How to make your 'blah' breakfast routine fabulous overnight
Hmm...breakfast.
It can be such a dull, dreary start to your day if you're not careful.
Either you choke down some microwaved oatmeal or you grab a banana as you rush out of the house.
But since your entire morning will be fueled (or left lacking) by what you eat for breakfast, it's worth making extra time and effort to turn your 'blah' breakfast routine into something fabulous that you look forward to when you wake up.
Here are a few ways to make breakfast the greatest meal of your day:
1. Skip the yolks
Scrambled, fried, poached, or even flash-cooked in the microwave, eggs continue to be one of the most popular breakfast foods around.
But with eggs, come egg yolks—which contain way more calories and cholesterol than they're worth.
Get the same great taste out of each egg with way fewer calories by choosing egg whites only.
Can't live without yolks? Meet in the middle. Eat 3 eggs and keep only one yolk in instead of 2 eggs with yolks. You'll be just as full, but much healthier in the long run.
2. Prep steel-cut oats the night before
Steel-cut oats are all the rage lately. But they can be a huge pain to prepare—taking hours off your life.
But if you prepare them in a slow-cooker, you can save yourself tons of time and headache. After a night of stewing in your slow cooker, they'll take only a few minutes to prepare in the morning.
3. Follow it up with light exercise
After you eat a healthy breakfast, try following it up with light exercise. You can go for a walk, play with your kids, or do some light housecleaning.
Regardless of what you choose to do, you'll find your energy levels go through the roof after a healthy breakfast and a morning of light activity.
4. Transform your favorite fast food into a healthy alternative
If you're the kind of person that just can't live without their breakfast burrito or breakfast sandwich, try transforming your favorite fast food breakfast into something a little more healthy.
For starters, refer to #1 and leave the yolks out of your breakfast sandwich.
Try substituting bacon with sliced turkey and an english muffin with whole wheat toast (just one slice if you're feeling it).
You can also add spinach to any sandwich or burrito without altering the taste.
Try one of these recipes to get started:
5. Add spinach (to just about anything)
Spinach makes a really great addition to almost any breakfast.
Because it is mostly tasteless and packs few calories, it's a great healthy addition to smoothies, burritos, sandwiches, omelets, scrambled eggs, breakfast casseroles and more.
6. Trade the butter for avocado
If you just can't give up your toast in the morning, try trading out your butter for avocado instead.
Avocados pack lots of heart-healthy omega-3 fats, plus enough fiber to keep you full through the morning.
7. Trade cream cheese for peanut butter
Last but not least, swap that white bagel for wheat and trade the cream cheese spread for peanut butter.
The combination of carbs, protein, and healthy fats is the secret sauce for sustained energy and stable blood-sugar levels.
