How do you start your mornings? Do you eat right away? Hold off? Forget to eat? Or are you not hungry? (I’m always hungry at meal times so I lovingly don’t understand that last one!)
I know all sorts of breakfasters, but more often than not what I really hear is: I’m not hungry so I don’t think about it, and then I’m hungry and I buy something crappy from the gas station or vending machine.
I get it. When you’re not thinking about it, you don’t care or worry about it. But that’s where preparation comes into play. I’m a big meal and snack prepper and have been for years… And I count it as one of the top reasons that I stay healthy.
Let’s dive into breakfast really quickly. Without going into fasting (that’s a topic for another blog post), it’s a good idea to break your fast within the first few hours of waking and/or around 12 hours between meals. Do I do this all of the time? No. Because it depends on the situation. But I often aim for at least 12 hours between when I finish eating at night to eating breakfast in the morning. However, I do have my coffee (with a bit of sweet cream coconut milk creamer) first. I’m a creature of weird habits: I don’t like to mix my food with many beverages besides water (even alcohol most times). So, I enjoy 1-2 cups of coffee first, and then I eat breakfast. Sometimes that’s 12 hours after I stopped eating at night, sometimes it’s 14 hours, and occasionally it’s 10-11 hours after. It all depends on when I get up, what I do in the morning, and whether or not I’ve already drank water and coffee. Odd, I know.
What I suggest is that your breakfast includes—like all meals—a carbohydrate, a protein, a fat, and something with fiber. When you combine all four of those together you get flavor and satiety.
· Examples of breakfast carbs: Whole grain cereal, whole grain or whole wheat bread, oats/oatmeal, fruits, or a granola bar made from dates
· Examples of breakfast proteins: Nuts, meat, eggs, nut butters, yogurt, cottage cheese, or cheese
· Examples of breakfast fats: Avocado, cheese, certain meats, nuts, or nut butters
· Examples of breakfast fibers: Whole grain cereal or bread, oats/oatmeal, chia seeds, flaxseeds, or fruits
There are more, of course, but those are some of the more typical/common ones you think of.
I vary my breakfasts depending on what time it is, where it is, what’s going on, who’s around, and, of course, what we have, but I usually keep all of the above in our fridge and pantry at all times.
Here are some of my favorite breakfasts:
· A Greek plain or vanilla yogurt (Greek = more protein, plain or vanilla = less sugar) + pumpkin seeds/seeds or nuts of choice + 1 Tbsp. chia seeds or flaxseeds + fruit or a sprinkling of dried, unsweetened coconut
· ½ c. oatmeal made with hot water and 1-2 Tbsp. milk of choice + dash of cinnamon + small handful of chopped nuts/seeds + ½ c. (ish) of fruit + 1 Tbsp. chia seeds or flaxseeds
· Overnight oats: ½ c. old fashioned rolled oats + ½ c. milk of choice + ½ Tbsp. chia seeds or flaxseeds + 1 Tbsp. sweetener of choice (honey is preferred!) – mix well and put in the fridge overnight – add desired toppings before you eat (coconut, fruit, nuts, peanut butter, etc.)
· 1 piece of whole grain bread with a little butter on it and toasted + ¼ avocado + sprinkle of cheese of choice + 1 slice meat of choice + 1 egg
· 1 piece of whole grain bread toasted + natural peanut butter + 1 banana sliced on top
· ½ – ¾ c. whole grain cereal + handful of seeds + 1 banana cut up + milk of choice
· ½ – ¾ c. cottage cheese (I go with 4% milk fat) + ½ – ¾ c. fruit chopped + handful of nuts or seeds
· High-fiber tortilla wrap + ¼ c. cheese sprinkled + 1 scrambled egg + ½ c. chopped veggies of choice + meat of choice (optional) folded and microwaved as a quesadilla
· Quick smoothie: 2 handfuls spinach (yes, really) + 2 spoonfuls of avocado (yes, really) + fruit of choice + ½ c. milk of choice + ½ c. water of choice + 2 spoonfuls of nut butter
· Protein balls: ½ c. nut butter + ½ c. honey + 1 c. old fashioned rolled oats
o Make them “extra” by adding nuts, seeds (flax, chia, pumpkin), dried fruit, coconut flakes, or chocolate chips
· My favorite on-the-go breakfast is a small handful of raisins + a small handful of nuts (+ a handful of whole grain cereal if you need more)
· Worse comes to worse, I grab a Lara Bar (they’re made with all real ingredients) + an apple or banana
· Another worse comes to worse, a cheese stick + a natural/real meat stick + a piece of fruit works!
Those are some of my usuals and favorites, but of course you can discover a whole world of breakfast ideas on the Google machine and on, my favorite, Pinterest.
Take care of you!
