The hot choice
The cold choice
“Breakfast in the classroom” arrived this spring. I gave it some time and I can say that I’m happy about it. I’ve also talked to a lot my coworkers. There was initially some resistance among staff members, but it seems like that melted away quickly.
Positives:
- The kids love it — How great is it to walk into school and get food? The kids have big smiles on their faces when they are carrying their paper bags and milk to their classrooms.
- This is their breakfast — Most of the kids I chatted with weren’t getting breakfast at home.
- Kids can refuse — Some kids don’t take the breakfast bag (I was concerned it would be forced on them) and I was happy to see that.
- Choice between hot and cold — The kids who were eating breakfast in the cafeteria before have mentioned that they like that now they have two options.
- It’s social — Eating with your class can be a wonderful social experience. I believe social skills, especially around meal time, are so valuable. Since my students don’t get recess, they get fewer opportunities to chat. Isn’t part of the the enjoyment of food related to eating it with company?
- Fewer complaints of hunger — Kids aren’t saying they are hungry mid-morning. Huge win.
Other considerations:
- Big variability among offerings in terms of quality — Cereal and milk are great (what I eat at home a lot of the time), but many of the breakfasts offer processed cheese, processed meat, and little whole grain. When that’s mirrored in the school lunch meal, it seems a little much.
- Morning routine — Some classrooms are done eating quickly, while others take longer (preschool and special education). I find this to be a great argument for increasing the time given for lunch. It seems like the morning routine is more cohesive now that there is food.
- Increased work for lunch staff — Breakfast participation before was significantly lower than it is now (virtually every kid is eating breakfast now, even many kids who pack a lunch from home). I’ve chatted about it with the lunchroom staff and they are overwhelmingly positive about breakfast. They’ve even told me that they think academic performance will increase. I agree.
Mornings are crazy. When I get the chance, I’ll snap pictures of my students’ breakfasts. I will not be eating the breakfast myself; I’m done eating school food! Been there, done that. By the way, what did you eat this morning for breakfast?
I ate homemade plum sauce – like apple, but you know with plums. I did not peel them so it turned out a beautiful deep purple color. 😉
Cream of wheat made with rice milk, cinnamon, raisins, and an egg. The egg is mixed in with the milk in the cream of wheat, not on the side – I love that it adds protein to my favorite (but carb-heavy) breakfast! Wouldn't be a good breakfast for gluten free, of course, but I wonder if you could do the same thing with oatmeal or other porridge options. I just discovered the trick last week.
I had a farmer's market yard egg fried then made into a sandwich on whole grain bread with cheese from a local happy goat.
This is ridiculous and one of the reasons why I don't want to send my kid to a public school. My kid is one of those that WOULD get a breakfast at home — and I really don't want him eating two breakfasts, like you said kids in your class do.
Because we wouldn't be recipients of free lunch, I have a different perspective that I don't see voiced a lot. I think if your kid refuses the free breakfast, says he eats at home, he sets himself apart from the rest of the class BY class. Is there no fear of the "rich kid" stigma?
What do kids who don't eat the free breakfast do during this time? Sit and watch the other kids? Nothing?
Toasted day old baguette with butter and lots of coffee.
I had 3 small slices of grass fed sharp cheddar cheese. It's really not enough, and I will be eating an early lunch of dinner leftovers (grass fed pot roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, and freshly prepared peas/carrots).
Anonymous: It's pretty sad that there might be a "rich kid" stigma associated with a parent feeding their child at home, or sending food from home. I'm pretty sure that parents have been feeding their children hmmm… let me think… for generations, forever? It seems to me like it might be a good idea to consider whether or not you can afford to feed a child, BEFORE you have one. However, I know the majority will never do that, and it's not the child's fault if their parents can't or won't feed them. So sad.
We're not rich by any stretch of the imagination, but my son will not be eating school food when he is old enough to attend either.
I ate raspberry simply fruit jelly on gluten free cinnamon raisin toast and light sausage links with half a pear!! Delicious and bigger than usual, but I was hungry!
Although I usually eat a small bowl of cereal and yogurt, today I switched it up and had oatmeal 🙂 Just plain, I really don't enjoy the flavored kinds. I think they're way too sweet.
Also, I've just started my own blog about changing my eating habits, and I'll be posting about cafeteria food from my university! If you're interested:
http://nomoreself-control.blogspot.com/
We (my 4 daughters and I) had nitrate-free bacon, local pastured eggs scrambled in butter, plain yogurt with a squirt of honey, and sliced strawberries. Sadly, the strawberries were not organic…that is what they had a Wal-mart and they were on sale. They drank white organic milk, I had coffee with half/half & stevia.
