Healthy Every Week: Breakfast Every Day

I. love. breakfast. But when your morning goes unexpectedly awry and you have, say, zero seconds to get out the door, you will just have to skip breakfast, right? Wrong! This week’s challenge for me was to have fruit and healthy food on hand and ready to grab for those hectic mornings. As it was the first week if the year, there were many of these days.

A list if quick breakfasts that saved me this week:

• Fruit: apples, bananas, etc naturally come in single serving packages that you can grab and eat on your way to work
• Cottage cheese on whole grain crackers: This is a filling, easy start to the day
• Good ‘ol cereal. Low sugar cereal with lowfat milk and some fresh fruit mixed in? Yes.
• Oatmeal. I start with basic rolled oats and add in whatever I have on hand (See below). In addition, I keep some oatmeal at work for a working-late snack or rushed mornings.

A normal morning for me consists of waking up, starting the coffee, and putting the oatmeal in the microwave before getting ready. I use rolled oats, it is extremely economical to purchase a large canister of these, not single serve instant packets. Rolled oats are done in the microwave in 5 minutes at 50% power. I mix in whatever I have available with 1/3 c oatmeal and 2/3 c water before microwaving. I think cooking the add-ins with the oatmeal infuses the meal with more flavor. I add in nuts and honey at the end if desired. Some of my favorite mixins:

• pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
• dried fruits: raisins, apricots,  cranberries, etc.
• banana: this makes a creamy, flavorful oatmeal!
• walnuts or pecans
• honey, if necessary

I have already given my Ode to Eggs, which no one has to pull my leg to cook up on the weekends. Tell me, how often do you eat breakfast?

This week’s challenge is to eat more whole grains. I love them, and am excited to try new ways of using them.

Take a look at the other participants’ week one of the Healthy Every Week Challenge!

Picky Eater Blog: Chocolate Brownie Oatmeal

Family Fresh Cooking: Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Healthy Eating Starts at Home: Eating Breakfast Daily

Carlene’s Figments: Bits of Nutrition: Eat Breakfast Daily and Avoid Common Excuses

Simple Food, Healthy Life: Week 1 Comes to a Close + Healthy Breakfast Recipes

JBR Nutrition: Be a Breakfast Eater

Ramblings of a Pittsburgh Dad: Healthy Every Week Challenge, Week 1

Meghan’s Kitchen: Ham and Cheddar Hash-brown Bake

Don’t Be (Too) Timid and Squeamish: Maple Macadamia Nut Butter and Back to School Oatmeal

Eat. Enjoy. Live: Healthy Every Week Challenge Week 1 + a Recipe for Oat-y Pancakes

City Life Eats: Breakfast Bias

Boys ‘n’ Berry: Week 1: Oatmeal

Netlycka’s Distracting Confusion: Eat Breakfast Every Day

You Don’t Look Sick: Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis: First Week of Healthy Breakfasts

Deep Thoughts and Amusing Musings: Food Network’s January Challenge

Healthy Kitschy Vegan: Guess What I Ate Last Night? Peanut Butter and Banana Oat Bran Mess

An Uneducated Palate: Creamy Chevre, Pistachio and Fig Breakfast Sandwich

Healthy Plates: Avocado Egg Sandwich

Essentials of Nutrition: The Most Important Meal of the Day

Pursuit of Healthiness: Healthy Every Week Challenge, Breakfast Edition

Chick Bike: January Challenge, Week 1

Nutritious Daily: Breakfast Every Day

Cookin’ in my Kitchen: No-Butter Baked Apples

Hungry Jenny: Breakfast All the Way + an Easy Granola Recipe