Getting out the door in the mornings can be a challenge, to put it mildly. Between parent schedules, sleepy kids and all the moving parts in the morning, it can be quite a feat to get all family members to eat breakfast, let alone a healthy one. If a leisurely hearty breakfast at home is not an option, be sure to give your kids an easy grab-and-go option they can eat on the bus or at school when they do feel hungry.

And don’t forget how important your good example is. Let your kids see you making time to enjoy breakfast and refuel your brain and body with a healthy morning meal.

Here are some ways to make your morning easier:

At home:

• Prep ingredients the night before. Lay out your bowls/plates/silverware to make for quicker serving.
• Make breakfast items on the weekend that can be reheated easily, like hearty whole grain muffins, a frittata or egg and cheese muffin cups. Make extra whole grain pancakes on Sunday for the fridge or freezer.
• Eating cereal can take, literally, five minutes. If possible, try to sit down as a family a couple times a week for a whole-grain bowl of cereal topped with fruit.

On the go:

• Borrow a page from schools and consider the grab-and-go alternative. Keep fruits and whole grain breakfast bars in a bowl on the counter for easy access.
• Keep frozen fruits on hand to blend with milk or yogurt and peanut butter for a healthy smoothie.
• Stash hard-boiled eggs in plastic baggies in the fridge
• Adults only: Mix eggs, cheese and chopped spinach in a microwaveable container and microwave an omelet at work!

Other ideas:

• Whole-grain waffles topped with nut butter or ricotta cheese and fruit
• Oatmeal topped with nuts, dried fruit and shredded coconut, sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg
• Half a whole-grain bagel or slice of toast topped with peanut butter and bananas, drizzled with honey
• Sliced cucumbers and hummus in a whole-wheat pita
• Deviled eggs made with mayo and avocado
• Egg and veggie scramble
• Heated leftover rice or quinoa mixed with apples and cinnamon or eggs and cheese
• Whole-wheat tortilla topped with shredded cheese, folded in half and microwaved for 20 seconds, topped with salsa