I hope that your child has gotten the school year off to a strong start! You probably at least have an idea by now about how you expect the year to go. Hopefully you are happy with the teacher and classroom dynamics.
During our Blog Talk Radio show this past Sunday, I talked with our guest about ways parents can help set their child up for success at school (or other areas such as athletics). We focused on the nutrition factor but also touched on a couple of others and gave everyone a free download (you can find out how to get yours here), which included breakfast ideas, as we all probably understand as moms how important a good, nutritious breakfast is for our kiddos.
I shared the picture for the recipe we are serving for you here today, which I call Brainpower Boosting Easy Overnight Oatmeal. We are homeschooling this year, but when we did not have the luxury of flexibility in the morning routine, it was sometimes tough to get ready and out the door to school on time.
I must confess that breakfast on some mornings ended up being sausage and milk with a bag of dry cereal to eat in the car. Shhh!!! Let’s keep that between you and me. 😉 But really, in all honesty, every morning will not be perfect or ideal. However, I have discovered overnight oatmeal, the perfect solution!
This and a few of the other ideas included in the download are prepare-ahead (or quick and easy such as is the case with the delicious smoothie recipes included) breakfast solutions to help ensure that our kids are getting off to the strongest start possible each day. No more excuses!
This particular recipe I created with special ingredients though. Why are they special, you ask? Because they are known for their ability to help the brain function optimally! So this is most definitely an option I would try on mornings when I know, for example, that my child will be taking a test that morning at school.
Now, I am not a doctor or nutritional expert and this recipe has not been “tested and proven” to meet any claims. If you have concerns nutritionally or medically, you should always, of course, consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional!
But in my humblest opinion, if I can potentially maximize the function of my or my child’s brain by eating foods known to help our bodies in this way… why not?! Now, the ingredients chosen were inspired by a smoothie recipe that another blogger linked to our Star Recipes Collection. In that smoothie, she ONLY used ingredients known for their impact on our brains to function optimally, so you definitely want to check it out if you like smoothies.
In fact, one of the ingredients from her recipe that I was going to use with this oatmeal as a topping was pumpkin seeds. I was not able to this time because the ones I bought were not shelled, but we’ll try adding them the next time!
We did enjoy this oatmeal as it was made this time though, so give it a try and let us know what you think!
- ⅓ cup oatmeal
- ½ cup milk
- wild blueberries
- ½ apple
- flax seeds
- In a small bowl with a lid, combine oatmeal and milk. Cover and let sit in fridge overnight.
- Thaw blueberries in fridge overnight.
- The next morning, chop the apple and grind the flax seeds.
- Heat oatmeal in microwave if you like it warm, and top with blueberries, chopped apple and ground flax seeds (I used about ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon per person).
About the Author
Adopted at age 2, grew up in the Charlotte, NC area. Obtained Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Appalachian State University. Loves being a Mom of two and taste-testing Chef John's culinary creations and sharing them with readers.
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