The English should read My mother is “preparing” breakfast, instead of "cooking.
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Preparing is a possible solution but zubereiten implies more work than just putting the bread on the table. Its very much possible that the mother we’re talking about is cooking some eggs and sausages.
I’m from UK and we would cook breakfast if it included bacon and eggs etc
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What’s the difference between zubereiten and vorbereiten? Or would either one work here?
Although both cam be translated as “prepare” it is a difference.
“Vorbereiten” means to prepare something for further processing, like in
“Ich habe den Vertrag vorbereitet. Wenn sie keine Änderungswünsche haben, können wir ihn unterzeichnen.”
(I prepared the contract. If you have no requests for change, we can sign it."
If you would say “ich habe das Frühstück vorbereitet”, that would mean something is left to be done, e.g. the eggs are scxrambled but not yet in the pan.
“Zubereiten” is almost exclusively used for food and closely related things.
Edit: In technical terms “zubereiten” is used for everything that is prepared according to a recipe, including plastics, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals etc., but no layman would use it in such a way.
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Das finde ich überraschend. Wenn ich also sage: „Ich habe alles vorbereitet“, bedeutet das wirklich, dass meine Arbeit noch nicht fertig ist?
Your work is perhaps finished. But still, there is something that awaits further work.
“ich habe alles vorbereitet” means you have done everything that could be done at this moment, The “vor” means that the real thing will follow.
The mechanic said to the race driver: “Ich habe alles am Auto vorbereitet. Du must nur noch das Rennen gewinnen.” You only have to win the race now. 
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