Breakfast is what kick-starts your metabolism and tells your body that there's not a famine, so it doesn't need to hang on to fat for the winter. Also, a healthy breakfast helps to keep you from craving those donuts at the office--if you start your day with plenty of micronutrients, fiber, and protein, you'll be a lot more likely to keep eating well for the rest of the day. I'd say it's worth making time for!
Here are a couple of ideas for quick, healthy breakfasts to keep everyone feeling full, fit, and ready to take on the day.
First up, one of my favorite breakfasts. Muesli! I can't believe I went 22 years without this. In case you don't know (I didn't until a few months ago), muesli is basically oats served cold in milk. I used to eat oatmeal hot, and I still do sometimes, but this is my new favorite. Maybe I'll go back to hot oats this winter, but for now, it's muesli for me! The best part is, you can mix up a whole bunch ahead of time and use it just like you would boxed cereal--but this is cheaper and better for you.
To make muesli you'll need:
- old fashioned, rolled oats (quick will get soggy)
- raisins
- nuts (cookie pieces)
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- other options: dried cranberries or other dried fruits, ground flax seeds, brown sugar
- a container for storage if you don't want to mix each bowl individually.
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| Oats, raisins, nuts, and cinnamon. |
To serve, pour some of the mixture into a bowl, pour some of your
favorite plant milk over it and let it soak for about ten minutes.
Allowing it to soak a bit lets the oats soften and get a little bit fluffy. I usually dish mine up, then go fix my hair. It's ready to eat when I'm finished.
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| See how it fluffs up? |
Next, we've got a simple fruit smoothie, a banana and a little peanut butter.
- frozen fruit
- your favorite plant milk (soy, almond, rice, coconut)
- natural peanut butter
- honey (optional)
- banana
It's so simple, I almost don't want to give instructions, but here it goes! I recommend an immersion blender (shown on the right in the above picture) for easier cleanup, but a regular blender will do just fine, too.
Pour some of the frozen fruit into your blender or a large cup if you're using an immersion blender. Add some of your plant milk; you want it to cover about 1/3 of the fruit. Puree, then pour into a glass or a to-go cup if you're on the run. If you're serving your whole family, go ahead and make all the smoothies all at once; there's no need to make them one at a time.
I like to eat peanut butter in the mornings because it really keeps me full until lunchtime, so I'm not so tempted to indulge on processed food from the vending machine. Peanut butter is full of protein and healthy fats, but as with any fat, moderation is key. A serving size is 2 tablespoons, or about the size of a ping-pong ball. Just be sure check the label--the ingredients should be peanuts and maybe salt. No sugar, corn syrup, or hydrogenated oils. Some nut butters say "natural," but they have palm oil in them. Now, palm oil isn't bad in and of itself since it isn't hydrogenated or genetically modified like canola oil, but palm plantations for producing palm oil are responsible for the majority of the deforestation that is critically endangering orangutangs and other animals. So, let's avoid it!
Anyway, about breakfast. Spoon out a serving of peanut butter, mix in a teaspoon of honey or two if you're so inclined, and enjoy it with your banana and smoothie. Here's a little tip: peel only half of the banana so you can put it on the table without using a plate. Fewer dishes to wash!
The peanut butter can be mixed and dished the night before to save a little time.
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| Simple, filling, and delicious. |
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