I hate breakfast.  No, that’s inaccurate, let me rephrase: I hate breakfast at 6 a.m. when I’m running out the door to work.  I LoOoOoOoVe breakfast at 1 p.m. on a Sunday with a good Bloody Mary bar.  I am not a morning person at all, yet have chosen a profession where I will have to be up early every weekday for the rest of my life.  With trying to develop a healthier lifestyle, I understand that I might have to change some of my eating habits, like being known by order at Dunkin Donuts.  So thanks to my archives of DVR’d Chew episodes, I modified a few breakfast ideas that will actually work with my sleep-to-the-last-possible-minute game plan.

Oatmeal Raisin Bites

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup agave
• 1/2 cup raisins

Combine all ingredients.  Form small clusters and refrigerate on a tray with parchment paper.  Makes 24.

Egg Muffins

• 4 eggs (you could use egg whites, but you have to double the amount of eggs)
• 1/2 cup chopped veggies (spinach, peppers, onions, mushrooms)
• 1 diced turkey sausage patty
• 1/4 cup low fat shredded cheese
• Whole wheat English muffins

 

Combine eggs, veggies, sausage and cheese; season with salt and pepper.  Divide into a 6-cup muffin tin.  Bake at 350 for 6 minutes.  Let cool and remove eggs from pan.  Store in the fridge, microwave in the morning and throw on an English muffin with a slice of avocado and some Sriracha for a speedy sandwich. 

Perfect Parfait

• Vanilla greek yogurt
• Strawberries, blueberries
• Granola 

I put it in a fancy glass for pictures, but this really is the perfect parfait to put in your Tervis the night before and grab in the morning.  Layer yogurt, then granola and sliced berries.  The secret is to sprinkle another thin layer of granola before the next layer of yogurt to keep the fruit from getting mushy.  Add as many layers as you want and throw some fresh fruit on top before you go!

Pancake poppers

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cup milk
  

I love novelty kitchen items, but unfortunately most of them get used once and then lay gathering dust for a year.  I put pancake batter in my cake pop maker, and it does all the work for you.

Go plain, or add chocolate chips, diced sausage, fruit or cinnamon sugar!  Package with a little container of maple syrup, heat up in the microwave at work, and voilà–  Presto Pancakes!

Strawberry Orange Smoothie

• 1/2 cup chopped strawberries
• 1/2 diced orange
• 1 tbsp. grated ginger
• 1 tbsp chia seeds or chia powder
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• Splash of orange juice
• 1/2 cup ice

I’m obsessed with my Magic Bullet blender, but I’m not into smoothies.  Often they don’t keep well overnight and I don’t have time to blend it in the morning.  This one only has a little dairy so it doesn’t get lumpy or turn brown.  Combine ingredients in blender, sip and love.

Tricks of the Trade

• Make everything at the beginning of the week or the night before.  Then it’s ready to grab in the morning.
• Chop fruit and veggies all at once, then freeze in plastic baggies.  It extends the life of your produce, and you have convenient packages for smoothies.
• For a delish iced morning latte, freeze an ice tray of coffee for cubes that won’t dilute your morning Java.
• Treat yourself once in a while.  Some mornings I really crave a take-out BEC and frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.  Eating out is okay once in a while, especially if it’s the breakfast smorgasbord in Lancaster.

Got it?  Okay, ready, BREAK(fast)!