Nutritionist Rhian Stephenson has created three super quick and healthy breakfast ideas for when you’re running short of time
Your alarm didn’t go off, the hot water wasn’t working, you couldn’t decide what to wear… there are endless reasons as to why we run late in the morning and wind up eating a disappointing breakfast. A piece of buttery toast stuffed into your mouth as you run for the bus or shovelling down a quick bowl of sugary cereal doesn’t provide you with the nutrients that you need to take on the day ahead - and many of us just skip our morning meals altogether.
Nutritionist Rhian Stephenson says: “Skipping breakfast has a detrimental effect on insulin levels, which can cause erratic blood sugar levels during the day, making you more susceptible to cravings, snacking and overconsumption of calories.” Ah, so that’s why we keep reaching for the biscuit tin…
There’s no such thing as no time for breakfast (you could just set your alarm for 10 minutes earlier, after all) but if it’s your excuse and you’re sticking to it, help is at hand. Rhian has created three healthy breakfast-on-the-go ideas to help you kick start your morning in the right way, even when you’re running short of time. All of these take a mere 5 minutes to prepare...
Blueberry Bliss Superfood Smoothie
Ingredients
1 cup blueberries
1 very ripe banana, I like using frozen ones to make the smoothie creamy
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 inch ginger, minced
4 walnut halves
1 tbsp hemp seeds
200 mls non dairy milk of choice, I use unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp bee pollen
Method
Throw everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Add more water if you want it a little runnier, I like mine quite thick!
Energy Bowl
Ingredients
For the smoothie
1 scoop of plant based protein powder of choice, try Vega Energizing Smoothie Viva Vanilla
200 mls unsweetened almond milk
1 cup ripe papaya, chopped
1/2 cup raspberries
1 tsp wheat grass, chlorella or greens powder of choice
For the bowl
4 walnuts
8 almonds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tsp unsweetened dessicated coconut
Method
Whisk the chia seeds with 2 tbsp of water or almonds milk and let it sit while you prepare the smoothie.
Throw all of the smoothie ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
Add the nuts, seeds and coconut to the chia seeds and top with the smoothie.
Breakfast Burrito
Ingredients
One of the easiest ways to stay healthy is to do a bit of prep. For this 'burrito' you'll need to boil some eggs ahead of time to make assembly nice and quick. I usually bowl a few eggs on Sunday to throw in salads or use for a breakfast on the go.
1 savoy cabbage leaf or large green leaf of choice
1 boiled egg, sliced
1/2 ripe avocado, sliced
1-2 tbsp organic salsa (make sure there's no added sugar!)
1/2 red or yellow pepper, sliced
Method
Lay out a large cabbage leaf and place avocado slices in the centre.
Add sliced boiled egg, salsa and pepper.
Season with sea salt & black pepper.
Wrap and enjoy!
If you need a larger portion, use 2 eggs but keep the amount of avocado the same, using just 1/4 of an avocado per wrap.