Breakfast is mostly a cold-cereal affair at my house, especially during the weekdays. I wish it weren’t so! But my kids are old enough to be self-sufficient, so while they’re getting ready for school, I’m prepping for work. Tossing a box of something-or-other on the kitchen table with a jug of milk is about as fancy as I get.

So when I made homemade waffles last week, the kids were stunned. And then, stuffed! For once, I felt like the “good mom” I know I can be. (Wait—Bisquick does count as homemade, right?)

So, I have a plan. Get something fast, easy and healthy — that’s not cold cereal — on the breakfast table more often. I dredged through my rusty repertoire and came up with these ideas.

Healthy but still fast breakfasts:

• Top frozen whole-wheat waffles with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a sprinkling of raisins. Faster than my “homemade,” this version also has more protein and less sugary syrup.
• Fruit smoothies always get a thumbs-up; just dump milk, yogurt and frozen fruit in a blender and let ‘er rip. My son’s crazy about banana smoothies with a dollop of peanut butter added to the mix. Experiment to find your family’s faves.
• Doctor up microwaveable oatmeal with a little ground flax seed and some chopped walnuts or almonds. (The flax seed tastes sort of nutty and is really healthy. They’ll never suspect.)
• Try whole wheat crackers with string cheese for breakfast — unconventional but still good.
• Slice up an apple, banana or orange and eat with a handful of almonds. The sugar in the fruit delivers fast energy while the almonds provide fiber and protein.
• A quick scramble of eggs and cheese can be easily wrapped up in a tortilla for on-the-go goodness.

Give these tips a try and see how it goes at your place. Have a few of your own breakfast recipes to add? We’d love to hear.