8 Little Ways to Make Your Breakfast Healthier (Even on the Weekend)
Updated: Dec. 30, 2021By making only a handful of small changes to your morning routine, you can start your day with a healthy boost.
Find a Healthy Balance
The best way to eat a healthy breakfast is to include a full array of nutrients on your plate. You’re going to want half the plate dedicated to fruit and vegetables (yep, veggies at breakfast!), a quarter of the plate for protein and a quarter for whole grains.
Eat More Whole Grains
Swap out processed carbs for whole grains whenever possible. Most every grocery store now has whole grain pancake mix along with whole grain bread for toast. Cereals like oatmeal, cream of wheat and muesli are also comforting, filling breakfast options chock-full of vitamins and minerals. Give one of our Grandma-approved oatmeal recipes a try!
Choose Smart Meats & Dairy
While breakfast meats like sausage can be tempting, they’re often packed with preservatives and loads of unhealthy fats. Choosing a leaner turkey breakfast sausage would help make your breakfast more healthy. If you love full-fat dairy like cream, half-and-half or whole milk in your coffee or poured over your cereal, try bumping down to 2% milk.
Don’t Forget About Produce!
Whether it’s topping your pancakes, oatmeal or cold cereal with fresh fruit or adding vegetables to an omelet or breakfast sandwich, bulking up your morning meal with produce is important. Fruit and veg are packed with fiber which help keep you full longer, leaving less room for indulgence in the morning.
Prep the Night Before
By packing up some fresh fruit, yogurt and granola or preparing overnight oats, you can quickly enjoy a healthy breakfast in the morning. Just rinsing fruit and chopping veggies the night before will increase the likelihood of them making their way into your breakfast! Egg bakes and casseroles (like this gorgeous strata) can be started the night before if you’re planning to entertain over brunch.
Try Making a Smoothie
If you can’t stomach a big breakfast in the morning, blend up a healthy breakfast smoothie. Smoothies are the perfect vehicle for all of your major food groups: protein, fat and carbohydrate. Fresh fruit, veggies, milk and yogurt provide healthy, complex carbs. Nuts and nut butters, seeds and protein powders are great ways to include protein and fat.
Use Portion Control
The most important aspect of a healthy breakfast is portion control. Watch out for the hidden sources of empty calories that can add up. Fruit juice, for example, carries a heavy load of calories per ounce so try serving in small glasses. Keep an eye on how much syrup, butter, cream and sugar you’re adding, too.
Add Some Seeds
Bringing nuts and seeds into your breakfast is super easy, delicious and seriously nutritious. By sprinkling chia, flax, hemp or pumpkin seeds on top of your oatmeal, pancakes, waffles or cereal, you’re adding healthy fat and protein with a satisfying crunch! It will help you feel energized and satisfied longer.