Our other common breakfast is homemade steel-cut oatmeal with raisins, cinnamon, cloves, and a bit of maple syrup. Will serve that with plain yogurt topped with fruit.
I would be concerned about the huge amount of simple carbs in these meals you are showing. I have seen the kids that get breakfast at the girls' school here pour HFCS-sweetened chocolate milk on top of cereal and then chase it down with grape juice…can we say "diabetes on a plate". The 2nd breakfast you show is not very different than that…actually, worse since there are also "honey" grahams, which are sweetened I am sure with HFCS, not honey, but either way are a cookie, which is a dessert. How about some real fruit instead of juice? Scrambled eggs that are not encased in a carby bagel shell?
The hot breakfast looks okay, but the cold breakfast option is almost nothing but sugar/carbs. Multi-grain Cheerios contain way more sugar than regular Cheerios, and growing bodies need much more protein than that. However, a carby breakfast MAY be better than no breakfast, so I can't complain too much. I just wish nutritionists would be more careful in their meal selections and offer more nutritionally sound meals.
Breakfast is definitely the most important meal of the day, and I'm glad to see schools are making sure kids get some food in their bellies in the morning. I just hope kids choose the option with more protein.
My breakfast:
Bob's Red Mill "Mighty Tasty Gluten-Free Hot Cereal" (which, true to its name, is indeed Mighty Tasty, if a bit plain), with raisins, hemp seeds, almond milk and blackstrap molasses added in. With a banana on the side.
Socially I imagine the school breakfasts are quite nice, just as you said. I am also concerned though about the amount of sugar in the cold option…
I'm Anonymous @9:50am
I wonder why so many parents don't feed kids breakfast. If it's budget, then this would make me believe that reform is needed in the food stamp/SNAP/WIC program. If it's time, can't we tell parents to suck it up and get up 15 minutes earlier to spoon out a bowl of oats, spread peanut butter on a torilla, or make a sandwich out of last night's leftovers?
I'm not sure why this is a school's problem to solve IN CLASS rather than a culture problem to address as a whole. I do understand that having hungry kids in class is a problem.
Breakfast was oatmeal (I bought this awesome oatmeal that was on sale–it has flaxseed and… some other nutty grainy thing I can't remember right now. haha) with a drizzle of honey and a cup of sweet raspberry herbal tea. I'm trying to lay off the coffee lately… Oddly, I don't feel any more/less awake without coffee in the morning.
You know, we can complain all we want about the fact that the breakfast food could be revamped into something even more nutritious, but I think a lot of you are missing the point that kids are eating breakfast who previously were going hungry. And to the kids who ate two breakfasts? I'd be curious to know what counted for breakfast this morning. A pop tart? A glass of juice? Two donuts? There's a lot of breakfast food out there that will leave you starving within an hour of consumption, and if kids have the chance to remedy that problem with a bowl of cereal or a protein-packed breakfast sandwich (albeit sugary or processed), then kudos to the school for implementing this idea.
Actually wait, I don't see where Mrs. Q said kids are eating two breakfasts. I can see where she said they had two options, but am I missing something somewhere?
How about just giving each classroom a bowl of apples and bananas that kids who are hungry could snack on anytime during the day. If there was a fridge in the class, maybe some single-serving bags of baby-cut carrots. Then hungry kids could have some real food for breakfast when they get there and kids that might not have eaten enough during their hurried lunch break, could have a good afternoon snack. Also, would encourage kids to think of fruits and veggies as snackfoods instead of cookies and crackers.
I think I'm one of the few who doesn't agree with breakfast at school (though my mother in law who's a teacher also agrees with me). I have this wacky view that I'm my kids parent, and I'm responsible for feeding them. This is why they will eat breakfast at home, and bring packed lunches to school.
Breakfast over here this morning was scrambled pastured eggs, organic cheese slices (both from a local farm), and organic banana slices.
Stacey-good ideas 🙂 My daughter goes to a public charter school and parents take turns bringing in snack (kindergarten). They have a small fridge, and the the teacher suggests fresh fruit/veggies, string cheese, and yogurt as snack ideas-love it!
What a great idea!!!
Is your school doing anything to gauge the benefits of classroom breakfasts? Maybe watching test scores or grades. Wouldn't it be great to see the improvements!
