You know those perfectly orchestrated weekday mornings when everything goes smoothly and you’re out the door just in time? Yeah, me neither. Weekday mornings are hectic and if you’re like me, you often find yourself rushed, disgruntled and uttering all sorts of colorful language before 8am. There always seems to be just one more thing left to do before you can leave, like grabbing the phone charger, refilling the cat’s water bowl, or checking if you’ve remembered to wear pants.
But despite how stressful mornings can be, not eating a good breakfast is not an option. Having a nutritious breakfast can help improve cognitive function, avoid energy dips, and curb cravings throughout the day. Below are five (four of which happen to be vegan) simple breakfast ideas that leave you with no excuse to eat a sugary doughnut first thing in the morning.
1. Green smoothie
The ultimate power breakfast - just throw a bunch of stuff in a blender, gulp it down and bam, you’re outta there. My fail-proof formula: 2 generous handfuls of organic baby spinach, 1 banana, a handful of berries/fruit (fresh or frozen), 1 tbsp chia seeds and 2 tbsp oats, all topped with unsweetened almond milk. You can even have this breakfast in the car or on the train to work.
2. Whole grain toast with almond butter and banana
This option goes especially well with coffee and is perfect for those with a morning sweet tooth. Just make sure that whatever nut butter you choose (be it almond, cashew or peanut), the only ingredient it contains is nuts. You do not need any of those scary hydrogenated oils or preservatives, mkay?
3. Eggs on toast
Scrambled or fried, it’s up to you. You can also add some cheese and/or schmear some pesto or sun-dried tomato spread on your toast. Eggs contain a lot of protein and tons of vitamins and minerals, so this one’s sure to keep you feeling full for a long time, which is great for mornings when you’ve got a lot of meetings before lunch and may not have time for a snack.
4. Chia seed pudding
You can prepare a large container of this over the weekend and eat it for breakfast throughout the week. It only takes a few minutes of prep plus a few hours in the fridge and it’s ready to party. You can top it with virtually anything you please, including berries, mango, coconut flakes and nuts. Chia seeds are a “power food” - just one tablespoon contains 6g of fiber, 3g of protein and 2.9g of Omega-3 fatty acids - so you don’t have to eat a lot to reap its benefits.
5. Oatmeal with fruit
Simple, comforting and super nutritious. Just make sure you get the regular bulk container of oatmeal instead of those yucky flavored packets that contain way more sugar than necessary. You can top it with nuts and/or fruit (fresh or dried). Here I also threw in some chia seeds for good measure.
What is your go-to weekday breakfast?
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