Breakfast can be a tempting meal to skip.
Maybe you hit snooze one too many times and have to rush out the door. Or perhaps you think you’ll save some extra calories by not eating the first meal of the day.
However, breakfast isn’t a meal you should skip. Eating a healthy breakfast is an important way to jumpstart your morning. In fact, WebMD states, “skipping meals, especially breakfast, can actually make weight control more difficult.” People who skip breakfast may find themselves grazing mid morning or eating more at lunch to satisfy their hunger.
It’s even more important that kids eat breakfast each day. Because their bodies and brains are still developing, children need to fill themselves with nutrients to supply the fuel they need.
Both adults and children should eat a healthy, nutrient-dense breakfast to increase their performance and keep them feeling energized. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy healthy breakfasts all week long:
Plan ahead. At the beginning of the week, make a schedule of what you are going to eat for breakfast each day. By making a plan, you’ll relieve the stress of waking up in the morning and not knowing what to eat. Shop at the beginning of the week to make sure your house is stocked with what you need for healthy breakfasts.
Make big batches. If you are feeling ambitious or habitually run out of time during the week to prepare healthy breakfasts, try making a week’s worth of smoothies or oatmeal at the beginning of the week. Freeze what you don’t need immediately, and then pull out each morning’s breakfast the night before to thaw.
Prep the night before. If you like more of a variety throughout your week, prepare each day’s breakfast the night before. For example, if you are making a smoothie for breakfast, you could either chop and measure all your fruits and vegetables out the night before or make the entire smoothie and keep it in the fridge. Preparing what you need the night before will save you precious minutes the next morning.
Have some easy-to-grab options. Oat bars, various fruits and vegetables, or frozen smoothie packs that can be quickly blended can make your mornings run a bit smoother. Even if it isn’t the ideal, nutrient-dense breakfast, it is important to fuel your body in the morning.
Keep fruits and nuts on hand. We all oversleep some days. To ensure that waking up late doesn’t set you back, stock your workplace (or home, lunch box, etc.) with easy to eat fruits and nuts. If you forget breakfast or get hungry mid-morning, you’ll already have surrounded yourself with healthy options to snack on. Strawberries, blueberries, apples, pears, and bananas are just a few great options.
Do you have any tips for how to find time to eat healthy breakfasts or to make your mornings run smoother? Share with us in the comments below!
