Medical experts and researchers have for years incessantly reminded us, with detailed figures and complex experiments, the importance of having breakfast for good health. From maintaining a healthier weight to an improved ability to focus the mind, breakfasts are critical meals in many ways. Recently, the Harvard School of Public Health indicated that eating breakfast keeps the heart in good condition, and not doing so adds increased strain. People who skipped breakfast were 27% more likely to have heart problems than those who had breakfast. Furthermore, it is advised that one should have breakfast within an hour from time of waking up, which means breakfast at your work desk is less effective than breakfast at home if you take a long time to commute to your work place.
The study was done on men aged 45-82 however, and one might argue that the subjects are skewed. Nevertheless, while more research needs to be done to establish a direct link between breakfast and heart attacks, it has certainly been proven that breakfast does a lot of good for males and females across various age groups.
The million dollar question however, is making time for a well-balanced healthy breakfast. Easier said than done, said a friend of mine recently with regards to finding time during the morning rush hour. He had lamented that rising at 7 in the morning left barely sufficient time for morning exercise, shower, shaving, and putting together his outfit before going off to work. He drives to work and starts work at 9pm.
Rightly, aside from outfit planning (which can be done the night before to save time), the morning before work or school is a hectic period made worst by the fervent desire that you were still lying in bed. Getting up earlier is not a solution for everyone as some people feel queasy if they were to eat early in the morning.
A good solution is an almost instantaneous breakfast that is light and healthy.
Here are some ideas that require usually less than fifteen minutes to prepare. Just make sure you have the ingredients the night before and know where you keep them so you don’t waste time scrambling around for them.
Cheesy Fruit Breakfast Bowl
You don’t even have to cook this!
You will need –
- One serving of your favourite fruit, cut up or cubed. Apples, bananas, blue berries, grapes, pears are healthy and tasty options
- ½ cup of low-fat Cottage cheese
- ½ table spoon of cinnamon sauce, or natural honey for diabetics and those who should be watching their sugar levels.
Quantities can be adjusted according to personal preference.
Place cottage cheese in a bowl. Mix in half of the cinnamon sauce / honey until the mixture is well blended.
Add your cut or cubed fruit, stir, and then top with the remaining cinnamon sauce / honey.
That’s all! You can vary the types of fruits each day for more variety.
(Image from getfityou.com)
Oatmeal is one of the healthiest choices for breakfast. Steel-cut oats are the healthiest, but they also take a rather long time to cook, so if you don’t have the luxury, you can still go with instant oats. Instants do not contain much fibre, and that’s where fruits and nuts make up for it. In particular, blueberries go well with oats. Flaxseed and almonds stimulate the meal with a crunchy texture while contributing additional essential nutrients, including fibre, unsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals.
(Image from eggbeaters.com)
Egg in a mug
Most of us wouldn’t think of putting eggs in our mugs unless we’re making milo with egg, but when you’re in a rush, it sure is easier to multi-task by eating from a mug than a plate or bowl! Why else did the concept of cup noodles come about?
You will need:
A microwave oven.
½ serving of apples or pears, chopped or cubed. Other fruits will do too, but this dish will be served warm, so you would probably not want to add fruits that will taste weird when warm. Alternatively, you can also use broccoli instead of fruits.
½ an egg, raw. Keep the other half refrigerated for the next day.
¼ cup of cottage cheese. Cheddar cheese slices will do too, but they should be chopped up for easier blending.
Seasoning: salt, pepper, garlic powder (optional)
Quantities can be adjusted according to personal preference.
Add the chopped fruits in a mug, and put the mug in the microwave oven to microwave for about one minute. This serves to soften and warm the fruits.
Pour the egg in and microwave for about another 2 minutes.
Add cheese and stir, then microwave for about 1 minute.
Mix and scramble. When the egg is set, you can add some seasoning.
Enjoy!
For an additional treat, you can add other ingredients like shredded mushrooms, ham bits and even some minced meat for a more filling breakfast. Make sure meat is already cooked as you can’t count on a microwave oven to cook your raw meat in such a short time frame! Look into your fridge and see what you got. Leftovers from dinner the night before could inspire some creative new recipes!
Caution: Eggs are high in protein, so refrain from eating this every morning.
Bananas
Bananas are nutritious, tasty, filling and really easy to eat on the go. You don’t even need to add additional seasoning as they are naturally sweet. What’s not to like about them? Of course, it can be tiresome to eat them every morning. You can create variety by adding them to a bowl of cereal and milk, or having them with sour fruits. From personal experience, they taste best when consumed with cubed strawberries and blueberries.
If all else fails, head to 7-11 or your nearest bread store the night before and stock up on ready-made sandwiches! They’re still healthier than chemically processed instants.
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