You’ve heard it before, ”Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” and well, that pretty much sums it up! It sets the tone for your entire day. It ‘breaks’ the overnight ‘fast’ that just occurred while you were sleeping (hence the name), and can help balance hormones throughout the rest of the day.

But who has time for breakfast these days? I for one value my sleep as much as possible and before I had a child, I would sleep until theBreakfastlast possible second before going to work. (Don’t get excited- it was 5:25 on a late morning). Since breakfast is so important and so is your time, here is a list of 11 breakfast options (it was going to be 10, but one snuck in there). Most of these are quick options and more than half of them can be made ahead of time. You won’t find cereal on this list because most cereals contain junk ingredients, such as corn syrup, and are high in carbohydrates, sugar, and empty calories.

Here are some of my favorites: (Recipes are in the links).

1. Overnight Oats – This is my new favorite breakfast! Prepare quickly the night before and no thinking in the morning, Just grab and go. So easy for the person who needs something that takes zero time out of their morning to prepare. overnight oats

2. Egg Omelet – Takes a couple minutes to whip up a couple eggs and egg whites, then add some of your favorite veggies for a high fiber and protein breakfast.

3. Hard boiled eggs – Prepare the night before and grab a couple on your way out the door! Makes a great snack later in the day as well. hard boiled eggs

4. Protein shake – I make protein shakes a lot in the morning because they take me 3 minutes to blend together and I’m out the door breakfast in hand. Protein quality varies, so make sure you don’t get one with a lot of fillers. I use Isagenix Isalean creamy chocolate or french vanilla. Sometimes I add berries to the vanilla and peanut butter to the chocolate depending on my mood.

5. Flax Seed Mug Muffin – Throw all ingredients in a mug, nuke it in the microwave and wha-la- a flour-less tasty muffin!

6. Juicing shake – These can be very cleansing for your body while giving yourself some energy with a ton of fruits and veggies. Throw in a lot of greens (spinach, kale, celery, cucumber) for a lot of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and then add some apple, lemon juice or berries to sweeten it up naturally.

7. Pancakes – I have been on a pancake kick lately. I have made some with protein powder and some without. Again, quality of your protein powder is important if you use it. I have done Chocolate, Vanilla, Pumpkin, and Chocolate Peanut Butter. These take a little longer to make. (Same time as normal pancakes). But you can make them ahead of time, put them in the fridge and you have a grab and go pancake! (I eat them plain as a snack sometimes).

8. Oatmeal and Eggs – This was always my go to breakfast. 1/2 cup of oats with a little cinnamon and berries, nuked in the microwave for a minute, and then I grab 2 hardboiled egg whites that I made earlier. (Oats can be made in a big pot a head of time and put in the fridge to use for the week).

9. Protein Cookies – Super easy to grab and go on a busy morning. I have made two versions of these: No Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal and Chocolate Peanut Butter. I usually take 2 or 3 with me on my way to train. pumpkin protein cookies Chocolate Penut Butter protein cookies

10. Egg Wrap – I started making these after I was craving the Starbucks Egg White Wrap when I was pregnant. This could be made a head of time and nuked in the morning for a fast balanced breakfast. Use a low carb high fiber wrap instead of just a white tortilla.

11. Apple and Peanut Butter – Another fast option for those on the go. Slice up an apple and put 2 Tbsp of your favorite peanut, almond, or other nut butter in a container and there you go! Or try an apple with 1 Tbsp of Peanut butter mixed with 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt. A good balanced breakfast of Fluffy Peanut Butter Apple Dip.

BONUS This would make #12, but since I am adding it last minute, we will call it a bonus recipe… Egg Muffins were my first new recipe this year. Make a batch on the weekend and heat a couple up for breakfast or an anytime snack!

What are some of your favorite healthy breakfast staples? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[line]

Melissa Stephenson is a personal trainer in Winter Garden, Florida.   She started her quest for health in college where she earned a B.S in Exercise Science at Stetson University. She has a passion for helping people find balance in a healthy lifestyle.  She continues to study and get certified in sports nutrition, corrective exercise, and exercise psychology and plans to continue to learn each and every day.

To Melissa, it’s not about “quick fixes”, it is about making changes in your lifestyle that you can manage.   Our society is quick to go to extremes in everything, but the key is finding a balance where you are not completely quitting a food group or eating all your daily calories in one  meal, or going from not exercising at all all for years, to living in the gym 4 hours a day.  Everyone can make health a part of their life.   Even if you have tried and felt that you have failed in the past, there is still lifestyle changes you CAN make to improve the quality of your life!

Meet Melissa here… http://www.recapturefitness.com