Also, it would be interesting to see what would happen if they looked at how long it took each class/grade to eat and gave them an equal amount of lunch time. I'd be curious to see what that would do for the kids.
Have you participated in a survey about this program? If so…can I ask whether they just asked questions for you to respond to or whether it was more open ended?
I ask because I have read three 'survey results' articles about Breakfast in the Classroom and all three mentioned one thing that surprised me. They all said the students felt safe eating breakfast in their classroom. I thought that was so weird, especially when I read that comment in our local newspaper- we live in a town of about 20,000- and I can't imagine kids or teachers thinking to mention that they felt safe. Of all the things you COULD say about the program, that keeps popping up. It just strikes me as an odd thing to say.
According to our paper, Illinois has the lowest rate of students participating in school breakfasts in the whole country.
I thought I'd be the only one! I'm so glad to see that a few others might kind of think like I do…I think this is crazy. I don't really agree with the state feeding children all their meals. This is the responsibility of the parents. Parents can't hack it? Then these kids should be living with someone who can. Extreme I realize, but I lost a lot of patience when I heard about the schools feeding kids breakfast, lunch and dinner and sending bags of food home on the weekends. And then school was closed because of weather, but they sent out a text message and parents made it in to pick up food. So enough money for a cell phone, but not for food for your family? And can't make it to school for education, but you can for a handout?
And yes, eating breakfast and other meals is about socializing and making connections, I just think they should be with your family. Kids should eat lunch at school and socialize then, but when are families getting time together if schools are providing every meal?
I just think we are taking care of and paying for many of the responsibilities that should be in the hands of the parents.
Heather
I thought of you the other week. I volunteered at my children's elementary school for Dads + Donuts and then again on Grandparents Day (for Grandparents + snacks). You would not believe the food they serve for a breakfast "snack." Mind you, it's 7:30-8:15 a.m.: For the grandparents they were served one mini-muffin (which they knew wasn't going to be enough to "fill" everyone), so they offered extra-sweet (chocolate chip) granola bars and high-fructose corn syrup fruit "snacks." The kids were probably bouncing off the walls for the teachers that morning.
The PTO was in charge of it and I think next year I'm going to have to volunteer to help plan it. (They had Moms + Muffins a few weeks back and they served mini-muffins, some fresh apples/bananas, but mostly fruit snacks. Fruit snacks. For mothers. In the morning. For breakfast. Something is wrong with that picture.)
After being scarred for life over these breakfasts, all the children who are on the free-lunch program came in for "breakfast." They were served leftover pizza and hamburgers from previous lunches. My children will never be allowed to buy school breakfasts ever again.
YAY for breakfasts! Today I had wontons in chicken broth 🙂
Just Better Together
Paleo pancakes! About 1/2 cup pureed fruit (1 mashed banana, or a single serve apple sauce cup), 2 eggs, a spoon of almond butter, a little cinnamon and vanilla. Mix with a fork, cook like a pancake, serve. I put chocolate chips in mine, but that's because I'm 31 and allowed to choose chocolate if I wish! 😀
Breakfast whole grain high fiber pita w/ left over chicken & a sprinkle of cheese , heated in the micro. Green tea w/ stevia.My daughter had double the fiber toast w/ cream cheese , strawberries & milk.
It's great that kids are getting something in their tummy in the morning, if there parents are having a hard time affording the meal @ home. Though I can say that a lot of kids in my daughter's class don't eat breakfast. I know some of the families & can say it's not a $$$ issue. It's a time issue or parents lifestyle.I know of moms who struggle w/ eating disorders & don't like keeping a lot of food around & don't "do" breakfast. Parents who rush to the last minute & drop the kids off late (all of the time) so the kids are use to going to school empty tummy & late.So sadly it's not always a $$ thing.
WOW @ Anonymous @9:50 and Heather – your post sounded way harsh. Try and think of it from the perspective of a working mom who is trying her hardest to provide for her children. Maybe she really wishes that she could provide better food for her children but lacks the time and money to do so. Some employers aren't very flexible and the cost of food has gone up alot. It's not cheap to buy really healthy food and when you are living on a strict budget, what do you do? Sometimes those handouts are what's helping you in this economy.
I think breakfast in the classroom sounds great. Hopefully the teacher has conversations with the kids about the importance of eating meals and eating healthy foods. Maybe this will help improve some grades and maybe even some behavior.
