Fuel your Day with these Healthy and Simple Breakfast Options

Slow summer mornings are gone and the hectic craze of school starting, work amping up to the next level, and fall sports/activities have begun.

One of the things that was installed in me early on was the importance of getting fuel in your system before you start the day. Whether it's a larger meal or something on a smaller size, getting something in your body is key for my own personal mood and productivity throughout the day.

The size of my breakfast honestly varies depending on the day and my schedule. One thing I am working on is getting back to my youthful-self of eating more earlier-on in the day.

However, I always encourage you to listen to your hunger cues. For me personally sometimes its oatmeal pancakes, sometimes its yogurt and a protein coffee, and sometimes it cereal and milk. Sometimes I wake up starving and other times I have zero appetite at all. However, I try and always get something in my stomach in the morning hours.

Growing-up I pretty much stuck to oatmeal or cereal before school days, but as of the past few years I've been experimenting with a few more options that now rotate throughout my weeks.

Protein Smoothies

Yep.. this is probably my absolute favorite breakfast. I always wake up dehydrated I feel like and I love a good smoothie to start me off on a great note. I find that I like balancing the fruit in my smoothie with protein powders and greek yogurt. Smoothies can be a bit challenging to make when you have to work with roommates and navigate sleep schedules, but if you're on your own it is a great option. Plus, you can take it on-the-go and sip on it for as long as you’d like. This is a great option if you don't necessarily want to eat anything solid in the morning. Additionally, it's an easy way to get protein in to start off your protein intake on a high note.

My all-time favorite smoothie recipe is perfect for a morning caffeine boost as well.

Cafe Latte Mocha Protein Shake Recipe

Avocado Toast

I am obsessed with anything and everything avocado. Avocado on toast (I love my sprouted grain Food for Life baking Ezekiel bread) , a bagel thin (I always use O'Doughs GF Bagel thins) or an English muffin are some of my favorite ways to start the morning. If you decide to pick up breakfast on-the-go, I highly recommend avocado spread with a bagel from Starbucks or avocado toast from Dunkin’ which comes on delicious sourdough bread topped with everything but the bagel seasoning.

Protein Pancakes/Waffles

I actually tend to make pancakes/waffles more for dinners and desserts than I do for breakfast. But, it is still a great and delicious meal option to look forward to. Sometimes, I meal prep Pamcakes Pancakes waffles days in-advance as well, so that’s a great hack for having breakfast already ready to go in the morning! I’ll eat them cold from the fridge or toss them in the toaster when I’m ready to eat them. There also literally my favorite food ever, so I'll likely never turn them down even when I'm feeling ill.

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Oatmeal + Greek Yogurt

My college dorm breakfast was pretty much the same for quite a long time. I always had the instant original plain flavor oatmeal packets with cinnamon powder and a greek yogurt. I usually picked up a banana at some point in the morning as well. The oatmeal and greek yogurt combination filled me up all morning with the combination of carbs and protein.

Overnight Oats

I like to pick up overnight oats from the grocery store. I always pretty much buy Mush overnight oats (which are now buyable in most grocery stores!) or the Trader Joe’s version. They are both dairy-free, contain no added sugar and come in different flavors!

Protein Fluff

This one may sound kinda strange, but it is super tasty. I got this idea off of my sophomore year college roommate, Christa, who told me to add protein powder to my greek yogurt. I amped it up a bit by also adding canned pumpkin into the greek yogurt as well. It tastes better with the pumpkin already cold from the fridge. So, if you ever see a can of pumpkin sitting in my fridge.. this is why.

Egg Bites

I was always more of a sweet kind of breakfast person, but I’ve been adapting to more savory choices as I’ve gotten older. I really like the Veggies Made Great Spinach Egg White Frittata bites that you can purchase from the majority of grocery stores in the freezer section. All you have to do is heat them for 1 min and 30 sec in the microwave. I also love the egg bites from Starbucks. I don’t eat bacon, but I am a huge fan of the egg white and roasted red pepper ones along with the kale and portobello mushroom egg bites. I also recommend adding avocado spread to the egg white and roasted red pepper bites to keep you fuller for longer. Trader Joe's also just launched their own line of egg bites and the cheese, kale, and spinach egg bites are another favorite of mine.

Egg White Sandwiches

While we are on the topic of eggs, I also highly recommend the spinach egg white wrap from Starbucks or purchasing Egg White Patties from the freezer section at the grocery store. The only brand I found that makes them is Good Food Made Simple. I absolutely love adding these for additional protein within my day. I tend to put the egg white patties on an English muffin or O'Doughs gluten free bagel with some avocado to start off strong.

RX Bars/ Oats

You already know how much I love this brand, but I always take the Bars or Oats with me when I’m on-the-go. They keep me surprisingly full in the morning and are definitely an easy last-minute breakfast to take with you.

Cereal with a Protein Shake

Another hack I picked-up in college to reduce my milk waste was using a protein shake as milk in my cereal. This is convenient on-the-go because it's super easy to grab an individual protein shake rather than a gallon of milk. Plus, they last better outside of the fridge as long as they have not been opened. I also appreciate the additional protein to maintain fullness. Some of my favorite cereals are Barbara’s Puffins, Cheerios, Three Wishes Cereal, and Special K! I love the Cascadian Farms brand as well for their Purely O’s, which honestly taste better than Cheerios in my opinion. Also 10/10 recommend mixing cereals for different flavors and crunchiness!

Let me know what your favorite breakfast is in the comments below.