There is such a love-hate and perhaps even a nostalgic relationship we have with breakfast. We may remember late Sunday morning breakfasts sitting at the table eating breakfast with our families as youngin’s. Or we may recall brunches with the ladies or breakfast in bed with our loved one.
However, our relationship with breakfast as adults often default to the latter of the idiom. During the week, we often rush out of the door empty-bellied, promising ourselves a coffee break or snack when we get to work or school, whether fulfilled or not. With excuses such as, ‘I’m just not that hungry when I wake up,’ and ‘I don’t have time for breakfast’.
We make these excuses, yet we all know deep down, that we are not hungry in the morning most likely due to: 1) eating too close to going to sleep (not allowing for proper/full digestion), 2) not waking up early enough so that our G.I. also has time to wake up, 3) making not eating a habit, OR 4) purely lying to ourselves and others for no apparent reason. We ‘don’t have time’ to make breakfast perhaps because we prioritize the extra 10-15 minutes of sleep over a wholesome and nutrient-dense meal which breaks our over-night fast.
Now I say, “STOP THE EXCUSES!”
They always say breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day, and with good merit. Registered Dietitian, Nancy Clark, who specializes in Sports Nutrition, emphasizes a funnel-shaped eating pattern; eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a peasant. This meaning, focus on breaking your fast with a large portion of healthy, and balanced foods, with smaller meals throughout the days. Focusing on whole fruits and vegetables, lean sources of protein, healthy fats, and whole-grains will ensure a well-balanced diet, promoting energy, health, and fat loss, while helping to lower inflammation encountered in our daily diet and lifestyles.
There are many individuals who swear by early morning fasting as helping lower energy intake by not having that first meal of the day. Although, at first glance, this makes perfect sense, and may work for some individuals; however, this may be counter-intuitive. Not eating breakfast can lead to lowered energy throughout the day and making hunger rebound at a much higher rate later in the day. With increased hunger, cravings are enhanced, and inhibitions are lowered, creating a situation where you may choose more energy-dense foods (i.e. salt and sugar-laden, and fried foods) which may provide that immediate gratification, but not provide the nutrition or energy we need for the rest of the day. This leading to a rippling effect of low-energy and cravings (not going to the gym due to lack of energy, choosing take-out instead of making meals, so on and so forth).
Therefore, depending on your nutrition, fitness, or life-goals, choosing to wake up a little earlier to make and eat breakfast could make the difference you are looking for. There are so many quick, easy, filling, and nutritious meals we can make with little to no prep or effort on our parts!
In this blog-post, I list a few different breakfast ideas you can make quick and on the go. I will also provide a recipe for one of my most recent and delicious breakfast creations, a dark-chocolate-raspberry yogurt bowl.
SOME QUICK BREAKFAST IDEAS
1. Play around with OATMEAL
There are so many ways to make it and fix it. Toppings upon toppings galore. And with instant oatmeal, adding water and sticking something in a microwave was never easier. Try adding different flavors to plain oatmeal (i.e. peanut butter, chocolate, cinnamon, protein powders) and all the toppings (i.e. various fruits, nuts, seeds, hemp seeds, granola, etc). What about trying savory oatmeals? Most oatmeal ends up being somewhat sweet with various fruits or honey. Trying to add a fried egg, breakfast meat, avocado, various spices, or other non-sweet item can make a savory twist to the breakfast go-to.
2. Overnight Oats
Don’t have much time in the mornings? Add almond milk to some instant oats, and layer the oats with some berries and non-fat Greek yogurt in a mason jar or other container the night before. You’ll wake up to a great healthy breakfast on-the-go!
3. Rice-N-Eggs
My step-father is Japanese and would always make us this wonderful little treat with any leftover white sticky-rice we had. Simply warm up a pan on the stove-top (with a small amount of vegetable or olive oil). Warm up rice in pan, add already scrambled or simply crack an egg right on top and mix in with the rice. Serve with a little low-sodium soy sauce for a yummy and quick breakfast. Add a banana or some carrots for a little F&V action!
4. Omelets!
Omelets are a quick and easy way to get some veggies in with breakfast. Prepare some chopped and cooked veggies (or buy them already prepped) before hand. The morning of, all that is required is a quick scrambling of eggs, and adding in your prepared ingredients. Perhaps some bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, cheese, fresh greens, or whatever else tickles your fancy.
5. Eggy-Avo-Toast
A fried egg on top of freshly mashed avocado with a little salt and pepper (and maybe a hint of lemon-juice to reduce browning), all on top of toasted whole-grain toast. That’s it. Yummy yummy.
6. Sweet-Egg-Pot
Scoop out a portion of the center of the cooked sweet potato half, and crack an egg in the scooped out portion. Add some salt and pepper, and perhaps some garlic powder and cracked red pepper. Microwave the potato-egg until the egg is cooked to liking (about 1.5-3 minutes). Add some fresh fruit as a side or orange juice to round this meal out.
There are also lots of new and healthy creations in the frozen section of your local grocery store! Take a quick look, or even try to re-create some of your favorite frozen-breakfast meals yourself, and freeze to save some money.
And now… last but not least….
DARK CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY YOGURT BREAKFAST BOWL RECIPE
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fruit of your choice (raspberries for this recipe)
1/4 cup Kashi-Go-Lean Crunch Cereal (or other granola, or chopped nuts)
2 Tbsp dark chocolate (chopped)
2 Tbsp Hemp Hearts
1 Tbsp Flax Seeds
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
Other Optional Ingredients (Not Required, but for taste):
1 Tsp Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Agave Nectar
STEPS:
1. Warm up 1/4 cup water in small saucepan with a little brown sugar if desired. Add raspberries to warming water. Stir. Allow water to come to or close to a boil, then turn heat down to low/simmer for remaining prep time (uncovered for ~5-10 min – until fruit is softened).
2. If so desired, add agave nectar to the NF Greek yogurt and stir/mix until incorporated.
3. Add yogurt to bowl, top with fruit, cereal, dark chocolate, hemp hearts, and seeds in separate sections on the top of the yogurt.
4. Grab a spoon and enjoy!!
Bon Appetit!
-Haley Overby Ph.D.
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Post Script:
Hemp hearts or hemp seeds are a great way to get a large source of healthy and essential fats (omega 3 & 6) and protein, but do not contain CBD or the psychoactive compound, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hemp also contains numerous phytochemicals, and along with the essential fat, Omega-3, can provide anti-inflammatory benefits. Combined with the probiotics found in yogurt, this meal can promote healthy G.I. function.
Post-Post-Script:
Change up the fruit, or type of nuts/seeds on this yogurt meal to mix it up! (i.e. Cherries, pomegranate, orange, etc).
#Health #Nutrition #Recipes #Breakfast #GreekYogurt #Hemp #Phytochemicals #CBD #Probiotics #Omega3 #GIHealth
HALEY OVERBY, PHD 