With back to school and back to work, you’re back to the grind: mornings are shorter and days are longer. Between the busy commute, work, kids… finding the time for a good healthy breakfast can be tricky.
Fast food drive-throughs are tempting till they become just another part of your morning routine. But a nutritious breakfast is essential for getting through the day. Not only is it beneficial for your health, but it’ll also give you the energy you need for the day. So how can you get a quick breakfast without setting aside quality? Our suggestion for breakfast on the go has come to the rescue.
If you like fast food, here are five arguments that will help persuade you to change your habits :
1. Too many calories
Most meals served at fast food joints give you the calories needed in a day which is about 2,000 just by themselves. Result: at the end of the day, you’ll have gulped down a lot more calories than your body really needs.
2. High in sodium, saturated fats and refined sugar
These breakfast meals – processed food enhanced with chemicals – contain a lot of sodium, saturated fats and refined sugar. The ingredients themselves aren’t that bad. The problem is that they’re generally the only ingredients in this kind of food, so the body doesn’t get the vitamins and minerals it needs.
3. Not worth much
You’ve already asked yourself this: how much money will I save if I stop eating out for breakfast?
We’ve got just one answer for you: a lot. A breakfast sandwich at a fast food chain costs on average $5. If you stop on the way to work three times a week, for example, you’ll spend $15 a week. When you consider that an adult works an average of 46 weeks per year, that’s $690 a year. After 30 years of working, we’re talking a total of $20,700. Let’s face it – that’s a lot of money for a meal that has little nutritional value. And on that note, we’ll leave you to digest the amount!
4. The same meal over and over
The vast majority of fast food restaurants have a fairly limited breakfast menu compared to what you can make at home. In fact, you don’t usually have more than five dishes with variations that also lack originality – not to mention that they don’t satisfy everyone’s tastes: vegetarian menus are limited, if they exist at all.
5. Bad for the environment
Fast food creates endless amounts of waste. In fact, fast food is always packaged whether cardboard, paper or both. To respond to the needs of this sector, innumerable trees are needed.
What makes a good breakfast?
Before planning breakfast, it’s important to understand what your body needs. After a night of sleep, your nutritional reserves are at their minimum. That’s why it’s important not to skip breakfast.
Quality food
Avoiding fast food is a good habit, but it’s important not to make the same mistakes at home. For a healthy breakfast, you should keep away from food that’s high in fat, has added sugar or colouring… In short, choose food with natural ingredients – meaning unmodified – and with a minimum number of ingredients.
Vegetables are also recommended at breakfast time because they’re rich in vitamins, fiber and mineral salts. As for frozen veggies, they often have a nutritional profile that’s even better than fresh veggies and they’re much easier to keep. This means you can buy a lot more veggies for all your breakfast needs without wasting any! Read The Whole Truth about Frozen Veggies to learn more about their benefits.
A complete meal
As for what constitutes a complete breakfast, nutritionists recommend including at least three of the four food groups. Of course, four would be best, but you can get through your daily tasks quite easily with a simple meal.
In terms of nutrients, carbohydrates, fiber and vitamins should be the focus. To help you plan breakfast, here’s a table that groups healthy foods that will satisfy these needs.
Combine quality and diversity
Address challenges for busy mornings
Challenge 1: Find the balance between quick and quality
Of course, finding time to make a good, healthy breakfast can be a real challenge. One day never seems to be enough to get everything done, but there are a few really practical tricks that’ll help you save precious time in the morning.
1. Choose recipes beforehand and make a list of ingredients
Planning is the key to success because it helps limit unexpected surprises. Here’s our advice for saving time in the morning: choose recipes beforehand and prepare your menu for the week. Then you’ll have everything you need in terms of ingredients and time. The only thing left to do is go to the grocery store with your list of ingredients in hand and stock the fridge for the upcoming week. This also allows you to go to the store only once for the week, thereby saving you time.
Here’s a template for your weekly menu. Use it however you like.
2. Prepare ingredients
The next step for a quick and healthy breakfast is to prep ingredients the night or even the week before to get meals ready at the beginning of the week. To do so, just chop fruits and veggies, prepare dough, cook meat or cook recipes that keep easily (smoothies, muffins, banana bread, etc.).
3. Store food properly
After the food is made, choose the right method to store each one. Most food keeps very well in the fridge for a week if it’s in an air-tight container. However, you have to be careful for certain meat and vegetables. Here is a timeline for how long they keep in the fridge.
After this period, simply continue storing in the freezer. When you know what mistakes to avoid, it’s easy to be a pro when it comes to storing food!
Challenge 2: Find breakfast dishes that are easy to bring with you
Among the reasons why people skip breakfast, two keep popping up: not enough time and not hungry early in the morning. In both cases, the challenge is the same: finding a breakfast that’s easy to bring with you and that can be eaten somewhere other than at home.
Obviously, enjoying your usual bowl of cereal in the car on the way to work isn’t realistic, but we do have a few solutions for you. The recipes below all have one thing in common: their adaptability. They’re easy to make, store and transport. Whether in the car, walking down the street or once at work, you can enjoy them without making a mess.
Classics reimagined
Toast
Do you love toast in the morning? Great! Transform toast into a delicious sandwich. First, this will allow you to choose a filling breakfast by adding your favourite topping like fruit, nuts, oats, eggs, meat, veggies, etc. Second, breakfast in the car has never been so easy! This reimagined toast is a lot less messy and a lot easier to take with you. Need inspiration? Take a look at this Top 10 list of toppings for breakfast.
Cereal
We couldn’t write this article without finding a solution for cereal lovers! Cereal can, in fact, be easily enjoyed at work. You can also prepare it the night before, then add fruit and nuts for a complete breakfast. All that’ll be left is leave a container of milk in the office fridge! Breakfast in the morning won’t be a chore anymore, it’ll be a pleasure. Here’s a list of the tops and flops of breakfast cereals.
Crepes
Transform your favourite French crepes into little rolled delights. Whether savoury or sweet, this breakfast will become part of your favourite dishes! Add your own flare by incorporating your favourite ingredients!
Rolled crepes with herbs, smoked salmon and cheese
Rolled crepes with leeks and mushrooms
Really flavourful protein breakfast
Protein breakfasts are small, but filling and you can’t deny how practical they are. They can be prepared in advanced, kept in the freezer and give you all the nutrients your body needs.
Moist pumpkin zucchini muffins
Smoothies for all tastes
Benefits: they can be transported easily and consumed anywhere. They’re also delicious and the variations are endless.
For more inspiration, take a look at these 20 smoothies you just have to try.
Wake up starving?
With a little planning, these simple recipes and dishes are easy to take with you, so you’ll have everything you need to start your day on a full stomach!
I like to have Juice, Fruits, Oats in the breakfast.