No Time For Breakfast? No More Excuses! 03.07.2013

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We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Of course it’s wise to start your long and busy day with a healthful meal to keep you going. But sometimes we wake up late or are keeping such a tight schedule that breakfast gets pushed aside. How can you make sure you start your day right without spending a lot of time preparing a good breakfast?

Don’t worry, you’re not doomed to cold cereal and Poptarts (remember, I said GOOD breakfast?). There are many simple and delicious breakfasts that can start your day off well with minimal effort on your part.

Yogurt

Those little cups of flavored yogurt may be a popular choice but they are loaded with sugar and will leave you feeling sluggish before lunch even rolls around. It’s quite simple to make a more healthful and delicious yogurt breakfast.

Begin with plain yogurt and Greek style is even better as it has more protein. Try to skip the fat-free or ultra low-fat versions. You need fat to feel satisfied. If you like sweeter yogurt mix in a bit of honey.

Now simply add a variety of mix-ins to add dimension and flavor (not to mention protein, fat and vitamins) to you yogurt. Some great options are:

• Nuts
• Dried fruit
• Fresh or frozen fruits
• Dried coconut
• Granola
• Jam

Oatmeal

You can certainly grab one of those instant oatmeal packets and have oatmeal in a few minutes. But you may not have realized you can have an even better bowl of oatmeal just as quickly.

Simply start with rolled oats in a microwave safe bowl, add just enough milk to come to the surface of the oats and microwave for one minute. Then flavor and top as you like. A few delicious options are:

• Honey
• Real maple syrup
• Brown sugar
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Dried fruits
• Dried coconut
• Butter
• Coconut oil
• Granola
• Nut Butter

Eggs

Eggs certainly sound like a time consuming breakfast on a busy morning but they don’t have to be. You can easily have an omelet or scramble ready in just a few minutes by being prepared. Take some time the night before or early in the week to cut up the meats, cheeses, and vegetables you enjoy in your eggs. Then all you need to do is heat your pan and get cooking.

Shakes and Smoothies

Protein shakes have become quite popular lately but those protein powders can have a lot of sugar and strange ingredients. You can easily whip up a shake or smoothie from scratch that will fill you up and keep you energized.

When it comes to smoothies the possibilities are endless. You can find tons of recipes online. Once you get into the swing of making them you’ll find that it’s easy to switch things up and toss in what sounds good or what you have on hand. And smoothies and shakes are a great way to sneak in some extra veggies (toss in some carrots or leafy greens) and protein (add cottage cheese and nuts). Everything blends into a delicious breakfast that’s perfect on the go.

Now that you have some delicious and quick breakfast options you have no excuse to skip breakfast.