You are so lucky that your Breakfast in the Classroom is good! I am at a K-8 school, and teach 7th and 8th grades. We have BIC here, and I can't stand it. The breakfasts are super unhealthy, greasy, calorie and fat packed.The usuals:
-Grilled cheese sandwich
-Bean burrito (kids LOVE this one, and it's probably one of the more healthy options)
-super greasy, quesadilla with sausage in it. It is SO greasy that your hands get greasy before you open the cellophane wrapper
Some days we do have cereal- Cheerios or Chex. That's not so bad, but kids usually don't eat it. We used to have some healthier options, but they mysteriously disappeared.
It makes a mess in the classroom and takes up time. Now, before this we DID have breakfast at schools. It just wasn't in the classroom. The reason why they changed it was because they get more money for more kids who eat. So having them eat IN the classroom is a good way to ensure more dollars. Don't think it is because the machine has the best interests of the kids. They don't.
I abhor the idea of this. And if schools do it, I'd appreciate it being done early, and my kid being allowed to come in later. Is there anything that's not processed (not allowed in my home), that isn't microwaved, isn't in plastic. It's a chemical soup nightmare. And who knows where the food is from. I'm not a believer that something is better than nothing. I'd rather have these kids hungry than poisoned. This morning I had a dutch pancake, eggs, and sausage. The eggs and sausage were from Health Family Farms and Organic Pastures (both farms I've visited and met the owners/farmers).
I have to say I'm split on this one. I think it's important to make sure that children get a morning meal, but there are other considerations that other readers have commented on.
I don't have any children myself (yet), so it's hard for me to speak from that perspective. Still, I imagine that I would prefer to serve breakfast at home—or pack it to go to make sure my hypothetical children received something nutritious and minimally processed. They could always eat a bagged breakfast from home with the rest of the class…
In a perfect world, local farmers and the like would provide the food for such in-school breakfasts. I know we're quite a ways off from that, but one can dream!
This morning, I enjoyed a bowl of oatmeal that had pear, ground flax, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, clove, and cottage cheese cooked in—perfect fuel for a busy day!
Thanks to the folks who have made thoughtful comments about access to food. Those who think poor people shouldn't have kids, or that parents who unexpectedly encounter rough times (has anyone heard we've had a bit of a problem with unemployment lately?) are more deserving of criticism than assistance make me sad and angry. Class issues are complex. Food politics too. We all deserve good healthful food. I don't feel the need to wonder about individual parents when I know that social inequities are systemic. Efforts made in the direction of feeding kids who would otherwise not be fed (and therefore giving them a better chance to learn) sounds good to me.
april, amen.
On a positive note, I'm pleased to see Multi-grain Cheerios. Way better than Froot Loops or Lucky Charms. It's not perfect, but it's one of the better choices.
Knowing how many kids don't eat breakfast at home, I'm all for this–at least they're getting some fuel. Get it started, then start slipping in the healthier stuff.
The only major problem I see is that kids who have already eaten at home will eat again, just because the food is there. Then they'll either have an extra meal they don't need, or they won't be hungry when lunch rolls around–at some schools, the first lunch period starts at 11 am– and end up throwing that food away. I do like the idea of offering just fruit; it won't hurt a kid who already ate breakfast to have a banana or some apple slices, and the kids who didn't eat at all will at least get something.
Oh–and this morning, I had an egg sandwich on an English muffin, and my daughter had a waffle. No syrup, because she ate it in the car on the way to school.
Thanks for taking the time to share this, I feel strongly about it and love reading more on this topic. If possible, as you gain knowledge, would you mind updating your blog with more information? It is extremely helpful for me.
I think Heather needs to live in a shelter for a month with her family & get weaned off of her organic milk to have a reality check about the extreme poverty that exists today. Not that I would wish that on anyone… but at least volunteer at one so you can look in the face of what poverty looks like today. 1 in 4 people in the country recieve some sort of nutrition assistance every day. And that's only the ones that apply for benefits. These are hard times & a little compassion for your fellow humans is in order here. I'm so thankful we have these programs as our nutrition safety net to help people when they need it & give all of our children equal footing nutritionally to help them succeed academically.
M
I don't like most breakfast foods, so I had a turkey-and-Muenster on 12-grain bread, half an apple, and French pressed coffee. On the rare occasions when I feel like "traditional" breakfast, I usually have scrambled egg sandwiches on Italian bread, yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit, or waffles. Usually I eat some variation of snack/lunch foods, though.
