Breakfast In A Crunch: What To Eat When You Don't Have Time

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It's not exactly news that eating breakfast is a healthy habit.

It also makes a great deal of sense - if you eat breakfast, you have energy to go about your day, be productive, and not have to reassure your poor starving body that it's not a famine. I just feel better when I eat breakfast.

In fact, I have to eat breakfast. Otherwise I'm tired and grouchy and headachy and feel unwell all day, no matter how much I eat at the other meals.

But, though breakfast foods are delicious, it isn't always easy to find time to eat breakfast, especially during the work week.

When it comes down to it, many will choose to skip breakfast in favor of a little extra sleep. But there are plenty of breakfasts that work, even when you're in a crunch for time.

Here are some of the the best breakfast for when you don't have time for breakfast!

1) A Homemade Muffin

They're portable, delicious even without a spread, and have enough carbs to energize you for your first round of activities - whether that's an early morning chemistry class, the morning report at work, or shuttling the kids to school.

The key here, however, is to stick to homemade muffins as much as possible. Commercial muffins can often be oversized cupcakes masquerading under a healthy label, but with little nutritional value and lots of sugar and unhealthy fats that will leave you sluggish and dragging your feet by midmorning.

Making them yourself allows you to control how healthy they are! There are a lot of great, relatively simple muffin recipes out there on the internet! I recommend Karen's Whole-Grain Spice Muffins for a great combination of ease to make, great taste, and excellent nutrition!

Another benefit of DIY-ing it is that it's generally cheaper to bake muffins yourself then to buy one every day.

Obviously, don't bake them that morning - that would defeat the time crunch thing. But you can easily bake a week's worth of muffins on a Saturday or Sunday, freeze them individually in Ziploc bags, thaw one out in the fridge every night, and grab it on your way out in the morning!

2) A Mason Jar Yogurt Parfait

Put the fruit at the bottom, in case you're using berries and they release some juice, then add the yogurt layer, then a generous layer of nuts (to provide an insulation layer between the yogurt and the granola - which should stay crunchy - and for the satisfying healthy fats and protein), and then the granola. 

Don't forget a spoon!

3) A Fruity Banana Hot Dog on the Go

This one takes a little more morning effort than the others, but just barely.

Swap out the white bun for a whole grain bun (I love the Food for Life brand sprouted ones!) and the peanut butter for natural peanut butter almond butter and you have a delicious, healthy, filling breakfast to enjoy on the go! And it's cute, so you know, #win.

4) Quick Bread With a Banana and a Bottle of Milk

If you're someone who can't stomach the thought of ingesting anything first thing in the morning, that doesn't mean breakfast isn't for you. There's no rule that says breakfast has to be before work.

You can set this one up the night before, so all you have to do is grab it out of the fridge on your way out - just an extra two seconds in the morning!

Pack a single-serve bottle of milk (soy does just as well if you're vegan or lactose-intolerant), a banana, and a slice of Saran-wrapped quick bread in a brown paper bag (or a snazzy reusable lunch bag - mine is blue with a fun flower print!).

Again, the key here is to make the quick bread yourself. It's easy to make and you can make a loaf or two at a time and freeze whatever you won't eat in the first few days, to keep it fresh. I recommend Kristen's Super Omega-3 Banana Nut Bread!

It's whole grain, heart-healthy, and packs all the goodness of chia seeds, coconut oil, flaxseeds, and more in one tasty slice!

Once you've woken up properly (say, after the first snafu at work or by the time the drowsy kid in your class has fallen asleep again) you'll be ready to enjoy your healthy breakfast!

5) Trail Mix

This is another great one for those who don't want to eat breakfast until a little later in the morning - and it's perfect for those who really can't bare to do anything in the morning, including remembering grabbing breakfast.

Make a big jar of trail mix and keep it on your desk or in a drawer at work. Keep some juice in the fridge and then, once you're awake and ready to eat, you can just screw the lid off your jar of trail mix, grab some juice from the fridge, and fuel up!

It honestly doesn't get any easier or lower maintenance than this!

Do you use any of these quick breakfasts as your go-to already?

What's your favorite breakfast, if you had all the time in the world?
 

Author: Danai Kadzere
Danai Kadzere is a recent graduate from Harvard University and works as an actress, writer, blogger, and model in NYC. When not at auditions, shoots, or pink glitter pen-deep in a new manuscript, she enjoys trying new active pastimes, getting up to shenanigans, and eating (mostly) healthy food.

Visit Danai's blog or follow her on Twitter @LiveLearnEat

 

Lifestyle/Wellness

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