I am so bored with my usual breakfast routine - whole grain English muffin with peanut butter and wheat germ with sliced banana. Help - I need new ideas but they have to fit this criteria:
-I cannot cook or heat anything up in the morning (gotta be grab and go...no microwave or toaster!). Unfortunately this also means smoothies are out.
-I need to be able to eat it while in the car on the way to work
-I work-out at my place of employment after my 45-minute commute, so it can't be too 'heavy' of a meal
-I avoid processed foods and refined sugars, so any sort of cereal/breakfast bar is out. The closer the food is to 'natural', the better. I also don't eat any meal replacements/supplements/etc.
-My post work-out snack is low fat string cheese and almonds, so I don't want to repeat that for breakfast
Looking for ideas as I am too mentally tapped out to get creative or think outside what I'm used to eating. Thanks!
**Added - The prep isn't a problem; I make both my husband and my lunches on Sunday so making my breakfasts will fall right in line with what I'm doing. So...suggesting anything that is make ahead is AWESOME - keep it coming!
Just prep what you want to eat, the night before...even if that means chopping up some fruit or making a smoothie.
Ditto the previous poster.
Or try www.prevention.com and input "breakfast ideas".
This is a GREAT magazine... for healthy eating/exercise etc.
good luck,
Susan
My favorite breakfast right now is sprouted almonds, dried cranberries, and 90% dark chocolate mixed together to create a trail mix type of snack.
I mix it up and keep it in a small glass pyrex and, more often than not, it stays in the car until it's gone! :)
Aw! I just saw that your post workout snack is almonds! Sorry!
Another thing I love to eat is Ezekial 4:9 sprouted bread (toasted), with raspberry fruit spread, and a shaving of cheddar cheese. Sounds gross, but it's absolutely delicious!
Good luck! I know getting into a breakfast rut is hard, especially if you are trying to nourish your body, not just *eat*.
How about hard boiled egg/s and an apple? Or some yogurt and granola/fruit?
We love Morningstar Farms vegetarian breakfast patties. You can heat them in the microwave for 45 seconds to toast them together with your English muffin.
I have also made batches of breakfast muffins, frozen them and heated them in the MW or toaster oven in the morning.
Good luck!
Look under the "breakfast" section on my food blog. I have a recipe for peanut butter balls, one for sausage cheese balls (can even be frozen), homemade granola, quiche and more.
http://chickiepea.wordpress.com/recipes/
*Just a note about the cheese too- your body needs lots of good fats, so you are probably doing yourself a disservice with the low-fat cheese. For more info about good fats, check out the Weston A. Price foundation. My husband and I have lost a LOT of weight by going gluten-free and eating loads of good fats, AND we reduced our cholesterol- go figure! LOL
this is just me but I would allow myself 2 extra minutes in the morning to heat something in the microwave. you could pry eat this cold but I love it microwaved. whole grain english muffin with smashed avocado slice of tomato and egg white (little cheese to it you want) and a slice of turkey
I am glad you asked this question - Your breakfast menu is similiar to mine, wholegrain toast with peanut butter and bananas. Your criteria is also similiar to mine, I do not have time to cook in the a.m. I need grab and go, healthy and natural. I do have a good recipe for carrot/pumpkin bars - natural, healthy and if you don't mind making a batch, you can make enough for the week. PM me if you want the recipe. I also make a batch of pumpkin muffins and use 1/2 wholegrain flour.
I will be keeping an eye on this post, hoping that you get some good ideas.
I make ahead for the week, so all we need is a 30 sec microwave heat up. I buy pre-made turkey sausage crumbles and put with a small whole grain tortilla and low-fat cheese and/or egg whites. There are 10 in the fridge for the week for my husband and I to each grab one and heat for 30 sec and go. Great to eat in the car.
OR try Greek yogurt, granola and a banana. You could pre-separate the granola servings in baggies and grab-and-go. Still pretty easy to eat on the run.
Hope you can mix it up a little. Boring food kinda sucks :)
I am not a big early morning eater, so I like the grab and go idea as well.
I love Morning Star veggie links and patties - 45 seconds in the microwave, with or without a half of a whole wheat tortilla.
I also love cottage cheese. Not too travel friendly if you don't have the single serving packets, but very satisfying.
I see you don't like a lot of processed foods, but there are some soups that you can heat up and drink on the way to work. The sodium may be too high for your taste, but they are quick (unconventional) but can be nutritious if you choose the right ones.
Here are 2 that I love:
*whole grain english muffin with cottage cheese spread on it, a drizzle of honey and cinnamon.
*whole grain english mufffin spread with cream cheese with sliced strawberries on top and a sprinkle of sugar-tastes like a danish!
I've actually made smoothies the night before and left them in the blender overnight in the fridge. In the morning, just pop it back on the motor part, give it a quick zip and it's ready in seconds.
Hardboiled eggs and fruit
Breakfast burritoes that you make the night before and then pop in the microwave. And you can put whatever you want in there: eggs, cheese, meats, veggies.
I make a batch of waffles every Sunday and then just heat them up in the toaster oven in the morning M-F. They are filling but not heavy and very good for you. My kids also love them with blueberries in them but those don't keep as long without getting soggy and I don't have time mid week to cook up a second batch so I usually save the fruit ones for weekends. Good luck!
1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup gluten free oats
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 omega-3 free range egg
1 tablespoon flax seed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Either the night before you want to make these for breakfast or on the morning before you want to have them for dinner:
Place almond milk, quinoa, oats, olive oil, vinegar, and vanilla in a blender. Cover and blend on high for 3 minutes. You may need to add more liquid to ‘maintain a vortex.’ Let sit overnight or all day at room temperature.
Preheat your waffle iron to medium high AND preheat the oven to 250 degrees F if want to keep them warm and crispy until all waffles are cooked. Right before cooking waffles, add the egg and flax seed. Process until smooth, about 2 – 3 minutes. Combine baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Stir with a fork to remove any lumps. Dump into blender and process until combined.
Spray waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray, add batter, and cook until waffles reach desired crispness. Place waffles into a warm oven on a wire cooling rack until you’re ready to serve them. The wire rack keeps them from getting soggy.
whole wheat tortilla spread with peanut butter and topped with granola and banana - this is quite yummy! you can even warm it up a bit so it gets a little gooey!
