Health starts with one choice at a time. The single choice of adding a nutritious breakfast to your day will have major long term benefits, so take the challenge, and start each day with a nutrition-dense breakfast.  This means packing in lots of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber by the way of good carbohydrates, protein and fat.  Think plant-based nutrition (leafy greens, beans, whole grains, vegetables and low-glycemic fruits), lean protein (eggs, turkey, chicken, fish) and good fat (olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado).

Good breakfast options include (but are not limited to):

• • Steel cut oats topped with berries, walnuts and a tsp of coconut oil
  • Egg scramble with kale, onion, garlic, pepper and asparagus
  • Two hard-boiled eggs, apple slices and an ounce of raw almonds
  • Breakfast burrito with eggs, beans, sautéed veggies, salsa and avocado
  • Deconstructed burrito with brown rice, eggs, beans sautéed veggies, salsa and avocado

• Homemade flax muffins, handful of nuts and smoothie
• Smoothie made with kale, berries, coconut oil, brown rice protein and chia seeds (see recipe)
• All natural chicken sausage sautéed with greens and veggies over rice

Good eating comes with planning and preparation.  The morning will go smoothly when breakfast ingredients are prepped and ready to be prepared for early nourishment.

Preparation Tips:

• Clean and chop all vegetables when you return home from the grocery store
• Clean your leafy greens and store with a paper towel to absorb moisture
• Sauté or roast vegetables ahead of time to quickly add to an egg scramble
• Have beans pre-cooked and ready to add to a breakfast burrito
• Purchase organic frozen berries for quick smoothie creations
• Have raw nuts on hand to add to your oats or creamy buckwheat
• Boil multiple eggs on Sunday so they’re ready as a to-go breakfast anytime
• Make your smoothie the night before and use a Blender Bottle to reconstitute in the morning

The key to good energy all day long is staying away from the sugary food options which often include breakfast cereal, pastries, bread, yogurt, and pre-packaged granola bars.  Opt for fresh ingredients to start your day.  Plan and prepare ahead of time so breakfast can be ready in 10 minutes or less.

Decide to make a change and commit to putting in the effort.  Take it one day at a time, and notice all the benefits from a nutrient-dense breakfast. I hope to hear from you about the results you see from implementing this one practice!

Click here for more tips for meal planning!