Nutrition & Wellness

Do you want to increase your productivity during the day? Eat breakfast. 

Easier said than done right?! Eating breakfast can be a challenge as mornings can be one of the busiest times of your day. Your challenge could be that you are just not a morning person so you tend to hit the snooze button one too many times and then scramble to get to work on time (that was me this morning!). You may be the working mom who is busy packing the kids' lunch and making sure they have breakfast that you forget to eat your own. You may wake up with a mind full of ideas and immediately start to tackle they day's projects but forget to eat anything by 3pm. 

Whatever your challenge is, breakfast is one of the most important tools to giving you quality energy throughout your day. When you skip breakfast, your body will pull glucose (a.k.a. sugar) from your muscle and brain to stabilize your blood sugar giving you energy to make it through the day. But it isn’t your best energy. Have you noticed that when you haven’t eaten all day it is hard to clearly focus on a project or that important email you need to send? Or do you notice that you are a little cranky and can easily snap at a co-worker or your kids? That’s because your brain and muscles are not firing on all cylinders, and you are not at your full capacity which affects the quality of your work and emotions.

To be productive and pleasant, start your day with proper fuel. To ensure you get that proper fuel and make use of limited time on busy mornings, try one of these 5 simple meals:

1. 2 Hard-boiled Eggs with an Apple 

Preparation Tip: Prepare a dozen hard-boiled eggs on Sunday to keep in the ridge for grab-n-go breakfast and snacks during the week. 

*Paleo and gluten-free diet friendly! 
*To make vegetarian and vegan diet friendly, switch the eggs for 2 tablespoons of almond butter 

2. Fruit and Yogurt Parfait 

Preparation Tip: 6 ounces of plain Greek yogurt mixed with ½ cup of blueberries and ½ cup of sliced strawberries 

*Paleo and gluten-free diet friendly! 

*To make dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan diet friendly, use coconut or almond yogurt 

3. Overnight Oatmeal 

Preparation Tip: The night before, combine ½ cup low-fat milk, ⅓ cup rolled oats, ½ banana (mashed), ¼ cup chopped walnuts (or any nut you prefer), and a dash of cinnamon sealed in a Tupperware container. It can be eaten as is the next morning or heated in the microwave for 1 - 2 minutes.

*Vegetarian and vegan diet friendly! 

*To make paleo and gluten-free diet friendly, substitute ¼ cup almond meal, 2 tablespoons of ground flax or chia seeds) for the oats 

4. Blueberry Protein Smoothie 

Preparation Tip: 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (I use Vega, but you can use your favorite), 1 cup of frozen blueberries, 1 ½ cups of unsweetened vanilla almond milk 

*Paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan diet friendly! 

5. Spinach, Tomato, and Mushroom Frittata (recipe below) 

Preparation Tip: Make for dinner the night before and save 2 slices for breakfast the following day. 

*Paleo and gluten-free diet friendly! 

*To make vegetarian and vegan diet friendly, substitute the eggs for extra-firm tofu like in this frittata recipe

Spinach, Tomato, Mushroom Frittata

Ingredients

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 cups of spinach

1 cup of cherry tomatoes

1 cup of mushrooms

8 eggs

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. Whisk 8 eggs in a bowl, season with a pinch of sea salt and freshly cracked pepper 
3. Add olive oil to skillet on medium heat and saute garlic and mushrooms for 6 - 7 minutes. 
4. Add tomatoes and spinach and cook for another 2 - 3 minutes. 
5. Reduce to low heat and pour egg mixture over vegetables. 
6. Place pan in oven and cook for 15 minutes.

What are your go-to breakfast foods that help you be productive (and pleasant)?