It’s 6am.  You rise from your bed well rested and bright eyed ready for the day ahead.  You have plenty of time to prepare your gourmet balanced breakfast as you brew your coffee and listen to your favourite tunes.   As you watch the sunrise out on your back deck, you mindfully eat your delicious meal and sip your warm latte feeling peaceful before heading off to work…

Realistic?  Probably not.  I work with a lot of clients who say they skip breakfast because they are rushed in the morning, do not feel hungry, feel physically sick if they eat, or it’s just become a habit.  However, I find that if you set yourself up properly there is no need or excuse to miss breakfast.

“The No-Fail Breakfast Method” focuses on planning for 3 scenarios to set you up for success:

1. Home Breakfast – Ideal to eat before you leave for the day so that you can eat in a relaxed, non-distracted setting.  This way you can eat slowly and have fuel before you start expending energy.
2. On the Go Breakfast – Some mornings are a little more rushed and scattered to get out the door.  Use less time by preparing a quick portable option and eating it on the commute.
3. Back-up Plan Breakfast – There are always some unpredictable events in the morning (ie. alarm mishaps, dog barfs, bad weather, etc.) so as a last resort when breakfast is totally missed have a few options already stored and available at the office (or your school locker).

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Home Breakfast Ideas:

• Breakfast burrito with scrambled egg, veggies, salsa in a whole grain wrap
• Oatmeal with berries/nuts or Overnight oats (make ahead the night before)
• Homemade muffin, fresh fruit salad and cottage cheese
• Leftovers from last night’s supper

2. On the Go Breakfast Ideas:

• Homemade trail mix with nuts/seeds+dried fruit+dry cereal (pre-portion it ahead of time into containers and leave in your car/bag)
• Smoothie with fresh or frozen fruit, spinach or kale, greek yogurt and milk
• Banana and nut butter sandwich or on a whole grain wrap
• Greek yogurt parfait with berries and muesli

3. Back-up Plan Breakfast Ideas:

• Plain instant oatmeal packets that you can easily make with hot water at the office and add-in some nuts/dried fruit or an unsweetened fruit cup.
• Nut butter (that doesn’t need to be refrigerated) on whole grain crackers
• High fibre low sugar cold breakfast cereal (with milk if your office has it for coffee)
• If you have an office fridge – keep a few pre-peeled hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruit and/or Greek yogurt handy for the week ahead.