Starting the Day off Right

I know that breakfast is important. That has been ingrained in me. My college major was nutrition, and if there are two things I left with, it's the importance of breakfast and I know you want to know the other one. That would be breastfeeding, but that's not relevant to this post, so moving on!

I've learned that if I start with a nutritious breakfast, I am more likely to eat well for the duration of the day. Another thing is water. If I'm drinking a decent amount of water, I do better with food. I have a little addiction to Diet Dr. Pepper, but having one on any particular day seems to throw me way off course.

Here are two of my favorite, healthful breakfasts. The first is a chocolate chip oatmeal cake from the Chocolate Covered Katie blog ,<---------- she's awesome. This little oatmeal cake is so filling. I can't even finish the entire thing. Eating half of it and saving the rest for later would still leave me feeling completely satisfied for a while. If you make this, do not neglect the nut butter. This makes it super decadent.



I make this in a mini-loaf pan, in case you were thinking it was a full-loaf pan. It's about 450-500 calories, which sounds like a lot, but remember half is enough. I topped it with whipped cream and chocolate chips like CCK does on her blog. I also added some sliced almonds, and my chocolate chips are dark chocolate, healthy chocolate, right?

My other favorite healthy breakfast is the green monster smoothie from the Divas Can Cook blog. I add dried oatmeal to it and mix it all up in my Vitamix.  The oatmeal adds satiety value. You'll find that just about anything with oatmeal will help you to feel full. The pre-made oatmeal packets that you make in the microwave get a bad rap. Processed oatmeal, how evil. Um no, we're busy remember and here's how I look at it: It's better than getting something from a fast food drive-through. It's portion controlled and the main ingredient is still oats. The oats have been cut a little smaller so that they'll cook faster. I am a believer in the quick oatmeal breakfast packet, yes sir!

Green smoothies are a perfect way of getting lots of nutrients in a quick, delicious, and easy to consume way. I vary my smoothies, with various fruits (frozen is fine), sometimes beets, carrots, avocado, the sky is the limit. I've had my Vitamix for about 4 years. I was so hesitant to spend so much on a kitchen appliance that sits on the counter, but it really is wonderful to have, money well spent.

My goal will be to make time for a nutritious breakfast more often than not. The smoothie doesn't take long to prepare. The oatmeal cake is something I'd prepare the night before, unless I just happened to be up really early (probably not happening).