If you’ve read some of my recent articles, you’ll know that I not only believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but that it should also be the largest.  Not just for the reasons you likely heard as a child (i.e. improved mental focus and test scores), but because a big, nutrient-dense meal at breakfast also supports things like:

• A healthy body weight
• Stable energy due to less fluctuation in blood sugar levels throughout the day
• Improved digestive function (aka, stimulation of a regular, healthy bowel movement)
• Manifesting your modern day superpower (mine happens to be finding decent parking spots)

Most days, I don’t have the luxury of a leisurely breakfast, and more days than I’d like to admit, breakfast happens while driving in my car.  So, after many years of perfecting my need for grab-n-go breakfast options that meet my nutrition requirements, I landed on a few favorite options that give me everything I need to feel great and get my day off to a healthy start.

Superfood Muesli – This is a recipe I was given while in naturopathic medical school.  It can be eaten warm or cold, and it’s super easy to make.  You can store a big batch for weeks and then place a scoop in a Pyrex dish the night before so you can literally grab it out of your fridge and go.  I like to use soy milk as the liquid and add some honey for sweetness.  It is incredibly dense and gives you a “stick to your ribs” kind of feeling which is great if you have a busy day ahead.  (Note: You may notice this recipe is called “Immune Support Breakfast” at the link.  My days of FDA compliance have taught me to steer clear of implied claims like this, thus my anointed recipe name choice…totally claim compliant, in case you were wondering.)

Superfood Smoothie – One of the reasons I love smoothies is that I can throw supplements like vitamin D, fish oil and multivitamins into the mix to streamline my morning ritual even more.  This recipe was my go-to breakfast almost every morning through both of my pregnancies.  I’d often grab a handful of peanut butter pretzels as well to balance out some of the sugar from the fruit.  Tip: Put all your smoothie ingredients into a large mason jar before going to bed so all you have to do in the morning is take it with you (if you happen to have a blender at work), or blend at home and then put back into the mason jar to use as a travel container.

Nut Butter Balls – I came across this recipe while looking for snack options to have on-hand for my boys to eat.  It turns out, this recipe is not only easy to make and kid-approved, but a great on-the-go breakfast option.  I like to add lots of goodies like chia seeds, flax seeds and fresh shredded coconut.  You can make a big batch and keep in a large Pyrex container (create layers in the container using wax paper) for up to a week.  Two or three of these balls and you’re satisfied until lunch, no problem.

Nut Butter Toast – When your best attempts at planning and prepping don’t manifest, there’s always basic nut butter toast.  I like to trade between almond and sunflower butter, and when I know I have a big day planned, will make this into a toasted sandwich with an extra slice of stone-ground bread and a thin layer of jam.  Basic and perhaps a tad boring?  Yes.  Super fast to make and easy to eat while driving?  Absolutely.

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