We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Then why do we so often skip it? Honestly, in our house, it’s time. The hour between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. is insane in my house. Not only am I trying to get myself ready for work, I’m letting the dogs out, feeding the cats, trying for the fifth time to get my children out of bed, dressed and presentable. Meanwhile, I’m packing lunches and organizing backpacks. Hmm… now where does breakfast fit in? Usually – it’s on the run.
I would describe our lifestyle as “organized chaos,” and with a little planning, breakfasts are now the easiest part of our mornings. To help out the rest of you busy families out there, I’ve put together one of our very favorites – a simple fruit and grain yogurt parfait. The recipe is simple and can be modified and switched up in a gazillion different ways. The grains give it heartiness and will keep you full until lunch, then it’s also packed with protein and fiber, probiotics, vitamins and minerals!
- Fruit
- Yogurt
- Grains (quinoa, oats, millet, granola, cous cous, etc...)
- Add ins: dried fuits, nuts, coconut
- Cook up your favorite grains
- Layer grains, yogurt, fruits and add-ins
- Keep refridgerated
- Make ahead in to go cups and tape a plastic spoon to side for a breakfast on the go!
Pictured uses Breakfast Millet, colorful flavored yogurt, dried coconut and frozen blueberries. I prefer my parfaits with some vanilla greek yogurt, blueberries, coconut and almonds!
When you are looking for healthy breakfasts to go, keep these points in mind:
Keep it healthy.
Choose a quick breakfast that is high in fiber and protein to keep you full and give you energy.Keep the sugars low as it will only make you more sleepy before lunch hits when your blood sugar drops.
Keep it portable.
Package in plastic baggies, plastic cups or saran wrap so clean up is easy.
Keep it clean.
Try to pick to go snacks that are not too messy so you don’t end up with a purple grape jelly stain on your shirt!
Keep it fun.
It’s easy to skip breakfast all together so the more creative you are, the more the kids will want to eat it.
Let them help pick the breakfasts and prepare it ahead of time.
Keep it ready in advance.
Take some time on the weekend to make your breakfast-to-go ahead of time so you don’t have to worry about it.
