Wellness Tip: Easy Breakfast

You’ve probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day…scientific research over the past decade backs up what Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda (the ancient Indian “science of life”), and common American folk wisdom (frequently coming from our grandmothers) has been telling us for centuries: to lay the foundation for a productive day, eat a hearty, well-balanced meal within the first few hours of rising in the morning. Eating a balanced breakfast with protein, carbohydrates, and fat can reduce fatigue and sugar cravings in the afternoon, overeating at night, and has proven to be an effective weight-management strategy.

But like most working folks, you’re probably pressed for time in the morning. Here are some easy, affordable breakfast solutions made from staples that can be prepared in advance and grabbed on the way out of the door and eaten in the car or at the desk. Of course, it’s important to take time for meals but even when it’s necessary to eat on the go, you don’t have to sacrifice good nutrition:

1 – Eggs: Hard-boil them the night or several days beforehand, keep them in the carton in the fridge, and you have an easy grab-and-go breakfast when paired with a piece of toast and an apple. Alternatively, crack two into a bowl, break the yolks up with a fork, add salt and pepper, and nuke ‘em in the microwave for a minute…voila, instant scrambled eggs! Put them on top of the toast or make a quick sandwich with two pieces of toast and you’re good to go. A piece of lettuce, tomato slice, and avocado can really jazz it up.

2 – Grains: Cook a big pot of brown rice or oats the night or several days beforehand and keep it in a Tupperware container or bowl in the fridge, so all you have to do in the morning is scoop out a cup and a half (or so) of the grains into a big mug, add some milk or plain yogurt, add some frozen berries (blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are superfoods), sprinkle some cinnamon, mash it all up, and you’ve got an instant all-natural breakfast. Want it warm? Put it on the stove for a few minutes or in the microwave for a minute. If you need some sweetness in addition to the berries, some honey, maple syrup, stevia or agave nectar are all good choices. Are you a protein person? Try quinoa, an ancient grain used by the Incans in South America; it’s an excellent source of protein and cooks faster than rice and oats.

3 – Lunch: We at the Girl Scouts “defy conformity,” right? So it’s okay to eat lunch, for breakfast! If you’ve got some leftovers from dinner, they would probably make an excellent breakfast. How about grabbing some salad from a big salad you made earlier in the week and adding a can of tuna fish or a turkey burger? Remember, the digestive fire is strongest in the morning and at mid-day, so it’s better to eat your big meal for breakfast or lunch rather than dinner, so try eating half your normal dinner and saving the rest breakfast the next day. Foods we normally don’t think of as “breakfast foods” – like vegetables – can beat a muffin or bagel for balanced nutrition any day.
4 – Smoothie: Drinking your breakfast can be the way to go if you’re enjoying breakfast during your commute or during a meeting. If the sound of a blender early in the morning won’t put your relationship with your family or housemates in jeopardy, throw some ice cubes, berries, nut butter (if you want to make a small splurge, try something new other than peanut butter, like cashew or almond butter) or whey-based protein powder, milk or plain yogurt, and maybe a banana if you’re not sugar-sensitive into the blender. Using frozen berries or bananas will make the smoothie creamier. Want to supercharge your smoothie? Add in some greens, like kale leaves, spinach, or a spirulina-based green powder to really wake you up. It’ll look green and scary, but you’ll taste the other ingredients more than the greens ;)