Nutrition Tip of the Week 9/14

Too busy for breakfast?  Try one of these breakfasts on the go for a healthy meal that won't make you late for work!

Mass Appeal Segment: Healthy Breakfast on the Go

Building a Healthy BreakfastAll you need is five minutes and 4 key principles in mind: high fiber carbs, high quality protein, healthy fat, and hydration.

High fiber carbs – might include a whole grain, such as oatmeal, quinoa or 100% whole grain bread! or fruits and vegetables. These give you energy while traveling slowly through your GI tract to help keep your blood sugar level and keep you full until lunch time. Avoid high sugar foods and white flour, which give you a sugar rush and crash, leaving you craving coffee with cream and sugar around 10am.

High quality protein – includes nuts, seeds, eggs, lean meats, greek yogurt, or protein powder in a pinch. High quality protein helps repair muscles that worked hard during your morning workout and keeps you satiated.

Healthy fat – includes coconut or olive oil, avocados, or nuts and seeds. Egg yolks in moderation can also be considered healthy fat, but may have implications for increasing cholesterol for those at risk.

Hydrating beverages – include water and herbal tea. A cup of coffee in the morning is fine for most, but watch what goes in that cup. A coffee with cream and sugar ordered at the drive through puts you close to your daily allotment of saturated fat and added sugar (probably not what you bargained for at 6 in the morning!).

Craving sweet?
Try a slice of whole grain bread with 1/2 banana (high fiber carb), and 1 Tbsp. Almond butter (protein and fat) with a glass of water
1 cup greek yogurt (protein), with 2 Tbsp. Flax seeds (healthy fat) and 1 cup berries (high fiber carb)
Cook 1 packet oatmeal (high fiber carb) as directed and add 1/4 cup raisins (high fiber carb), almonds (fat and protein), and 1/2 cup almond milk (fat and protein) with side of herbal tea.

Craving salty?
Try a microwave egg muffin: scramble 1 egg or 2 egg whites (protein) and put in ziplock bag. Microwave for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 cup veggies (high fiber carb) and microwave for another 30 seconds. Slice tomato and avocado (healthy fat) and place on 1/2 English muffin or whole grain bread (high fiber carb). Add the egg, put the to her slice of bread or other 1/2 English muffin on top, and you are set to go!

Try savory oatmeal: cook instant oats as directed above, but add in a few leftover cooked veggies from the night before (my favorites are peas and mushrooms) and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, a Tbsp of pine nuts and a teaspoon of olive oil and lemon.

No time to spare? Make a smoothie the night before and press “blend” in the morning. Try a high quality protein powder, a fruit, a veggie and a nut butter for some high quality nutrition! Or, grab a premise smoothie that is made with real fruits, veggies, and a high quality protein with no added sugar. Naked, Odwalla, and. Boathouse farms all have good choices. A bar such as a LaraBar, made of nuts and seeds can be a great alternative to the traditional pop tart in a pinch, and having some precooked hard boiled eggs, individual bags of nuts and whole fruits on hand can be a great way to grab and go as well!