Beat The Breakfast Blues

So I'm sure you've all heard it before, the classic 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day', well guess what, unsurprisingly there’s a reason for this – its true! Growing up I was definitely a breakfast girl but not the healthiest one! I enjoyed my Frosties, Honey Nut Loops and Pain Au Chocolat until my hearts content, but when I left home Breakfast became a distant memory.

I can chalk this up due to ridiculous sleeping patterns University and communal living will bring, a lack of funds to purchase food, lack of skills to prepare cheap breakfasts or perhaps the worst – sheer laziness. 

So one step of my fixing my body up to tip-top shape was to find a cheap, cheerful and healthy way to enjoy this meal – and I've found plenty! So first and foremost here's a little bit more information into the science and the nutrition behind why we should be eating this wonderful meal and followed by that some tasty (and easy on the wallet and the early morning sleep deprived brain) suggestions.

1. Literally its all the in word – break – fast – your body has been asleep and hasn't eaten since the day before so breakfast kick-starts it into action – better attention span, focus and energy levels.
2. It helps you maintain a healthy weight – skipping breakfast calories lead to overeating later when the metabolism is slower, eating breakfast raises your metabolism for the morning, what else could you want?
3. It can easily be one of the most nutritional rich meals whether your vegan, veggie or a carnivore.
4. Long term effects are pretty cool too; lower cholesterol which reduces the risk of heart disease as well as preventing obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes.
5. My favourite reason; its so damn versatile and tasty and ridiculously healthy if you want it to be!

So I hear you say, I can't afford that sugary Kelloggs cereal nor do I want to begin the day with a good old plate of English grease, sausages and bacon, how about this lot?

Muesli

Replace that childhood memory of milk and cereal with the cheap grown up version; home-made muesli. Its simple, cheap and you can chop and change it around every week (or every day if your as indecisive as me and want to have it all!). Muesli is basically a mix of oats, nuts, seeds and dried (or fresh) fruit, its completely up to you how much or how little you throw in. 

 

Start with 4 cups of oats, add another cup of something substantial – I'd recommend ground bran, now you have a base for your breakfast so just give it some personality. I've been enjoying apple and cinnamon recently so I've been adding a handful of raisins, handful of dried apples and a handful of crushed almonds with a dash of cinnamon or agave syrup if I'm feeling some extra sweetness. (Honey if your not a vegan!)

You can prepare your mix in advance, I tend to use about a cupful each morning which means this makes around 5 servings for me – just make sure your container is airtight, then its up to you; to soak over night or not to? I tend not to, but after I add my soya milk, (I find it gives it a lovely nutty flavour but regular milk or even water can be used!) and make a nice cuppa green tea and chop up some fresh fruit to add – an apple or pear whilst it soaks. (And if your feeling cheeky you could even heat it up on a cold day!) Have I not sold you on the wonders of Muesli?

And quickly a list of some other amazing editions (Its like Woolworths pic'n'mix for adults isn't it?); dried apricots, sunflower seeds, sultanas, honey, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, dried mango, shredded coconut – I think you get the idea!

Finally; a little warning here; the first time you do this; you will buy several ingredients, it will come to more than your normal cereal but with muesli a little goes a long way so think of it as an investment that will see you through many a morning!

Toast & ?

So you don't fancy something in a bowl you say? Toast sounds so dull sometimes, or at least it always has to me, but with a bit of creativity your breakfast taste buds can be thoroughly satisfied, however first and fore mostly – what bread are you going to use.

Well lets start easy here; its sure not white, its higher calorie than brown, but that’s not the bit you should really worry about – its the distinct lack of nutritional value in comparison. So what should you be grabbing instead? Wholegrain! Hovis wholemeal is idea for those on a vegan student budget and who aren't willing to search afar, however this list is a comprehensive list that includes supermarket own brands too which tend to be cheaper.

The bread is toasted to perfection and sat on your plate, pretty dull alone? Of course but think of all the fantastic toppings.

