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Enjoy a tasty, well-balanced breakfast that provides long-lasting energy.
By Janis Roszler — Written on Mar 06, 2018
Find it hard to get going each morning and want to know how to get more energy? It all starts with healthy eating.
Don’t turn to a cup o’ joe or caffeine-rich tea for assistance, because it’s not likely to help — or keep you going through your busy day. Studies show that all this new dose of caffeine does is merely help to undo your caffeine-withdrawal fatigue, since symptoms of caffeine withdrawal develop 12-24 hours after you stop drinking.
For a true energy kick, prioritize healthy eating habits by enjoying a well-balanced breakfast.
Here are three energy-boosting healthy breakfast recipes that will help get you start your day off right:
1. Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
Nice and filling!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fat-free milk or unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed in a fine sieve for 1 minute
- Pinch salt
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp toasted slivered almonds or chopped walnuts
- 1 cup blueberries, washed and dried
Directions:
1. Bring the milk and water to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan. Add the quinoa, and salt slowly to the boiling liquid.
2. Bring to a second boil, lower the heat, cover for 12 minutes. Add the cinnamon and almonds and cook for 3 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed the liquid.
3. Serve the quinoa topped with blueberries
Makes 4 servings (serving size 1/2 cup cooked quinoa, 1/4 cup blueberries).
Nutrition Info: Calories 216; Total Fat 5g; Saturated Fat 1 g; Cholesterol 1 mg; Sodium 74 mg; Total Carbohydrate 36 g; Dietary Fiber 5g; Protein 8g
From Robyn Webb, MS, cookbook author, award-winning nutritionist and culinary instructor.
2. Mixed Berry Smoothie
Whip it up and head out the door!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup frozen mixed berries or frozen mixed berries with cherries
- 1 Tbsp sucralose, stevia or sweetener of choice
- 2 Tbsp nonfat milk
Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a blender or a container for an immersion blender.
2. Process until smooth. If you are not using frozen fruit, you will need to add several ice cubes to make the smoothie thick.
Makes 1 serving (serving size 1½ cups).
Nutrition Info: Calories 205; Total Fat 0g; Cholesterol 0 mg ; Sodium 101 mg; Total Carbohydrate 30 g; Dietary Fiber 5 g; Protein: 22 g
From Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, and author of numerous books, including Prediabetes: A Complete Guide.
3. Shakshuka
A delicious Israeli egg/tomato/veggie dish that can be served at any meal.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 2 large bell peppers, sliced (any color, I prefer red and orange)
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, no salt added, undrained
- 12 fluid ounces vegetable juice
- 6 ounces baby spinach
- 4 ounces feta cheese (about 1 cup)
- 8 large eggs
Directions:
1. Using a large nonstick pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions and peppers until soft, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper and stir. Add the tomatoes and vegetable juice. Bring the contents to a boil. Decrease the heat, cover and simmer for about 8 minutes until thick. Stir occasionally.
3. Add the spinach. Mix and allow the spinach to wilt, about 3 minutes. Add the feta cheese and stir.
4. Using a spoon, make a well in the vegetables and sauce. Add a cracked egg into the well. Do the same with each egg.
5. Cover and simmer until the eggs are cooked to your preference, about 4 minutes for runny eggs and 10 minutes for eggs cooked through.
If you like your eggs runny, use pasteurized eggs to reduce your risk of salmonella or other food-borne illness. Otherwise, simmer your eggs a little longer until they are cooked through.
Makes 4 servings (serving size: 2 eggs, 1 1/3 cups veg).
Nutrition Info: Calories 340; Fat 17g; Saturated fat 6g; Trans fat 0g; Carbohydrates 23 g; Sodium 720 mg; Fiber 7g; Protein 21 g; Cholesterol 445 mg
From Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, and author of numerous books, including Prediabetes: A Complete Guide.
More energizing tips:
In addition to eating a well-balanced, healthy breakfast, try the following to help start your day on the right foot:
- Get a good night's sleep. If you are a night owl, head to bed a bit earlier than usual and turn off your electronics at least 30 minutes before you climb under the covers. The screen light and internet content can make it harder for you to get quality ZZZ's.
- Listen to upbeat music in the morning. It's a great way to brighten your mood!
- Adopt a positive, attitude. You can't control what happens during the day, but can choose to see any problems as opportunities for personal growth.
Janis Roszler is a therapist, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator who specializes in diabetes-related sexual and relationship issues. Have diabetes? Learn how you can reconnect sexually with the one you love by reading Janis’ books, including Sex and Diabetes: For Him and For Her, and follow her on Twitter.
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