Healthy On the Go: Four Breakfast Ideas for Busy Women

Grabbing a healthy breakfast when you’re running out the door isn’t always easy. I never pass up the chance to eat something, but when you’re as busy as I am, it’s hard to sit down and eat a well-balanced, healthy meal. Most of the time, I’m either driving through the local drive-through or grabbing a muffin at Starbucks in order to get my breakfast fix. Last year when my pants started getting a little tighter, however, I decided to change up my morning breakfast routine. I’m still as busy as ever, but I’m now making much wiser breakfast choices. If you’re usually running out the door like me in the morning, here are four healthy breakfast staples you can grab on the go.

An energy bar and fruit

Energy bars are filling and full of fiber and vitamins. I keep an eclectic stash of these in my pantry for those days I’m in an extreme rush. Even though these bars are pretty filling, I usually pair them with a piece of fruit, such as an apple or banana, to fully round out my breakfast meal. When it comes to choosing the best energy bar, believe me, there are many options. I love Clif Bars, but there are also Larabars, Luna Bars, Odwalla Bars, and numerous others. Try a few and start keeping a handful in your pantry. You won’t regret it.

Plain instant oatmeal

Instant oatmeal is one of the easiest breakfasts to make in a rush. All it takes is some water, a packet of instant oatmeal, a few minutes in the microwave, and voilà, you’ve got some delicious, healthy oatmeal. Instant oatmeal comes in a lot of flavors, but I encourage you to stick with the plain, unflavored packets. Why? Well, aside from the fact that the fruit in those packets aren’t fresh, they also are packed full of sugar and unnatural ingredients. If you want to add flavor, incorporate your own natural ingredients, such as honey, stevia, fresh berries, cinnamon, and numerous other delicious additions.

Greek yogurt

There are thousands of yogurts in grocery stores nowadays. Many of them have different flavors and milk bases, but all of them are excellent sources of potassium, calcium, protein, and zinc. What makes Greek yogurt such a great yogurt breakfast, however, is the fact that it contains more probiotic cultures, less lactose, and twice the protein content than regular yogurt. Greek yogurt’s thicker texture is also great for combining it with granola and fruit.

High-fiber cereal

Most people don’t get the recommended 28 grams of fiber a day. In fact, unless you’re eating fruit, vegetables, and wheat two to three times a day, chances are you’re aren’t getting your necessary share of fiber. In case you didn’t know, fiber prevents heart disease and diabetes, lowers blood cholesterol, and helps people feel fuller, so it’s definitely not something you should skip out on. If a breakfast cereal has a hearty helping of fiber, it will usually say so right on the box. Some of the best high-fiber cereals I’ve sampled include Fiber One, Barbara’s High Fiber Cereal, and Kashi’s GoLean! Toasted Berry Crumble. Don’t let me do the choosing for you though; go find your personal favorite!

Breakfast is an important part of starting the morning out right, so even if you’re in a rush, make sure you grab something healthy, such as instant oatmeal, greek yogurt, high-fiber cereal, or an energy bar.

Leslie Johnson is an avid health, nutrition, and lifestyle blogger or mastersinhealthcare.com. If you have any questions for Leslie, feel free to leave them here.