Building a Better Breakfast

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breakfastThere are lots of opinions on nutrition and what makes a healthy meal. Trends and fad diets make me want to bang my head against a wall if I pay too much attention to them. So, I don’t. Instead, I try to use common sense, personal experience (what makes us feel the best), and some of our doctors’ advice to decide what a healthy meal looks like for us. So if your version of a good breakfast is different from mine, that’s OK.

What I want out of breakfast for us is:

  • Fast or make ahead. Even though we don’t have to get up super early and race to meet the school bus (we homeschool), we still don’t want to spend a lot of time making breakfast. We just want to get started with our day. Not to mention, we don’t want to get up any earlier than we have to. So fast is important. Make ahead and re-heat is even better.
  • High protein and low sugar. As a kid, I wasn’t much of a breakfast person. Who am I kidding? I’d still prefer a Pop Tart or doughnut over anything else, except for how it makes me feel—groggy, sluggish, and in less than two hours—hungry again. I’ve discovered that the more protein I have in the morning, the more energy I have and the longer I can wait for lunch. Same goes for my kids. A belly full of Rice Krispies may taste good, but it doesn’t keep a growing kid going for long.
  • Heavy on the produce. It’s hard to get five servings of fruits and vegetable into me in a day, much less into my kids, who are pickier and less concerned about nutrition than I am. If we don’t squeeze some into breakfast, it’s not likely any of us will get our daily requirement.
  • Yummy. Duh.

So lately, I have been striving to make breakfast easier and healthier for all of us by planning ahead and choosing healthier versions of our favorites. Here’s what that looks like for us. I hope you can use some of these ideas too.

CEREAL Sometimes, it just has to be cereal around here so I try to stock only lower sugar varieties. Kix, Rice Krispies, and Cheerios are a good start.

Even better: Homemade oatmeal (not the sugar-and artificial flavor-laden instant packets).

Homemade oatmeal will keep kids satisfied all morning.
Homemade oatmeal will keep kids satisfied all morning.

Make it fast: Cook up a big pot on Sunday, refrigerate, and reheat in individual servings as needed for the next few days. Or, make overnight oatmeal. There are a million recipes on Pinterest in every variety of flavor–strawberry, pumpkin, honey-nut, chocolate. You can whip it up in a few minutes the night before, chill it overnight, and it’s ready to eat when you get up. Eat it cold, or heat in the microwave for a hot breakfast.

YOGURT: We have switched from low-fat, artificially-sweetened, flavored yogurt to plain, full-fat Greek yogurt. We add fruit, granola, nuts, honey or a combination to make it interesting and delicious.

Even better: Include more than one serving of fruits and vegetables by making a smoothie. We make smoothies out of everything. We start with Greek yogurt, a few ice cubes, some liquid (either milk or juice), some sweetener (honey, monk fruit, or sugar) and sometimes, a handful of oatmeal. Then we add our favorite combinations such as:
• strawberries, bananas, pineapple
• bananas, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries
• bananas, canned pumpkin, a scoop of cream cheese, a couple of graham crackers (instead of oatmeal)
• bananas, avocado, apple, spinachsmoothie pic

Make it fast: Clean and chop fruits or vegetables and freeze ziplock bags. Then all you have to do in the morning is pour the frozen fruit into the blender, along with yogurt and liquid, and blend.

BAGELS OR TOAST: Add some protein—an egg, slice of ham, turkey, or salami, piece of bacon, or a smear of peanut butter.

Who can resist a breakfast sandwich? Maybe you can even sneak in a vegetable or two.
Who can resist a breakfast sandwich? Maybe you can even sneak in a vegetable or two.

Even better: Add some veggies. Top toast with a little sautéed spinach, roasted mushrooms, or slices of tomato or avocado, along with an egg.

Make it fast: Hard boil eggs on Sunday and cook some veggies to use on breakfast sandwiches throughout the week.

EGGS: Eggs are already awesome—high protein and no sugar. I keep some hard boiled ones on hand all the time for a last minute breakfast and the bottomless pit that is my 12-year-old boy.

Even better: Add some veggies. Spinach, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and a bunch of other veggies can be added to an omelet or a simple scramble. Avocado is fantastic with eggs too.eggs-925616_640Make it fast: Make mini quiche ahead of time and reheat. You can add anything your family likes. My favorite recipe was adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

6 beaten eggs
2 cup milk
¼ cup green onion
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
dash of nutmeg
¾ cup ham, bacon, sausage, crabmeat, chicken, etc. (precooked)
1 ½ cheese (Swiss, cheddar, Monterey Jack, Havarti, etc.)
1-2 cups vegetables (broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, etc.)
2 Tbs flour

Beat eggs lightly. Add milk and seasonings. Stir to combine. Fold in onions, meat, cheese and vegetables. Pour into muffin tins that have been coated generously with spray oil, evenly distributing liquids and solids. Fill tins about 2/3 full. Bake at 325 25-30 minutes or until set. Cool completely, remove from pan, and refrigerate until you’re ready to use.

Do you have a breakfast trick, tip, recipe or strategy that helps mornings run smoothly and keeps everyone feeling great? We’d love to hear it.

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