By Paula Seefedlt, owner of Head to Soul Nutrition
My oldest daughter has never been a morning person and when she first started school, it was a struggle every day. Not only did she not like to get up, but she wasn’t very hungry. Many of her “breakfasts” devolved into a bag of cereal eaten as we raced to school. Not very appetizing or particularly healthy.
I knew intellectually that eating a good breakfast was important but putting it into action was challenging both of us.
By the second year of preschool, we both got a little better about the morning routine. Her body clock adjusted a bit and I learned a few simple techniques to calm down the morning rush and get some good nourishment into her (and her little sister when she came along a few years later).
The most important thing I discovered is that breakfast doesn’t have to be a traditional breakfast food. Other cultures simply eat a variation of their lunch or dinner meals as breakfast. I learned how well this can work when my daughter started asking for rice and beans or leftover pasta in the morning. Leftover dinner for breakfast? Easy – and nutritious – it’s the ultimate convenience food. Just heat up whatever is in the fridge. (Both my children now frequently start the day with spaghetti and meatballs.)
If you do prefer a more all-American start to the day, don’t be afraid to cook. The beauty of breakfast foods is that they cook very quickly. Eggs are ready in minutes or you can hard boil a potful ahead of time. Even something as decadent as French toast can be done in five minutes. Dip a piece of whole grain bread into a whisked egg and coat with wheat germ. Cook it in a skillet and it’s ready to go. If you don’t have time to cook a pot of oatmeal, then microwave a bowl. Or, cook steel-cut oats overnight in a crock pot. When you wake up, a hot breakfast is waiting for you.
Smoothies are very popular in our house and you can put almost anything in them. Use milk (or a milk alternative) as the base and add in bananas, frozen fruit, yogurt, honey, flaxseed, nut butter, whatever you like. (I prefer frozen fruit for the thick texture and I always add a teaspoon of vanilla for great flavor). They’re also a great choice for someone who doesn’t like to eat much in the morning.
If you do need to take breakfast to go, try a peanut butter and banana sandwich or an egg and cheese wrap. Trail mix made with nuts, seeds and dried fruit also travels well. On the weekends, I like to make a big batch of whole grain pancakes and freeze the leftovers. On a weekday morning, put them in the toaster oven and you’ve got a pancake breakfast.
And, if you can, make time to sit down and eat. I think one of the reasons people skimp on breakfast is that it’s so often eaten on the run. Actually sitting at the table turns it into a ritual and a meal – something you might start to look forward to every morning.
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