Here are the secrets of good back-to-school breakfasts for busy families

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Diane Henderiks shares back-to-school breakfast, lunch recipes that double as snacks

Chef and nutritionist Diane Henderiks details easy and healthy meal ideas as kids go back to school this fall.

Feeding the kids a decent breakfast ahead of a busy school day is often a challenge for many families.

Yet doctors, nutritionists and many other professionals stress that a good first-day meal is critical not just for health — but for focus and learning.

Healthy snacks are also an important part of a child's day. 

As this year's back-to-school season gets underway, Diane Henderiks, a chef and nutritionist, appeared on "Fox & Friends Weekend" on Saturday, August 20, to share smart tips for good health first thing in the morning. 

She's also the host of the streaming show "Fresh to Frozen and Back."

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"For breakfast, muffins and pancakes are always really great." 

But instead of spending time making them in the morning when every minute counts, she advised that moms, dads and guardians make them "in big batches" ahead of time — and then freezing them, she said.

A stack of homemade blueberry pancakes with fresh blueberries and maple syrup is shown here. Busy moms and dads can defrost and then reheat pancakes that are made ahead of time.  (iStock)

Then it's "so easy to just take them out and defrost" them in the microwave.

Also, "you can put them in the toaster," she said. 

That "works great."

A breakfast parfait is made from Greek yogurt and granola topped with fresh berries. It can be prepped the night before and popped into the fridge. (iStock)

Everybody loves parfaits, she added, for grab and go — "my kids love them."

She also mentioned the benefits of the Just Crack an Egg product.

A smart and efficient morning breakfast arrangement for back-to-school time can be yours — with a little planning and prep the day before. And it doesn't have to be complicated, as one expert revealed. (iStock)

"It's fresh, it's real — and it's just so delicious."

It takes just 90 seconds to prepare, she added, from refrigerator to microwave.

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She mentioned apples and nuts, too, as a quick, healthy meal if time is truly crunched in the morning.

An assortment of delicious, healthy nuts — walnuts, pecans, almonds and more. Kids can grab a handful before school if they're really time-crunched.   (iStock)

"My go-to," she said, when she or her kids were running late in the morning, were "a handful of nuts and apples."

She also mentioned Wyman's frozen fruit and yogurt cups as a smart, healthy choice — they're "better than ice cream."

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Diane Henderiks serves on the advisory board for the American Vegetarian Association, the Hudson County Community College Culinary Arts Institute and the Culinary Council for Chefs Society, according to her website.

She is based on the New Jersey shore. 

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To learn more, watch the video at the top of this article, or click here to access it.