• Feeling traditional – there’s always jam (home-made is cheap and easy to keep!) & butter if that’s your thing.
• Sweet but something special – try some natural non sweetened peanut butter, slices of apple and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
• Ah and my utter favourite; mushrooms on toast. These can easily be fried without oil in a good pan and it doesn't affect the taste, just chop a little garlic, tomato or onion for a tasty addition. I also chop and change the spices up sometime heading towards garlicky goodness or if I'm in the mood a little paprika. This can easily be bulked up for a healthy lunch with some lettuce and cucumber. The texture of mushrooms reminds me of meat – so filling and but ridiculously healthy!
• If your not vegan then I can't leave out the good old egg. Boiled or poached are healthiest, but I can't fault a fried egg treat – just use healthy oil! Or how about a little scramble; for something extra filling try scrambling 2/3 egg whites with just one yolk and your set to be doing jumping jacks all the way until lunch. If you fancy getting in some of your five a day then eggs are a perfect companion; mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes are all lovely with a little salt and pepper. (And whilst I'm mentioning eggs – don't forget the good old omelette!)
• If your like me, a previous egg lover, but happily vegan now you can't go wrong with a little tofu scramble for a high protein healthy breakfast either on toast or served alone – for flavour a little soy sauce can never go amiss.
• Advanced prep can be key – how about making some almond butter on Sunday to keep you satisfied for the week? Its healthier than peanut butter and home-made stops all the nasties from sneaking in!
• And finally if you have a bit of spare dollar, and your a fan of the fish – smoked salmon is ideal but pass on the cream cheese unless your going for low fat and just a few tsp!

Fruit!

Yes fruit alone can leave you feeling happy healthy and energising, and for you non vegans can always be served with a cheeky bit of natural yoghurt or low fat cottage cheese for that extra kick. In the mornings if I'm feeling extra lazy, grapefruit is always my go to, there’s nothing better to start the day with a superfood!

It only takes a few minutes to chop up apples, oranges, mangoes, berries, grapes or anything else juicy for a quick fruit salad. I know now those of you on a strict budget are probably grumbling over the price of some fruit – a great discovery for me was frozen berries – so cheap, just defrost a portion in the fridge overnight and your good to go (also excellent with your muesli!). So sticking with the juicy...

Smoothies

All you need here is a blender and you have so many options, you could probably go for a different one every day of the year, and its ideal for those who need to graze on the go! I'm not going to start listing a million ideas as combinations are pretty endless but google is your friend for finding creative new ways to incorporate nutrition and taste when it comes to smoothies, so ill give you my three favourite at the moment. 

1. Berry Surprise – any mix of berries personally I like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and a cheeky bit of orange juice, then throw in a few ice cubes and the surprise – some kale. Really I hear you say, yes! The berries completely disguise the taste and starting the day with one of the most nutritionally dense food is ideal!
2. Go For Green – now I'm no expert on green smoothies and I'm still on a brilliant path of discovery with these but I can recommend this one – avocado, kiwi, half a banana and a handful of your favourite greens (I’d go for kale again!), squeeze in a lime and some ice.
3. Tropical Twist – for something Caribbean and creamy but with a little extra goodness try banana, pineapple (canned will save your pennies), mango (if you can stretch) and a handful of spinach mixed with either water or some fresh orange juice. 

That Tasty Beverage

Now don't forget the importance of that warm beverage (even in the summer) Breakfast is the only meal you should really have coffee so pour that now, but if you can – try go go decaf, low fat or soy milk and a healthy sugar or sugar alternative. Sweeteners are just chemicals, avoid these like the plague.

However, you might want to think outside the box too – the choice of tea you can try is endless, and most fruit and herbal tea doesn't require milk so its super healthy. Why not pick up some green tea? I'm sure you've all heard the health benefits of this antioxidant super drink! Or how about my current favourite winter apple tea? Or even lemon tea with a slice of lemon for a tangy start to your morning. Your local supermarkets will have a wonderful selection – but check out the health stores and Whittaker's for some weird and wonderful tea bags. 

Okay so there's your basic run down, I honestly can't see how in all that there's not a little something for everyone. If your pushed for time – get up 15 minutes earlier – think about it like this, that 15 minutes will lead to the increase in your energy all morning meaning it could actually equate to 30-45 minutes more time to get things done! Sneaky!

And as for prices; if you can afford that BBQ marinated tofu steak or that nice chicken burger for dinner, then I'm sure you can spare a few pennies for some of the more frugal breakfasts. So that’s all for this post, believe me when I say, I'm writing this at 11pm getting ready to head off to bed and already I cannot wait until breakfast, just imagining all the yummy choices has got my mouth watering. Night night boys & girls!