Healthy And Quick Breakfast Foods

Skipping breakfast may set you up for extreme hunger later in the day and cause you to eat more calories than you intend. Although time may escape you in the morning, you can still put together a healthy breakfast that satisfies your taste buds and nutritional needs. Stock your pantry with the right kinds of foods, and use quick techniques to make sure breakfast.

Significance

The American Council on Exercise points out that breakfast eaters tend to have better nutritional profiles and weigh less than breakfast skippers. Breakfast skipping correlates with other health-endangering habits such as smoking and infrequent exercise, according to a 2003 study in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition." In terms of children, a healthy breakfast supports better performance in school, keeps children at a healthier weight and prevents the accumulation of belly fat.

Features

Breakfast should feature healthy carbohydrates for energy and a protein to help keep you feeling full throughout the morning. Healthy carbohydrates include whole grains, fruit and vegetables, which also provide fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Quick protein options include eggs, nonfat Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, whey protein powder and low-sodium, natural deli ham. Whole eggs provide 12 g of protein each and are rich in choline to help with memory and lutein which supports vision health. Yogurt and cottage cheese provide between 20 and 28 g of protein per 8-oz. serving with calcium and no saturated fat. Whey protein powder is a fat-free, readily digestible source of protein that mixes quickly into smoothies, milk, cereal or juice. Ham provides protein and B vitamins.

Considerations

Many quick breakfast foods found in the frozen foods section -- such as sausage biscuits, egg sandwich pockets and premade pancakes -- are made with excessive amounts of sodium, trans fats, added sugars and refined flours. A quick trip through the drive-through is not a healthy option either; many breakfast sandwiches contain more than 450 calories and 20 g of fat with over 1,000 mg of sodium. If you do not have even enough time to pour a bowl of cereal with skim milk in the morning, grab a string cheese, 1 oz. of roasted almonds and an apple as a quick alternative to eat in the car on the way to school or work. Consider packing a breakfast the night before, composed of a bottled yogurt smoothie and a single serving of granola that you can eat when you reach your morning destination.

Options

Poach eggs in the microwave by cracking them into a cup of water with a dash of salt and sprinkle of white vinegar and heating on high for 2 minutes. Alternatively, hard-boil several eggs on Sunday and store them in the refrigerator to grab as you go out the door on weekday mornings. Whirring frozen fruit, milk and yogurt in a blender makes a quick, nutritious smoothie. Keep breakfast cereal on hand to pour into a bowl when you are pressed for time, or buy single-serving packages to eat dry with a carton of yogurt.

Expert Recommendations

The American Heart Association recommends keeping cholesterol intake to below 300 mg per day. One egg contains about 213 mg, so limit your intake of other cholesterol-containing foods on days you do eat eggs. If you rely on breakfast cereals, look for ones with a whole grain -- rather than enriched wheat flour -- as the first ingredient. Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears, R.N., also suggest choosing a cereal with a minimum of 25 percent of more of most vitamins and minerals, 3 g of protein, fewer than 5 g of sugar and more than 5 g of fiber per serving.