September is National Breakfast Month! Breakfast can really make or break your day. Done the right way, it sets up for a productive morning. Done the wrong way – you’re crashing at 10am and struggling to get through the day.
Jenn Sloan is here with easy ideas for doing breakfast the right way.
According to Sloan, there are three keys to a healthy breakfast. And one no-no. The three must haves? Fat, fiber and protein. Eating 15-20 grams of protein at breakfast helps you eat 200 fewer calories throughout the day. Combining fiber and healthy fats with your protein amps up the nutrition, helps you feel full and stay fuller longer.
The one thing to avoid? Lots of added sugars.. Natural sugars in whole fruits are great. But added sugars in processed foods are not. They cause a big spike in blood sugar, like the sugar high. Then a crash and craving for carbs. If you do want something sweet for breakfast. Make sure you eat a little protein first to help level out your blood sugar levels – so there’s no spike and crash.
So here are some great well-balanced ideas, that are easy and totally delicious!
Fruit smoothies are a great idea. Fruits add the natural sweetness they love, and you can load it up with healthy fats and veggies and no one will even notice. Easy hack to make it go faster in the mornings – make smoothie packs. And it’s a great way to use up really ripe fruit that’s about to go bad. Some combination of berries, banana, avocado and greens like spinach or kale. Or use your favorite nut butter as a healthy fat. When you’re ready to make them in the morning, just dump in your frozen pack and add some milk, which has several grams of protein. You can also add your favorite protein powder.
Overnight oats are another easy well-rounded breakfast. Packages of oatmeal can be full of sugar. You can make these ahead, and they are so easy to customize. Equal parts oats and milk, yogurt or kefir. Then add your favorite flavors, like vanilla and blueberries, pb&j, even pumpkin spice. Add flax seeds or hemp hearts for extra nutrition.
A lot of kids and adults like to grab a bar on their way out the door. But man. Protein bars or breakfast bars can be full of junk. It’s really easy and fun to make your own. And this time of year, we all like a little pumpkin spice ;) And you can add protein with protein powder or collagen powder. This is a no bake recipe that uses dates, pecans, almonds, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree.
And! When you really want to go all out for breakfast… because sometimes you do… I love a fun brunch board. Providing healthy options of protein, whole fruits, and fiber with whole brain pancakes or waffles. You can do a diy yogurt board, or pancake board, or even breakfast taco board!