Many children across America are said to go without breakfast every day, and are thus more focused on their stomachs than they are on their studies. If you’re struggling to make ends meet and are looking for inexpensive ways to make sure your child has a good nutritious breakfast, here are some simple ideas on how to make it happen for $5 or less a week :
Oatmeal: A box of quick oats lasts a long time, and takes just 5 minutes to prepare. Top with some syrup and/or a sliced banana or peach, and you’re good to go.
Pancakes: Like quick oats, a box of pancake mix goes a long way. You don’t need a pancake griddle to make pancakes; any pan will do. Just cover with syrup, and you’ve got breakfast for under $5 for the next week. You could even serve applesauce with your pancakes, which is also usually quite reasonable. Or, put a few chocolate chips in your pancakes to make them fun. In less than 10 minutes, you’ve got a filling breakfast.
Cheesy scrambled eggs: A carton of eggs and a bag of shredded cheese is all you need. With just two eggs and a handful of cheese, you’ve got a tasty breakfast that you can make for most of the week. Add a banana on the side, if desired. The cost: again, $5 or less.
Muffins: With a box of muffin mix, you can have muffins for your child to enjoy all week. With a cup of yogurt on the side, you’ve got a nice breakfast for little money. (May cost slightly over $5 if you don’t have the basics in your cupboard and fridge, but still very inexpensive.)
The standard jam on toast or a bagel: Simply a toast a slice or two of bread or a bagel and top it with grape jam or peanut butter.
These choices can all be accompanied by a glass of orange juice or milk. You can either buy a carton of orange juice, (some stores will sell orange juice for around $2, usually without pulp) or you can purchase single serve, kid-friendly cartons that can last you through the week.
So, while many children are living in poverty and some go hungry every morning, there are many easy and economical ways to make sure that the children are well fed and happy. No child should ever go hungry in America when a breakfast is as simple as $1 a day or $5 or less a week.