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Christine Zellers, MPP- Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Family & Community Health Sciences
It is always sad to see the lazy days of summer fade away into Autum and watch the routine of Fall take over. Going back to school and back to work or just getting into a healthy routine may make for a stressful morning, but there are simple ways to add enough time in the morning routine for breakfast. Planning ahead for breakfast the night or even days before will ensure that you and your family have time for a healthy start to the day.
You may have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but do you know why? Breakfast literally means to break the fast and after a long night of restful sleep our bodies are done fasting and in need of fuel for an action-packed day. Eating a nutrient dense meal in the morning kicks our body into gear and provides us with the fuel we need to concentrate, perform and work. Breakfast puts fuel in our tank just like you would put gas or electricity into your car to make it go. A nutrient dense breakfast, like all meals during the day, should include all five food groups. Protein, Dairy, Vegetables, Fruits and Grains all make a complete breakfast that will break your fast from sleep and get your day started.
Mornings can be very chaotic as families rush to get out the door and start the day and that is why planning breakfast is just as important as planning dinners. Grab and go options that are processed will help to break the fast, but they can be costly and usually have a lot of sodium or sugar. Additionally, highly processed foods are often low in nutrients and high in calories. These quick high calorie meals may leave you feeling hungry soon after eating them, think about a more nutrient dense breakfast that keeps your energy up until your next meal or snack.
Healthy breakfasts don’t have to be overly time-consuming. For example, the very popular overnight oats offer whole grain, dairy and fruit to start the day and can be made the night before plus if you add walnuts, you are adding protein and now you have four of the five food groups in an easy to go meal that is delicious. Precutting vegetables to add to scrambled eggs makes a nice fresh vegetable scramble and is an easy way to add the vegetable group to your breakfast. You can also make those scrambled eggs and veggies the day before, put them in muffin pans, bake them, and warm them up in the morning for a healthy grab and go meal. Speaking of grab and go, what’s the easiest way to take breakfast along? How about some pre-washed fruit, a glass of milk and a hard-boiled egg- all can be taken along, and all contribute to a good start to the day. Berries provide a lot of nutrients and are available both frozen and fresh. Keep frozen berries in the freezer to make fruity smoothies for breakfast, you can add fresh spinach or kale too. Frozen, fresh and canned fruit can be added to yogurt for a parfait, top with low sodium low sugar granola for a whole grain energy boost. When choosing yogurt for breakfast look at the amount of sugar and protein – Greek yogurt contains a good amount of protein and dairy to boost your day. Finally hop out of that breakfast box, think about meals that are non-traditional breakfast meals like a bowl of soup or pita bread, hummus and veggies. Planning and preparing for breakfast ahead of time will ensure a less stressful morning that will get the day off to a good start.
Easy Green Smoothie
Ingredients
- ½ ripe banana
- ½ ripe pear (or canned, drained)
- ½ to 1 cup fresh greens (kale, chard, spinach, etc.), washed well.
- 1 cup of low or reduced fat milk (or substitute like soy or almond milk)
- Ice cubes, if desired
- Optional: 1-Tablespoon nut butter
Preparation Steps
- Cut banana and pear into bite-sized pieces. Tear greens into medium pieces.
- Place banana, pear, greens, nut butter (if using) and milk into blender. Add ice.
- Blend until smooth and enjoy! Makes about 12 ounces of smoothie