Ditch the sugar
Many breakfast items are loaded with sugars, and eliminating these foods is the first step towards reclaiming breakfast as a healthy meal. Many cereals and bakery items contain a lot of sugar, so swapping those items for healthy alternatives can make a big difference in your energy throughout the day. A big bagel will give you a lot of short term energy, but will also contribute to a sugar lull around 10:00 am. Instead of that cinnamon raisin bagel, eat an already prepped hard boiled egg, an protein smoothie or a veggie scramble. If you are eating pancakes, make a big batch on Sunday and heat them up as you’re walking out the door. IF you have time to sit down before you leave the house, smother the pancakes with whole plain greek yogurt with a bit of honey and nuts. THAT will keep you plenty satisfied til lunch. Just make SURE you include protein and reduce sugar–it makes a big difference.
More fruits and vegetables
Adding more fresh fruits and veggies is ALWAYS the goal. Fruits and vegetables are stacked with important nutrients like calcium, potassium, and vitamin C, and are much lower in calories than many processed foods. It is easy to supplement breakfast with more fruits and vegetables, and will not add any more time or inconvenience to your morning. For cereal, reduce the portion size to one cup and add a chopped apple and sliced almonds to the bowl to create a healthy meal. If bagels are your thing, instead of only adding cream cheese, add a slice of tomato, avocado, or cucumber (or all three). If eggs are on the menu, chop up some bell peppers, tomatoes, and/or mushrooms and add them to the scramble or omelet. All of this will help improve breakfast and make it a healthier meal.
Preparation is KEY!!!
Fruit and yogurt parfaits are an excellent breakfast option and are even better after being chilled for the night. So, before you go to bed, make yourself a parfaits for the coming morning by mixing one cup of yogurt with a chopped apple (other fruits work too), some chopped walnuts, and some cinnamon. Fifteen minutes of prep in the evening will let you wake up to a ready-made, healthy breakfast. If you’re an advance breakfast eater, you might be happy and satisfied with non breakfast foods for the morning meal. I LOVE dinner’s left overs for breakfast. Try it, you might like it too!
Stay tuned to Healthy Nest Nutrition for more nutrition and health tips.
Hi! I’m Robin, the founder of Healthy Nest Nutrition. I am a board-certified holistic nutritionist in Denver, Colorado. My passion is helping people find the right diet for their bodies and then showing them how to make healthy nutrition doable and delicious!
