Banner Health: Breakfast on the Go

PHOENIX - Everyone is strapped for time in the morning. Between getting yourself dressed for work and stuffing homework into backpacks, the idea of sitting down for a leisurely breakfast is usually out of the question.

But we all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The right breakfast can get your mind buzzing, your metabolism working and your hunger in control for the rest of the day. With these tips on how to eat a healthy breakfast on the go, you can feel good about starting your day off right – even if it means chowing down while you make the carpool rounds.

Prepare foods ahead of time. Take 15 minutes the night before to pack some breakfast items in small bags or cups so you can grab and go the next morning. Try these tasty ideas:

o Make your own trail mix. Buy an assortment of nuts, dried fruits and maybe even some dark chocolate and let your kids put together their own combination.

o Blend strawberries, low-fat milk and a banana for a smoothie. Put in the freezer overnight, and give it some time to thaw the next morning before you leave.

o Layer low-fat yogurt (the kind with less sugar), blueberries and low-fat granola for a homemade yogurt parfait. Make a few at a time so they are ready to grab from the fridge.

Choose foods with high fiber and protein. These foods are filling and provide a great source of energy. These foods are great sources:

o Peanut butter. Spread low-sugar peanut butter onto celery sticks and top with raisins to create “Ants on a Log.”

o Eggs. Hard-boiled eggs can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Put one on the end of a popsicle stick to make “Egg on a Stick.”

o Bananas, apples and grapes. These high-fiber fruits are easily portable and come with their own wrapper!

Indulge your sweet tooth. If your kids are fans of French toast sticks or pancakes doused in syrup, feed that craving with these sweet alternatives:

o Whole wheat frozen waffle topped with peanut butter and bananas or low-fat yogurt and peaches.

o There are several recipes for breakfast cookies – usually healthier versions of oatmeal cookies. You can add nuts and dried fruit to punch up the filling factor.

o Peel a banana and dip it in yogurt. Roll in crushed cereal, pop it on a popsicle stick and freeze for a sweet treat.

The most important thing to remember is that skipping breakfast, especially for young kids, is never a good idea. But there are better alternatives to prepackaged foods or high-fat fast food. For more healthy snack ideas, check out these lists:

http://www.bannerhealth.com/NR/rdonlyres/B8D76FE1-B343-4DD9-95FA-54A67F3887C2/4702/25_Healthy_Snacks_for_Kids_2_11.pdf

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/download/Get_Smart_on_the_Go.pdf