Let’s be honest: Everyone has, at some time, experienced the pressure to get up and start the day without being late or forgetting anything. And in the rush of the get-up-and-go routine, sometimes good nutrition can take a back seat. But with a little bit of planning and preparation, you can put together a nutritious (and delicious) breakfast that will fuel you and your family until lunch time. Here’s how.
Plan ahead: This step is crucial. It is a good idea to plan a weekly breakfast menu and have the items on hand that you will need to prepare the recipes. Also, it’s a good idea to have fresh fruit, yogurt, applesauce, peanut butter, English muffins and other simple items to help supplement scrambled eggs or cooked cereal. You can also set out ingredients the night before, or mix items to help with morning prep. For example, if you want fresh muffins in the morning, mix all the dry ingredients the night before and simply add the wet ingredients before baking.
Select several breakfast recipes your family enjoys and see if they can be prepared and frozen ahead of time for quick reheating. These breakfast burritos or English muffin breakfast sandwiches are great options.
Go high protein: We hear this a lot, but there is a reason for it. High protein food choices will sustain us much longer than carbohydrate-rich foods. Eggs, granola or high-fiber cereal, a whole-grain waffle with peanut butter, Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and seeds, nuts or high-fiber cereal, or a smoothie with spinach or kale are all great choices. Breakfast meats also offer a high-protein option, but they can also be high in saturated fat and sodium so be selective.
Involve your kids: If you happen to be feeding kids who are heading off to school, including them in the planning stage helps tremendously. If your child had a say in what meals are prepared, he or she is more likely to try it, saving you food battles when you are in a time crunch.