My son eats breakfast at school and I have to say that it's gone really well for us this year. His school's breakfast offerings are significantly healthier and tastier than the lunches; we compromise there by sending him with a packed lunch about 2-3 times a week. The breakfast thing is an everyday lifesaver, though — we get to sleep until 7:20 every morning!
Cheers to April and Anon 7.21 (and others whose humane comments I might have missed).
I already commented earlier praising the program, but I have to speak up again given some of the comments that have come up in the last 24 hours.
It's sick and disturbing the way some of you ritzy bitches act at the mere thought of people suddenly finding themselves too poor to afford food. Clearly you've never been there. Clearly you don't even KNOW someone who's been there. You're sheltered and delusional and you'd better get down on your knees and PRAY that you never have a wave of bad luck, where you and your husbands both get laid off from your well-paying jobs, only to lose your health insurance and have a kid get sick. The scary thing is that scenarios like that HAPPEN ALL THE TIME. Have a little compassion.
Reading some of the sick, cruel, heartless things you're saying truly does nauseate me, and that's no understatement.
It's enough to make me ashamed to read this blog because I DON'T WANT TO GET LUMPED IN WITH ASSHOLES LIKE YOU.
This morning I had a late breakfast, but it was home made corned beef hash that I made the night before. First time I tried it and it was really good.
Food, and the access to it, is such a touchy subject. It makes me sad to know that some kids don't eat breakfast at home but it happens daily. It would be devastating to have my ability to feed my children diminished or taken away all together due to a lay off, major illness or whatever other financial catastrophy could happen. I feel great sympathy for those families. Not so much if you're just not getting out of bed early enough to slap some nut butter on toast. If it's a time management thing then I think parents should buck up and make a change in their routine to ensure their kids get fed. For those though that simply cannot provide food I'm glad that the kids are getting fed at school. Hunger in the classroom is a huge obstacle to education. It's impossible to learn multiplication when all you can think about is your rumbling tummy. Children need food in the morning and if this is the only way they can get it, then I'm glad the program is up and running.
As far as our breakfast, GF oatmeal with bananas, cinnamon and honey for the little dude and bananas and almond butter for me. Love our oatmeal!
Sadly, neither of the school's breakfast options are close to optimal.
Both lack quality complex carbohydrates (yes, even the MultiGrain Cheerios),and both opt for grape juice instead of real fruit like orange or grapefruit sections.
Let's start with the MultiGrain Cheerios. A quick trip to the grocery store showed this ingredient label: whole grain corn, whole grain oats, sugar, whole grain barley, whole grain wheat, whole grain rice, corn starch, brown sugar syrup, corn bran, salt and the list goes on….
The dominant ingredient in this cereal is corn, one of the cheapest and least nutritious grains available. Not to mention the GMOs in regular corn – another issue all together.
Then there's the sugar – an overabundance of it both as cane sugar and syrup.
And look at the bran that's used – corn bran. Again, very inexpensive and nutritionally inferior to rice bran or wheat bran.
Couple the sugary cereal with the grape juice and the Honey Grahams and you a have a breakfast that does not sustain blood glucose levels throughout the morning, among other things.
The hot breakfast seems better, but also fails with the big white bread roll and the grape juice. And I wonder where those eggs come from? Are those real eggs or dehydrated eggs that are then reconstituted?
Overall, we can do much better. School food needs to be delicious and healthy. We need more money, more partnerships with local food suppliers, and more nutrition knowledge woven into the process.
Piping hot dark roast french press coffee, no dairy or sugar of any kind, fake or otherwise. A thin, tea-sized savory sandwich consisting of: 3 slices nitrate-free Applegate Farm Genoa salami, one paper thin slice Finlandia Light Swiss from the deli, a large handful of organic arugula, and mayo liberally spread on lightly toasted white Portuguese bread (no, it's not whole wheat, but nothing makes as good toast, and because it has only four ingredients–flour, water, yeast and salt–I consider it to be practically a health food!) Plus some leftover mango slices from my daughter's packed lunch (she has no school, but I packed her a lunch to bring to a day-long play date.).
It's great that kids get breakfast, but I think it's so sad to see that feeding children involves so much packaged foods that creates garbage for a bleaker tomorrow.
I have a hard time with teaching children that it's OK to eat individually packaged stuff every day. (This is just my opinion… sorry if it's not popular. I personally always bring food in reusable containers.)
I wish people didn't think convenience is more important than protecting the environment.
