This is the time of year where many people are focused on healthy eating and setting goals for changing the way they eat. It is a fresh start to a new year.
One of the best places to start eating healthier is breakfast. It is the first and most important meal of the day. So, over the next few weeks I hope to share some ideas and thoughts on starting the day right by eating a healthy breakfast.
Now if you know me in real life, than you know this is an area I struggle with and have my whole life. I have never been a huge breakfast eater. I am just not hungry first thing in the morning and when hunger finally does strike at 10:30 or 11:00 I often grab something unhealthy to eat. This is something I really know I need to work on and change. Even if I don’t grab breakfast first thing in the morning, when I do get hungry, I need to head towards something healthy, not junk food.
I know the importance of a good breakfast and I am trying to instill in my kids the importance of starting the day off right with a healthy meal. I am hoping that my bad example of not eating breakfast has not ruined them.
Thankfully my husband and kids are all breakfast eaters. They do not take after me in this area. They need breakfast. In fact, they love it, and this makes it much easier to instill in them the importance of a good breakfast. They wake up hungry and ready for a good meal.
My struggle though is often getting that meal ready for them. And it is something that I need to work on.
Yes, I love my baked oatmeal recipes because I can make them ahead and we eat them often. My kids love homemade granola and you will often find a jar of it in my kitchen, but the reality is that all too often over the last few months on those crazy busy days, we have grabbed that box of not so healthy cereal or container of store bought yogurt or granola bars.
So, one of my food goals for 2012 is to bring back the healthy, or at least healthier, breakfast at our house.
I do find that breakfast goes much better if I have a plan, so I am going to try hard to make a breakfast menu plan each week. I make a dinner plan every week, but often I skip the breakfast planning and those are usually the weeks that we end up not eating well. So, starting with a breakfast plan each week is my first goal.
I have actually been working on this goal for the last few weeks and I will be sharing a new recipe for coconut baked oatmeal and a recipe for homemade coconut granola that we have been enjoying. Both recipes have helped me put a healthy breakfasts on the table the last few weeks.
Do you struggle with starting the day with a healthy breakfast? What tips do you have for starting the day right?
Oh my soul!!! That is me to a “T”. I am just simply not a fan of breakfast foods, and I am not hungry in the mornings.
Unfortunately, I am hungry at night….the worst possible time to eat. I MUST adjust my schedule, but it is going to be easier said than done.
I will look forward to your upcoming posts on this issue.
I’m a HUGE fan of breakfast but I, unfortunately, forget to plan ahead and suddenly it’s breakfast time. It’s made harder by the fact I’m related to some pretty picky eaters. I LOVE the Baked Oatmeals and pretty much always have a pan of one of the flavors in my fridge–which I eat on most days. However, my family doesn’t like it and then I’m scrambling around to fix them something.
there are a LOT of us out there who just aren’t hungry in the morning. many of us (myself included) suffer from adrenal fatigue… and this is why we are not hungry in the morning, and hungry at night. Google and see what I mean. so, if you are one of those people, get your adrenals in order (for me it means lots of vitamin C, going to bed earlier, and drinking water with sea salt in it.) As my adrenals have gotten better, my appetite in the morning has improved as well. There might be hope for us yet! 🙂
We don’t live in the States and don’t have boxed cereal as an option, but I turn to granola far too often. I’d like to have more variety in my breakfasts for the family, but waking up and having something on the table before preschool besides granola seems nearly impossible. I’d love some new ready-made ideas!
I’m in love with your dinnerware! Beautiful 🙂
I am not hungry in the morning either…but my day starts at 5:30am! And, like you, I end up reaching for something unhealthy because I am ravenously hungry by the time I end up getting hungry…
Really looking forward to the coconut oatmeal recipe!
My go to breakfast food is whole wheat pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes. They freeze beautifully, take just seconds to reheat, and have just enough sweetness in them between the pumpkin and mini chocolate chips that the kids eat them out of hand–no syrup and no dishes to clean up 😉 I usually make a triple batch and freeze to use a whole can of pumpkin, but you could also freeze the leftover pumpkin
Dry: 1 c flour, 1/2 c whole wheat flour, 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed, 2 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips, 1 Tbsp baking powder
Wet: 2 eggs, 1 1/3 c milk, 1/2 cup pumpkin, 1 tsp vanilla
I use to be a breakfast skipper, but now I can’t live without it. We make big batches of whole wheat pancakes, freeze the extras, and pop them in the toaster for breakfast.
I’ve been having a protein smoothie every morning lately. Banana, spinach leaves, frozen strawberries or blueberries, rice milk and my protein powder. I love it and quite often the kids beg to have one too.
Looking forward to it. Great minds think alike. I just printed a homemade granola bar recipe and a homemade fruit bar recipe. I love homemade granola as well. Once you’ve had it you just don’t want the store stuff! Will be keeping an eye open for your tips and recipes! Happy New Year.
Would love to see ideas…overnight oatmeal is a big favorite. Or eggs. But cereal is more often. I like to make oatmeal and add protein powder and flax to it (w/ cinnamon) but it can be a struggle!
I love breakfast!!! My favorite meal of the day. Whole oats with dried cranberries, walnuts, brown sugar and fresh goat milk!! I dont get hungry for hours! Thanks for the giveaway and the blog. I really enjoy it!
I luv this oatmeal steelcut.. they are more filling & flavorful…Great for a late night snack too…
my not so healthy breakfast (lunch & dinner) would be Skoodles. noodles..browned sausage (cheap kind) cream of chicken soup in sausage after cooked…stir in the cooked noodles top with chedar cheese.. bake 375 for 17 minutes… Yummy…to twist it up I sometimes add 1 cheap can black beans…also 1 time added 1 can chopped tomatoes…All three ways are great… this is a cheap meal made in a hurry.. P.S. Kids luv it…. Luv getting your emails..keep them comming….
I would love to try it.
We have had oatmeal for years for breakfast. Breakfast would not be the same without it.
Oatmeal or homemade granola! Yum
I could easily skip breakfast but make myself eat some cereal or oatmeal. It keeps me going.
I would love to like oatmeal, but so far no go. I love a good breakfast though, bacon, eggs and toast.
I love Bob’s Red Mill products and Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day!
Thanks for sharing.