A healthy breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but many of us skip it because of time constraints. Well, now there's no more excuses!
There are several easy breakfast recipes that you can throw together in less time than it takes you to find your keys.
Did you know that numerous studies have found that people who eat breakfast are often slimmer than those who don't? One of the main reasons is this: When you sleep, you're obviously not eating for about 8 hours (unless you have some serious sleepwalking cravings). Your body is in a fasted state, so everything slows down. But, the sooner you eat upon waking, the sooner your metabolism is kicked back into gear for the day.
However, if you skip breakfast, then your metabolism is at a near standstill for all the hours you were asleep, plus the additional hours before your first meal. This is exactly the time when fat settles in and unpacks its bags (and rolls).
And to those who already eat breakfast everyday and are patting themselves on the back, you're not out of the woods yet! Even the most devoted breakfast eater has room for improvement, because a healthy breakfast is the key to weight loss, improved health, and prolonged energy.
Sure, Pop Tarts and bagels will get your metabolism going, but they certainly aren't the healthiest choices. You need a bigger breakfast (around 500 calories) with at least 20 grams of protein to get your body started the right way and keep you satisfied for longer.
OK, this is all getting a bit complicated now, right? How could you possibly have time to make a 500 calorie breakfast with enough protein, vitamins, and minerals to actually do some good?
7 Easy Breakfast Recipes: Healthy Breakfast in Less Than 5 Minutes
If any of these make your mouth water, just follow the easy instructions on how to whip them up before your windshield is defrosted:
Blueberry Smoothie With Toasted-Cheese Sandwich
Prep time: 4 minutes
2 slices whole-wheat bread
1/2 c Kashi Go Lean Crunch! cereal
1 c fat-free milk
1 c frozen blueberries
1 1-oz slice Cheddar cheese
Pop the bread into the toaster. Dump the cereal, milk, and berries into a blender and liquefy. Stick a slice of Cheddar between the warm slices of toast and nuke the sandwich in a microwave for 15 seconds. It tastes grilled -- but isn't.
Benefits: "The cheese and milk in this meal are essential for building and maintaining new muscle," says Christine Rosenbloom, Ph.D., R.D., a professor of nutrition at Georgia State University. "The whole grains in the bread and cereal will help lower cholesterol, and the minerals in the milk and cheese will help keep blood-pressure levels down."
Per meal: 509 calories, 26 grams (g) protein, 75 g carbohydrates, 14 g total fat, 12 g fiber
Grab-and-Go Breakfast
Prep time: 1 minute
1 medium apple
1/2 pint fat-free milk
1 bran Vita muffin
1 pack Skippy Squeeze Stix peanut butter
Slice the apple, grab the milk, muffin, and peanut butter, and go. Squeeze the peanut butter out of its pack onto your apple slices as you eat.
Benefits: Vita muffins (vitalicious.com) contain 100 percent of your recommended intake of several important nutrients, including vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, and E. Foods high in monounsaturated fats -- like peanut butter -- may boost testosterone levels. This meal should help you burn energy more efficiently and lift more weight at the gym.
Per meal: 506 calories, 20 g protein, 87 g carbohydrates, 12 g total fat, 15 g fiber
Minute Omelette with Toast
Prep time: 2 minutes
1 egg
3/4 c frozen spinach, thawed
1 slice Canadian bacon, diced
2 slices whole-wheat bread
1 Tbsp almond butter
1 c Welch's grape juice
Stir together the egg, spinach, and Canadian bacon and pour onto a plate coated with nonstick spray. Microwave for 1 minute or until the egg is fully cooked. Toast the bread and eat it with the almond butter. Chase everything with grape juice.
Benefits: Monounsaturated fat in the almond spread will help prevent spikes and drops in blood sugar, which can leave you feeling tired or crabby. Grape juice gives you an antioxidant, called resveratrol, that not only helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels but also helps improve bloodflow to the heart.
Per meal: 540 calories, 25 g protein, 73 g carbohydrates, 19 g total fat, 8 g fiber
Two PB-and-Banana Wraps With Milk
Prep time: 2 minutes
2 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Eggo Special K waffles
1 medium banana
1/2 pint fat-free chocolate milk
Spread a tablespoon of peanut butter over each (briefly microwaved) waffle. Divide the banana between them and roll each to make wraps. Wash down with chocolate milk.
Benefits: Eggo's Special K waffles supply complex carbohydrates, which break down slowly in the body and stimulate the production of serotonin, a calming brain chemical. The banana is packed with potassium -- a heart protector.
Per meal: 570 calories, 23 g protein, 90 g carbohydrates, 16 g total fat, 7 g fiber
The Santa Fe Burrito
Prep time: 4 minutes
2 eggs
1 c Santa Fe frozen mixed vegetables (black beans, peppers, and corn)
1 flour tortilla
1/2 c low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 c salsa
Mix the eggs and vegetables and spread the mixture on a plate coated with nonstick spray. Cook in the microwave for 1 minute, stir with a fork, and microwave again until the eggs are cooked and the vegetables warm. Pile onto a flour tortilla, top with shredded Cheddar cheese and salsa, fold, and eat.
Benefits: "Without protein, guys can lose muscle mass quickly," says William J. Evans, Ph.D., a professor of geriatrics, physiology, and nutrition at the University of Arkansas. This meal is packed with it.
Per meal: 530 calories, 36 g protein, 53 g carbohydrates, 18 g total fat, 6 g fiber
Black-Cherry Smoothie and Peanut-Butter Oatmeal
Prep time: 4 minutes
1 c R.W. Knudsen black-cherry juice
1 c frozen strawberries
1 c frozen unsweetened cherries
2 Tbsp protein powder
2/3 c oatmeal
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1/2 c fat-free milk
Blend the cherry juice, frozen fruit, and protein powder until smooth. Microwave the oatmeal according to the directions on the package. Stir in the peanut butter and milk.
Benefits: Men who ate at least one serving of whole-grain cereal (like oatmeal) a day had the lowest risk of dying of any cause, including heart disease, according to a 5-year study of 86,000 doctors. Cherries and strawberries are natural sources of salicylates -- the active ingredient in aspirin -- making them ideal for relieving stress-induced morning headaches.
Per meal: 600 calories, 27 g protein, 100 g carbohydrates, 11 g total fat, 10 g fiber
Almond-Butter-and-Raisin Sandwich With Smoothie
Prep time: 1 minute
2 Tbsp almond butter
2 Eggo Special K waffles
1 Tbsp raisins
1 Stonyfield Farm smoothie
Spread the almond butter on the waffles. Sprinkle the raisins over one waffle and top with the other. Wash down with the smoothie.
Benefits: Whole-grain waffles help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and improve your body's processing of insulin and glucose, a benefit that can reduce your risk of becoming diabetic.
Per meal: 600 calories, 21 g protein, 86 g carbohydrates, 22 g total fat, 7 g fiber
Of course, you can combine parts of these, opting certain ingredients in and out. Just make sure you are staying close to the same macronutrient breakdown in terms of protein, carbs, vitamins, and minerals.
Do you have any healthy and easy breakfast recipes that don't include the words Kellogg's or 'io's? Let's hear 'em!