Oops, I am sorry, I didn't realize the kids weren't getting fed breakfast unless they eat this food from school. I just never realized parents would have kids if they can't feed them… sorry. I am naive. I didn't mean to talk about packaging stuff instead of kids going hungry.
It's very commendable that such an initiative has been started. I think that for kids whose parents can't afford to feed them in the morning, even this is better than going hungry, because it's impossible to concentrate in class if your stomach is growling all the time. But then, this food also looks like it can definitely use some improvement.
Then, I find it a bit strange that parents wouldn't be able to afford even a minimal breakfast for their kids. I just did a quick check: when you buy in bulk, a 25-pound bag of organic rolled oats costs about $25. There are 5 cups of rolled oats in a pound, and you need a 3/4 cup for one serving. Don't these $25 make for more than a 125 breakfasts then? For a family of four, that would suffice for more than a month. Not to mention that plain oatmeal is much more nutritious and filling than processed sugary cereal with added vitamins, of which it's uncertain how much you actually absorb. In oatmeal, B-vitamins and iron are naturally present.
But then, there are other issues: 25 pounds are a lot to lug home, and many low-income families live in food deserts, where they have to go long distances to find fresh and unprocessed food. Still, I think that having an oatmeal breakfast at home that costs so little is much better for you in the long run than getting sugar high on Cheerios in school.
I'm solidly pro-breakfast at school and pro-eating in the classroom with your classmates and teacher.
Working for a Recreation department before and after school program, I saw breakfast both in the cafeteria (we shared our classroom with Beginning Band, who had practice before school) and in the cafeteria. The cafeteria was usually loud and chaotic. Kids not buying breakfast would collect in the hallway and make faces or try to talk to kids who were eating breakfast…sometimes kids would speed through their meal or try to bust out early to be with their friends. Sometimes Jump Rope Club was happening during breakfast in the other half of the multi purpose room.
I much preferred the days when the kids brought breakfast back to our classroom. We sat together at one table and it was enjoyable for everybody. Chatting casually over a meal allows you to connect with your kids in ways you otherwise might not have. They're always excited to have you at their table (even if they're too old to show it outright). Topics of conversation flow freely and range from the totally silly (why they don't like Justin Beiber) to everyday (what they did over the weekend) to thoughtful and intelligent (what they're afraid of about going to middle school next year).
The food the school served for breakfast was not great…too much sugar and processed meat and cheese. But, as someone above stated, it's better than nothing. Yes, it absolutely should be improved. But I think having breakfast together at school is a wonderful thing for the group/class and its leader/teacher.
PS – Today I had oatmeal and orange juice. classic, filling, relatively balanced and one of my favorites!
whoops – I wrote that I saw breakfast both in the cafeteria and in the cafeteria…that second cafeteria should be classroom!
Wow. I understand some people try to eat healthier, and some are even lucky enough to afford the extra $$s that come with the words "grass fed" "organic" "non GM" and such.
But reading the comments really gives the impression that your readers somehow think that they're BETTER than other people for choosing these options! Especially the "I'd rather kids be starving than eat something wrapped in plasting!"
I agree with the suggestion that some of these women step out of their $$$$$ padded bubbles and do a bit of volunteer work. Maybe you may consider "Grass Fed Goat Cheese and Stevia in my Green Tea" better for you, but that's NOT an option for everyone, and you're putting a very ugly black mark across this site.
Old-fashioned oatmeal for about $3 for the GIANT box at Wal-Mart that has like 30 servings in it is probably an option for almost anyone. Unless you are homeless, you have either a hot plate or microwave. The question is whether you have the time to make it (takes all of 4 minutes in the microwave) and whether your kids will eat it as opposed to demanding sugary stuff. If you get them started on sugary stuff young, it is very hard to then switch them to healthier foods later.
Eggs (conventional, not organic) are also quite inexpensive per serving. While I do usually buy organic for my family, the conventional ones are less than $2 for a dozen, sometimes like $1 a dozen on sale. Again, a b'fast for less than 25 cents per serving. But, they do have to be cooked. A timesaving and portable breakfast is to hard-boil the eggs and just keep in the fridge. Kids can grab one on their own without any parental cooking in the morning.
Anon I agree- hard boiled eggs are a mom's best friend 🙂 Another great one is eggs salad or chicken salad-both can be made ahead of time, are cheap, healthy, and taste great on toast in the morning 🙂 There's literally thousands of recipes on how to make these two on Food.com
http://www.food.com/recipe-finder/all/egg-salad
http://www.food.com/recipe-finder/all/chicken-salad