How many times have you heard the old saying, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”?  Well friends, I’m here to tell you that it is definitely true!!!  Eating a healthy, nutritious breakfast will not only help power you through your day, but it will also help boost your metabolism and keep hunger at bay throughout your day as well.

Let’s start with why NOT eating breakfast is really bad for you.  It’s called BREAKFAST because you are breaking the fast that your body endured while you were sleeping.  Your brain and body need food to function.  On an empty stomach, you’ll be battling your blood sugar, and won’t have the energy to get you through your day.  Coffee alone isn’t enough!  I used to think that a (flavored) Yoplait yogurt, or a packet of Quaker flavored oatmeal was enough for breakfast.  And now I know that I was eating no where near enough protein for that first meal of the day.  I’m also a big believer that starting your day with a healthy, nutrient packed meal will help you make healthy choices the rest of the day.

Many people eat breakfast, but I would venture to say that most aren’t eating the right foods for breakfast.  Who doesn’t love a giant stack of pancakes, a waffle, or a fluffy omelet?  Or BISCUITS!!!  Can you tell I love carbs? And don’t even get me started on Shane’s undying love for bacon…  I’m no stranger to big breakfast—I even asked my coach if I could do Sunday Brunch as my cheat meal instead of dinner Saturday night! LOL!  As awesome as these all sound, a great breakfast should have both protein and complex carbs, and a small bit of healthy fat to keep you fueled.

Here are some of our favorite breakfast staples:

• Oatmeal
• Egg whites
• Whole Eggs (be careful your fat content with yolks)
• Protein pancakes
• Cheerios
• Berries or some banana in with my oats
• Egg white and veggie scramble or omelet
• Sweet potato hash
• Ezekiel bread and turkey sausage/ turkey bacon are healthy options too

And of course, no morning for me is complete without COFFEE!!  I take mine with a splash of half & half or fat free / sugar free creamer (but, during prep I take it with a splash of almond milk or black).

This list is in no way all inclusive, but here’s my list of foods to AVOID for breakfast:

• Starbucks drinks that are full syrup / calorie—these can average 400 calories plus (some Frappuccinos even hit 1,000 calories!) and are full of sugar and fat
• Breakfast sandwiches and burritos from anywhere with a drive thru
• Bagels with cream cheese (simple carbs will spike your blood sugar, and the cream cheese will pack on a TON of calories and fat with little nutritional value)
• As much as I love them, pancakes and waffles shouldn’t be an everyday thing
• Believe it or not fruit juice is a terrible choice; it’s loaded with sugar, carbs, and calories.
• Most cereals are completely laden with sugar and chemicals; you should avoid them.
• Pop-tarts, toaster strudels, and all of their boxed friends are horrible for you. Pretty much anything like that will keep you full for about 5 minutes.
• Muffins, danishes, cinnamon rolls, donuts, etc. Try to avoid white breads and pastries at breakfast too.  They won’t stick with you and are almost completely void of any nutritional value.  Remember complex carbs are your friend, that means oats, rice, sweet potatoes

Here are two of my favorite recipes for a quick and easy breakfast.  Give ‘em a whirl—they’ll make your morning!

Easy Microwave Egg White Oats (I eat these probably 3 times a week!)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of egg whites
• ½ a cup of oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• About half of a banana mashed (or a handful of berries)
• A few drops of liquid stevia
• 1T natural peanut butter or chopped walnuts

Directions: Mix everything but the peanut butter together in a larger microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 1 minute 15 seconds.  Stir.  Microwave again for 2 minutes stirring every thirty seconds.  Then mix in the peanut butter after it’s cooked.  Delish!

Veggie Egg White Scramble

Ingredients:

• About a cup of egg whites
• A large handful of spinach
• Veggies—use whatever you like. We usually go for chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, jalapeños, or onions
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Sauté the veggies on medium high heat for about 5 minutes.  Add in the egg whites and spinach and cook for about 5 minutes until everything is cooked together.

Hopefully you all are excited to get a head start on your day with a great breakfast tomorrow morning.  I know I am!  Thanks again for reading!

Till next time,

-Mere