Fast and Easy Breakfast Ideas
Froot Loops, out! Trix, out! Lucky Charms, definitely out!
What can you do to get that same silly smile on your face that you get with a bowl of crunchy cereal in the morning?
How do we satisfy our need for a quick breakfast and our love of dry cereal to start the day?
You know I want to tell you to always break your fast with miso soup, a creamy whole grain porridge and steamed leafy green vegetables, but since I live in the real world and that ideal breakfast may need to be leaned into…try these healthy options and still get your day off to a great start.
Here are my top five choices, in order of preference. With almond, soy or rice milk (or the non-dairy milk of your choice), these can’t be beat.
Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal is gluten-free and made from whole grain puffed brown rice. Sweetened with a wee bit of brown rice syrup, there’s nothing artificial added and no preservatives. And…110 calories in a 1-cup serving.
Bob’s Red Mill Organic Rolled Oats contain organic rolled oats, nothing more. They cook in about five minutes and with a bit of almond milk, the sweetener of your choice and some fresh fruit provides a breakfast that will stay with you all morning long.
Post Grape Nuts, the butt of the twig-eating jokes of my youth, contain only four ingredients (not counting the vitamins added) and no added sugar. A great source of fiber, Grape Nuts weigh in at 200 calories for a ½-cup serving and provide 90% of the iron you need daily.
For Cheerios lovers, try Nature’s Path Organic Whole O’s. With six ingredients, no artificial additives or preservatives and 110 calories in a 2/3-cup serving, these do contain organic cane sugar, but they sure beat anything you’ll buy commercially. And for the Honey Nut Cheerios fans? Try Cascadian Farms Organic Honey Nut O’s, with 110 calories in a 1-cup servings and nothing artificial added, these also contain organic sugar and honey, but with only 7g of sugar, it’s a better choice than commercial O’s.
For the Froot Loop lovers, try Cascadian Farms Fruitful O’s. While they contain some sugar (9g in a 1-cup serving), there’s nothing artificial added and at 160 calories a serving, these are a great way to transition your family to healthier options.
For those breakfast lovers not quite on board with miso soup and porridge, but who want a bit more than cold cereal or oatmeal in their bowl, try cooking up some bulgur wheat or unsweetened muesli in about 5 minutes, with fresh fruit and some almond milk for something that sticks to your ribs.