Tired of running out the door in the morning with an empty stomach? Taking a little time to make a healthy breakfast will prevent extra pounds, help your concentration in class, and make those Starbucks pastries seem much less tempting. Take a look at my three favorite quick breakfast ideas to start your day off on the right foot; your body and bank account will thank you!
Apple Cinnamon Crock Pot Oatmeal
This is one of my favorite things to make if I know I don’t have much time. The best part about this meal? I can throw the water and oats into the Crock Pot right before I go to bed so my breakfast is ready and waiting for me in the morning. Here’s how I make it:
1. I usually cook oatmeal with four parts water to one part oats; I like to pour two cups of water into my crock pot, and then toss a ½ cup of steel cut oats into the water. This is enough for about one person. I double this amount if I’m cooking for a friend or if I know I’ll be extra hungry.
2. I then set my Crock Pot on “low” before I go to sleep. If you want your apple cooked, you can add a cup or two of chopped apple and cinnamon to the water at this time.
3. The next morning I will dish up my bowl of oatmeal, add a hearty dash of cinnamon, a sprinkle of raisins or cranberries (or nuts, or whatever toppings you like), and my apples if I decided not to cook them overnight. A classic oatmeal topping is brown sugar, but I use the apple and raisins for my sweeteners instead to keep this meal as healthy as possible.
4. If you need protein in your meal, nuts or a splash of milk are great additions to keep you full longer.
5. Need this meal on-the-go? Put your oatmeal and toppings into an insulated food thermos and stuff it in your backpack. Before I head out the door I leave my pot to soak in the sink so it’s easy to clean when I get back from class.
Cream Cheese Raisin Bread Sandwiches
A twist on bagels and cream cheese; I love making these sandwiches with healthy raisin bread so I can enjoy them guilt-free and on-the-go.
1. I put 2-4 pieces of sprouted cinnamon raisin Daily Bread from Trader Joe’s into the toaster to make it warm and crunchy- it also smells delicious when it’s being toasted, a nice way to start the day! I love this bread because it’s only 3 grams of sugar per slice of bread, which is great compared to other raisin bread brands. You can also make a cream cheese sandwich on the plain, sodium-free type of Daily Bread, which has 0 grams of sugar per slice.
2. Spread some cream cheese on that toast, make a sandwich or two, and put them in a container so you can eat them by the bus stop or between classes. Easy and yummy! If you get tired of cream cheese, almond or peanut butter sandwiches are also fast and easy to make- and full of protein!
Fruit and Cereal Parfait
Like the crock pot oatmeal, this is something you can make the night before.
1. Put a serving of Fage Greek Yogurt into an insulated food thermos and place it in the fridge.
2. Then, take a small plastic sandwich bag, fill it with a mixture of healthy cereal and your favorite dried fruit, and put this inside of your lunch bag with a spoon. My go-to brand of cereal is the Uncle Sam high fiber breakfast cereal, which you can find at stores like Safeway.
3. The next morning, put the container of yogurt into your lunch bag (along with a banana or apple if you have one), and you are good to go. Eat your yogurt and cereal with fresh fruit to add some fun to your breakfast!