Easy Weekday Breakfasts: The Faster and Healthier Way

Margaret Hudson
President, Burnbrae Farms
4^th Generation Farmer

You’ve probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but did you know that it’s also the fastest? On average, people spend 24-28 minutes at lunch and dinner, but just 12 minutes at breakfast. And that includes prep time! That means whatever we choose to eat in the morning needs to be easy to prepare.

In addition to being quick and simple, breakfast needs to be nutritious and taste great. That’s a tall order, but I’ve got lots of ideas to help you make it happen on a daily basis.

Make it nutritious

One of my dietitian colleagues told me that a healthy breakfast should be planned by following these three simple guidelines: Choose some protein-rich foods; add vegetables or fruit; and make sure there is some fibre. So, that could be a meal such as eggs with tomato slices on whole grain toast; or Greek yogurt and berries with oatmeal. My favourite on-the-go breakfast is to enjoy one of our protein-rich (13 grams) EGG Bakes! Cheddar, Mushroom and Bacon Crustless Quiches on a whole grain bun.

This winning morning combination of nutrients is important for a few reasons. The protein and fibre help you feel full and satisfied for longer, so your stomach isn’t growling an hour after you’ve eaten. Protein is important for all of your body’s cells, and helps make hormones, muscles and blood. Nutrition research says to aim for 25-30 grams of protein at each meal, and breakfast is no exception.

Fibre is important because it promotes regularity and helps stabilize blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Add fibre-rich foods at breakfast, such as whole grains, vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts or seeds.

And finally, since many Canadians fall short on consuming enough vegetables and fruits throughout the day, including them at breakfast is a great way to add extra servings to the day. Vegetables and fruit add fibre, vitamins, minerals and healthy antioxidants to your diet.

So, now that we have a plan for what breakfast should include, here are some of my favourite quick, nutritious and tasty options:

Homemade Breakfast Sandwiches: Try making your own nutritious breakfast sandwich at home. Start with your favourite whole grain bread, English muffin or bagel, and add an EGG Bakes! patty , which only needs 75 seconds in the microwave. So quick and easy! I like to boost the vitamin power by adding leafy greens and tomato slices. Try this Mediterranean-Inspired Breakfast Sandwich or this Simple Egg and Avocado Bagel .

EGG Bakes! Crustless Quiche: This option doesn’t even require toast! Try one of six varieties of our crustless quiches, which each have 9-14 grams of protein per serving:

- Cheese & Ham
- Garden Vegetable
- Cheddar Mushroom and Bacon
- Sausage, Red Pepper and Caramelized Onion
- Spinach, Ricotta and Caramelized Onion
- and our newest flavour Meat Lovers which features sausage, ham and bacon!

EGG Bakes! are ready in just 90 seconds. I love to top them with avocado for fibre, and enjoy some fresh fruit on the side.

Protein-Rich Oatmeal: Oats are a great source of fibre, but aren’t high enough in protein as a stand-alone breakfast. So, I make my oatmeal with milk and eggs, and top it with Greek yogurt and nuts for extra protein. The best part? My favourite recipe takes just 5 minutes to prepare and provides 20 gram of protein per serving. Try our Cranberry-Almond Protein Boosted Oatmeal .

Make a wrap: Whip up some quick scrambled eggs using shell eggs, or our EGG Creations! Liquid Eggs to save time (no eggs to crack!). Wrap the scrambled eggs in a corn or whole wheat tortilla, and add some crunchy lettuce and sliced peppers. Throw in some black beans, cilantro and salsa for a southwestern flavour, or try this recipe for our Fiesta Egg Wrap .

It is possible to make breakfasts that are delicious and nutritious, and still stay within that notable 12-minute morning window. Enjoy!

Margaret Hudson
President, Burnbrae Farms