5 easy “nutrition boost” breakfast ideas for babies (6 months+)

As a mum of 2, I know how hard it can be to come up with meal ideas, especially when it comes to breakfast.

That's why I've put together this list of 5 nutritionally boosted and delicious baby breakfast ideas for you to try out at home - whether you are just starting to introduce solid foods at 6 months or you’ve already got a pro at eating solids!

I’ve included ways you can easily supercharge some simple recipes, to fit your baby’s specific nutritional needs (such as iron for breastfed babies past 6 months).

Most of the raw ingredients used here are safe in the fridge or cupboard for at least a week, so you can just include them in your weekly shopping and know you will have something nutritious you can whip up quickly! I have included all the ingredients needed at the bottom of the post.

To help you further, I’ve also ranked them in the order of the time they take – so you can decide which one to go for. Even better, to make breakfast more fun, you can put these ideas on little cards and get your little ones to pick what they’d like that morning!

Boosted overnight oats with mashed fruit (1 minute + 5 mins prep the night before)You’ve all heard of overnight oats but when it comes to babies, we want to make sure we give it the right “boost” to supercharge this family-friendly recipe.

At its essence, it is simply a mix of oats and milk (1:1 or 1:1.25 if you prefer it wetter). Let it sit in the fridge overnight, and in the morning, just add in a handful of fruits and you’ve got a delicious and creamy breakfast ready to serve. Try adding a sprinkle of cinnamon or vanilla powder.

You can turn this into a supercharged iron and calcium-rich “super brekkie” with these tricks:

• Use full-fat milk until your little one is 2 years old. You can use Arla Big Milk (this is fortified with iron) or a plant-based alternative (make sure it's well-fortified soya, pea or oat milk). No nut or rice milk for little ones.
• Swirl in a little smooth no added sugar or salt nut or seed butter (once you are sure your baby doesn’t have any nut allergies!)
• Add in some crushed seeds as a topping

For the adults in the family, you can add a little honey to further sweeten this (please remember no honey for babies under 1, and it’s still a “free sugar” and dietitians recommend minimising its use for children under 4).

Boosted toast with hummus and sliced vegetables (1 min + 5 mins prep)

If you have the time, making hummus yourself is actually simpler than you may think and it helps to make sure you can control the salt level in the humus – I will share a recipe soon.

But I know realistically, most of the time, we will be using shop-bought versions! Just keep an eye on the salt label pick one that’s lower and watch out for the serving size for your baby! Babies under 1 should have <1g salt per day.

Some simple ways to “boost” this easy combination:

• Add some crushed seeds or nuts on top
• Use the vitamin C-rich bell pepper as topping as it will help with the absorption of iron from the hummus
• Vary giving wholemeal and white bread to ensure your little one is not filling up on too much fibre. Alternatively, why not try a 50:50 vitamin boost bread which is fortified with extra iron, and calcium.

Boosted avocado and scrambled eggs (5 minutes)

Scrambled egg is another classic breakfast item. To add even more healthy fat and growth-supportive B vitamins, simply:

• Mash a ripe avocado
• You can pre-load this on a spoon to encourage them to self-feed, or put it on top of a finger of toast for them to practice!
• For a further nutritional boost, you can try and add some crushed seed on top

Adults in the family may also want to season it with some crushed chilli flakes and you’ve got a crowd-pleaser in 5 minutes!

Boosted sweet potato with scrambled eggs (15-20 minutes)

If you have some more time on hand, why not try adding sweet potato to your little ones' breakfast. Sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene—a nutrient that the body converts to vitamin A, which helps with your baby’s eyesight, skin, and immune health. They also contain brain-supportive vitamin B6 and gut-friendly fibre.

• Peel and chop sweet potatoes into finger shapes and steam for 10-15 minutes until soft
• Mash it up (remember to leave some finger food for the baby too!)
• Spread onto some buttered toast, you can mix with some full-fat cream cheese and cut into fingers. This is also a great way of using up any vegetable purees

Boosted banana and oat pancakes (15-20 mins)This is usually one that I save up for the weekend as it takes a little longer (although you can shorten the time by making smaller pancakes so they cook faster!)For the pancake mix:

• Just mash up a ripe banana
• Mix it with some oats and milk to create a pancake batter
• Cook the pancakes in a pan
• Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon for that sweet taste without the sugar!

And to boost the nutrition? I bet you know the drill now:

• Add some no-added sugar/salt nut butter to the batter (please remember to never serve nut butter on its own to babies as it’s a choking hazard!)
• Top up with a range of seasonal fruits for additional vitamins
• Use ReadyBrek and Arla Big Milk for an additional iron boost

I hope you enjoy these recipes. Oh, and do let me know how you get on! You can email me personally at Mulu@vandme.co.uk

What you will need to make the 5 recipes:

1. Porridge oats (or fortified oats e.g. Ready Brek)
2. Milk (full-fat milk, Arla Big Milk or other fortified alternative)
3. Bread (for toast)
4. Lowest salt option hummus or homemade hummus
5. Vegetables
6. Ripe avocado
7. Eggs (free range, red lion stamped)
8. Butter / Oil for cooking
9. Ripe banana
10. No added sugar/salt nut or seed butter or crushed/milled seeds (optional)
11. Seasonal fruits for topping (optional)
12. Chilli flakes for adults (optional)
13. Warming spices such as cinnamon or vanilla for sweet taste (optional)