Quick and easy breakfast ideas for fall

For many people, fall signifies getting back into a routine and  there is nothing like breakfast to help you get the day (and season) started on the right foot. Many of my clients feel that eating breakfast helps to motivation them to continue to make healthy choices throughout the rest of the day. Two ways to make sure breakfast happens is to pick foods that you actually like and to choose quick and easy solutions.

To speed up the process as well as make it effortless in the morning, preparing a few items the night before or keeping key ingredients on hand and throwing them together and eating them at the office are practical ideas. Below are some super quick and easy recipes that can be made ahead of time.

Keep a few prepared ingredients to have on hand for those extra busy mornings. I suggest individual containers of yogurt or cottage cheese, prepared fruit slices (many companies have improved the way fruit is packed and the flavor is much improved!), oatmeal packets, real fruit juice box, healthy granola bars, a small box of raisins or an individually wrapped cheese. Of course, you could prepackage your own foods into baggies or containers over the weekend to have on hand all week. Cereal, grapes, trail mix and orange sections work great for this!

Many of these recipes use similar ingredients so stocking up to make them is a breeze.

Also, most of these ingredients are staples you likely already have in your pantry and have a long shelf life. This grocery list contains all the major ingredients you will need!

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I have!

Breakfast Burrito

1 or 2 eggs

1-2 tbsp salsa

2 tbsp minced, mixed veggies (onion, pepper, broccoli, mushrooms)

1 tortilla 6”

2 tbsp cottage cheese or 1 slice of cheese

Instructions:

1. Beat eggs with salsa and vegetables.

2. Cook the eggs in the microwave using a microwaveable bowl, on high for 1.5min.

3. Place cheese and eggs in tortilla.

4. Wrap up and enjoy.

Egg N’Muffin

1 egg

1 English muffin

1 slice of cheese

Sliced tomato

Instructions:

1. Toast the English muffin.

2. While toasting, place the egg in a microwavable cup and pierce the yolk.

3. Cook in microwave for 1½ min on high.

4. Place egg, cheese and tomato slices in the English muffin.

Breakfast Smoothie

½ to 1 cup of milk

1 tbsp honey (optional)

½ cup of cottage cheese OR 1-2 tbsp natural peanut butter

1/3 cup of dry, rolled oats

½ cup frozen berries

½ banana

Instructions:

Place all ingredients, in order, into a blender. Blend on high until smooth,

Anything BUT Ordinary Oatmeal

  ½ banana

1/3 cup dry rolled oats

1-2 tbsp natural peanut butter

1 tbsp raisins

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp honey (optional)

½-1 cup of milk

Instructions:

1. Mash banana in microwavable bowl.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and stir.

3. Microwave on high for 1.5min.

Yogurt Parfait

 ½ cup yogurt

½ cup cottage cheese

1 tbsp ground flax seed

½ cup berries or other fruit

1/3 cup dry, rolled oats

2 walnuts, cracked (optional)

Instructions:

1. Mix the yogurt, flax and cottage cheese together in a bowl.

2. Throw the rest of the ingredients on top and enjoy!

 Apple Crisp

 ½ - 1 whole apple, sliced

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp raisins

½ cup cottage cheese

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp sliced almonds

1/3 cup dry, rolled oats

Instructions:

1. Mix together the apples, cinnamon, honey and raisins. Microwave on high for 1 min.

2. Meanwhile, mix together the cheese and vanilla in a serving bowl.

3. Sprinkle half the oats onto the cheese mixture then layer the apple mixture on top.

4. Sprinkle the remaining oats on top along with the almonds.

Yogurt- to eat or not to eat it plain and 0%?

It is perhaps one of the most universally accepted food misconceptions: plain, non-fat yogurt is the healthiest of the yogurts. Why is this myth believed? For the simple reasons that it is low in fat, and has less sugar than other yogurts (and perhaps because it tastes like it should be healthy for you!?).
Unfortunately, it is one of those myths that everyone just believes without second guessing it. If there is one thing you have to remember when it comes to healthy eating and nutrition, it is to NOT BELIEVE everything you hear; Keep an open mind and use your common sense.

For example, yogurt is a healthy food item. It is made from milk, is chalk full of calcium, is easy to eat, comes in a million flavors, makes for a great snack anytime, and the list goes on. So why be soooooo picky about the kind you buy?

If you break down the difference between a 0%, artificially flavored/sweetened yogurt and, lets be crazy, a 3% yogurt with added fruit and sugar, the breakdown would go something like this:

1/2 cup of 0%, no sugar added

Total fat : 0 to 0.5g (OR 1/10 a tsp. of fat)

Total Carbs : 7g (OR 1 1/2 tsp sugar)

1/2 cup of 3%, regular
Total fat : 3g (OR 1/2 a tsp. of fat)
Total carbs : 15g (OR 3 tsp. of sugar)

THE DIFFERENCE: There is 1/2 tsp. less of fat in the 0% and 1 1/2 tsp. less of sugar. When the average adults needs 13tsp. of fat in a day a mere 1/2 tsp. really will not affect anything. As for the sugar, studies have proved that even with people with diabetes, an added tsp. of sugar will not affect their health.

Why did I compare the total amount of carbs instead of sugar? For the simple reason that the "grams of sugar" on the Nutrition Facts table includes the sugar we find naturally in the milk used to make the yogurt, any sugar from the fruit and any added sugar. Just because one has more sugar, does not necessarily means it has more added sugar. Sugar is a type of carbohydrate, so is starch- that is why they are located under carbs on the table. So, if you are looking to see the impact of a yogurt on your blood sugars you have to analyze the total amount of carbs since both sugar and starch (i.e. carbs in general) break down into blood sugar.

It is interesting to note that yogurts ranging from 0% to 3.3% are all lumped into the same category: regular, everyday yogurts. There is no sub-category "really, really healthy yogurts" and just "plain 'ole healthy yogurts".
Just because a food is labeled as low fat does not make it healthy- think beer and gummy bears. Same goes for "low in sugar", it all depends on the product and the difference between its sugar content and its competitors.

There are many factors that should play a role in your choice of yogurts. "Diet" yogurts tend to melt in your mouth and leave much to be desired in terms of feeling satisfied after eating them. The point of eating is to feel satisfied both mentally and physically. The difference in sugar and fat content is negligible so use your senses to pick out a yogurt next time.