“Ashley, can I have some cereal?”

These are usually the first words I hear from my step kids every day. They can’t wait to get a bowlful of some sugary concoction first thing in the morning. Cocoa Puffs, Fruity Pebbles, Reese Puffs, and Frosted Flakes are some of their favorites, but they don’t discriminate too much.

When I was a kid, I ate my fair share of breakfast cereal–heck, I’ll still have a bowl every now and again for a snack. But I want the first thing my kiddos eat to be real food, not artificially colored sugary nothing. So today we did something different!

I sliced and toasted two whole wheat bagels, spread one half with peanut butter and the other with Nutella, then cut the halves in half (necessary for little fingers). I sliced two apples and gave each boy four slices along with half a bagel (one peanut butter piece and one Nutella piece). A glass of orange juice and we’re done!

The older boys gobbled it all up; the youngest ate the bagel and most of the apple slices. They loved that they could make a “sandwich” with the two bagel pieces and use the apple slices to scoop up the peanut butter and Nutella from their plates. I loved that they got a bit of protein, some vitamins, and a meal that would really fill them up. I ate the same portion size as them and I even I got good and full!

What are some kid-friendly recipes you’ve made to keep the little ones full and happy?