Breakfast

Meals are tricky with a picky three-year-old. She is convinced that she doesn't like cereal except to pick the marshmallows out of Marshmallow Matey's or "Yucky" Charms. I can't even get her to try sugar loaded cereals like Trix or Fruit Loops. She'll occasionally try pancakes or waffles, but we rarely make that much effort at breakfast time. I'm allergic to eggs, so I don't make them--and my daughter doesn't encounter them enough to eat them. I don't like oatmeal, so I'm not about to try to get her to eat it. What she will eat are muffins and toast. Finding a healthier bread is a fight that extends into lunch time as well. But her muffins I can make as healthy as I like and she's none the wiser.

Most often I make a pumpkin muffin. The easy version is a box of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree. As my baby becomes less of a baby and I have more time, I'm making them homemade again and subbing in healthier options--applesauce to replace oil, wheat flour instead of white.

But I recently found a healthier banana muffin recipe that the whole family loved. I had never made a bran muffin before and didn't realize that it's actually made with bran flakes. The recipe naturally is made with applesauce and only a tiny bit of butter. It's a great way to use up bananas and you can control how many chocolate chips you put in. I usually half the amount called for and it's plenty. If you use mini chocolate chips, you can use even less and still have a good distribution throughout. So yes, my daughter eats chocolate chips for breakfast. But now she's also eating bran flakes and doesn't even know it.

Healthy Banana Bran Muffin recipe found at Mel's Kitchen Cafe.