

Here’s to a school year filled with nourishing breakfasts, meaningful conversations, and strong bodies and healthy minds.

Crunch Granola Walnuts 

Why buy granola in a box when this homemade mixture tastes better and is so easy to make? We lowered the fat content of traditional granola and still kept the great taste. We chose oats, a whole-grain base, and added flaxseeds and walnuts for healthy polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. We gave it a naturally sweet taste by finishing it with agave nectar and raisins. We bake this versatile granola in large quantities because it stores easily and because we use it in our Yogurt Sundae, Apple Crisp, and Raspberry Crumble recipes, too!

Makes 20 servings (½ cup per serving).

INGREDIENTS

3 cups old-fashioned oats

⅓ cup ground flaxseeds

⅓ cup hulled raw sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

½ cup agave nectar

¼ cup sunflower oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

½ cup raisins or dried cranberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a large bowl, combine oats, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts (if using), and cinnamon.

3. Add agave nectar, oil, and vanilla, and stir to mix thoroughly.

4. Spread onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake 25 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring about every 5-10 minutes to make sure it does not burn.

5. Cool completely in the pan. When cool, stir in raisins. Store in a tightly sealed container up to 2 weeks or freeze to last longer.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 140 calories; 6g fat (1g sat fat, 1g mono, 3g poly, 0g trans fat); 0mg cholesterol; 19g carbohydrate (2g fiber, 10g sugar); 3g protein; 0mg sodium; 2% Daily Value (DV) calcium; 6% DV iron.

Breakfast Boost: Why Starting Savory Can Help

Your first meal of the day sets the stage for your energy, focus, and even your food choices later on.

A breakfast built around protein, healthy fats, and fiber—such as eggs with vegetables, avocado toast, tofu scramble, or Greek yogurt with nuts—helps keep blood sugar steady. Stable blood sugar can help you stay full longer, improve concentration, and reduce cravings for sugary snacks throughout the morning.

If you prefer a sweeter breakfast, choose natural sweetness from fruit and pair it with protein and healthy fats. Try oatmeal topped with walnuts and berries, Greek yogurt with peaches and almonds, or whole-grain toast with nut butter and banana slices.

Before you reach for something sweet, ask yourself, “Where’s the protein?” Building your breakfast around protein first—and adding whole grains, healthy fats, and colorful fruits or vegetables—creates lasting energy for busy school and workdays.

Easy Savory Breakfast Ideas

• Veggie omelet with whole-grain toast

• Avocado toast topped with sliced tomatoes

• Hummus with sliced cucumbers on whole-grain toast

• Leftover vegetable frittata with fresh fruit

• Overnight oats prepared with milk, chia seeds, diced apples, and almond butter

Stacey Antine is the founder of Ridgewood’s HealthBarn USA and author of Appetite for Life. She is a national expert in family nutrition and has appeared on The Rachael Ray Show, CNN, PBS-TV, and hundreds of broadcast, print, and social channels.