Eating Better and Staying Healthy: Breakfast

Breakfast has always been one of my favorite meals of the day. As a kid, I enjoyed eating toast cups (a hole cut out of bread and an egg fried in the middle), cereal, or Cream of Wheat during the week. And I looked forward to the weekend because often my dad would make a big breakfast complete with scrambled or fried eggs, bacon and/or sausage, biscuits or pancakes, and gravy.

Even now, I could take some hashbrowns and an omelette any day. I will say that I rarely have time to make anything in the mornings during the week. But there's something about trying to eat healthy that results in sudden cravings for these big breakfasts. lol

Over the last month and a half, I've tried a variety of approaches to breakfast. For a while, I was skipping them entirely in favor of saving more of my 1,200 calories for lunch or dinner. Which really wasn't too big of a deal because we typically eat lunch just after eleven, and I tried to drink several glasses of water during that time. 

But I soon found that, if I tried to get any walking in during the morning, not eating wasn't going to cut it. So I needed some calories to get me going. 

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My Typical Breakfast Choices

Yes, these are super simple. But making sure I have these things on hand makes a huge difference. I tend to get bored with food easily, so feeling like I have a variety is important. 

As a side note, I don't eat the cereal with milk. I like pouring it into a cup and munching on it over time. My grandma gave my husband and I a set of Fiesta ware when we got married. I love the fact that the mugs hold exactly 1 serving of juice or cereal and the little tea cups hold 1/2 serving.  

Rice Krispies - 130 calories for 1 1/4 cups
When you're munching on cereal, Rice Krispies can last for a while. If I feel like snacking in the morning, I go with this choice. These have the least amount of sugar, too, which is great.

Multi-Grain Cheerios - 110 calories for 1 cup
These don't have much sugar in them, either. But they are lightly sweetened, are still easy to snack on, but not quite as hard to eat as the Rice Krispies. 

Raisin Bran Crunch - 190 calories for 1 cup
This is my favorite cereal. It definitely has more sugar than the other two mentioned, but it's very filling and there's something about the different textures that makes it the most satisfying to eat as well. 

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​Simply Orange Juice - 110 calories for 8 oz. 
I've always loved having juice or chocolate milk or something like with breakfast. I don't drink chocolate milk anymore, but we always have orange juice in the fridge. 

Cliff Bar - Cool Mint Chocolate - 250 calories for 1 bar
I usually reserve these for days where I know I'll be super busy and having lunch late. For me, that's usually Mondays. I cut this bar into two and eat half of it first thing (for 125 calories) and it helps boost my day. This particular variety of Cliff Bar contains both protein and caffeine. I have also been known to replace lunch with one of these if necessary, though that's pretty rare. 

Scrambled Eggs with Bell Peppers and Onions - Approximately 110 calories
At the beginning of the month, I try to buy a bell pepper or two and an onion, chop them up, and put them in a baggy in the freezer. That way, if I have a craving for a nice breakfast, I can stir a few in with a scrambled egg. That's usually enough to make me feel satisfied and go on with my day. 

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Mix and Match

The beauty about the choices above is that I can mix and match them. It's not unusual for me to have 1/2 cup of Raisin Bran Crunch along with 4 oz. of orange juice. Couple that with several glasses of water and I'm rarely hungry until lunch. 

Or, if I'm going to be home all morning and I'm feeling the urge to snack, I'll have 1/2 serving of Rice Krispies, try to get my two miles of walking in (I walk indoors), drink a glass of water, and have 1/2 serving of Raisin Bran Crunch if I'm still hungry. 
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Do you have a favorite low-calorie breakfast? Share below - I'd love to hear from you!