Whatever happened to the most important meal of the day? For many it has become a forgotten part of the day due to a rush or a desire to hit that snooze button one extra time. Here is a news flash: coffee does not replace breakfast. It can be a desired part of breakfast (black coffee has zero calories), but it is not a supplement for the all-important meal that starts our day off in the right direction. I was the champion of skipping breakfast. I had children to take care of and get ready for school and a massive list of things I had to accomplish for the day at home (the list also included homework). I would often forget to eat until sometime past noon and assumed that I would be just fine with only two meals. I may also want to mention that during this time I did not drink coffee since I was still nursing my youngest so the energy levels were anything but high.
I am not one to spend a ton of time getting breakfast made in the morning. I simply do not have the time and if I do not get a bit of working out done that morning the energy (read: mood) is just not there. But if I am going to constantly tell my kids how important breakfast is I need to practice what I preach. I learned to cover my personal take on the morning basics: fruit, protein, and whole grains. My current love is Kashi’s whole grain blueberry waffles sans syrup. I pair it with a ½ cup of plain yogurt and as much fruit as I could cut and put into my bowl of yogurt. Granola would usually be snuck in there as well, but I did not remember to pick some up at the store so this morning I went without. Sorry guys, I was starving this morning and had no camera/iPhone close by so I just dug in without taking a picture.
If you have a little bit of time I would suggest the glorious world of egg whites. My favorite would be my spinach and feta egg white scramble, a slice of turkey, and tomato stuck between 7-grain deli flat bread (one of those 100 calorie deals). Add some fruit on the side and you have breakfast in less than 10 minutes. My husband loves it and it is a filling breakfast for less than 250 calories (depending on how much fruit you have with it). I also enjoy an egg white omelet with turkey or chicken, feta, and spinach.
Egg White Omelet
Egg White Scramble Breakfast Sandwich
I do not drink juice with my breakfast. As a matter of fact, I may drink a cup of coffee if I am exhausted but my main liquid staples are green tea and water. I know that may sound a bit boring to some, but what benefit does soda have? If I really want juice in the morning I opt for eating the fruit instead. And you can forget about diet drinks! How is that dinky little can supposed to satisfy me for a few hours? If I do want flavor I sneak a packet of Propel Zero into my water so I at least feel as if I am consuming something other than water.
We really should not skip breakfast or assume that coffee is a suitable substitute. I personally feel as though it helps set the foundation for the rest of the day and jumps start my momentum to continue eating better throughout the day. Since this post is focusing on food, I will devote the next to more nutrition tips and a bit of working out as well as when to do it.
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