Trim Down Tuesday: Breakfasts of Champions

I am obsessed with breakfast. 

Which is funny, because when I was a kid, I only ate chocolate chip muffins for breakfast. And sadly I'm not kidding. I just really didn't like breakfast. 

And then I reached adulthood, got addicted to coffee, and figured I needed a meal to go with it. And my love of breakfast was born.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love all the breakfasts - including the muffins, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, coffee cakes, etc. I mean my mouth is legit watering just talking about them. BUT, when trying to control your waistline (and therefore your diet), I find that breakfast is the most controllable meal. I mean let's face it - any meal you don't make yourself is hard to control. And since you're usually eating breakfast at your house before you start your day, it by default is the easiest to manage. 

Plus, if I'm healthy during the week, I feel a little less guilty when Jeff and I stop by Panera after church on Sunday and indulge in the wonder that is the Cinnamon Crunch bagel. OH the wonder. 

So today I thought I'd share five easy breakfasts that are in my go-to rotation. I wake up excited to eat these dishes. And the beauty of them is they use similar ingredients (so you don't have to buy the whole grocery store), are quite simple (because hello you just woke up), and all take less than ten minutes to make. Most take no more than five. 

My mom used to always say that cooking wasn't the difficult part, it was deciding what to cook that proved to be the challenge. So in the breakfast department - I've got you covered! No thinking required. And all the people said amen. 

Oh, and not pictured below: copious amounts of coffee. 

1 - Eggs, avocado, and fruit

  
Yes. I'm aware this is simple. But while I could take or leave a couple of eggs, I craaaave the eggs that come with avocado. Eggs are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and high quality proteins, so when you add them with a "good" fat - a simple dish can keep you full until your next meal or munchie. Add some fresh berries because... well, it's fruit, and you're good to go! Simple, yummy, and three total ingredients. Totally manageable on a quick morning!

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2 - The Breakfast Bowl

I am so beyond obsessed with this here dish. It's the meal above, but on steroids. One of my very favorite brunch places created this dish, and I just recreate my version at home. You can do it in a number of different ways (as in, throw in whatever sounds good), but here's my run down:

-one or two eggs

-sweet potato, peeled and cubed

-sliced or ground sausage (I usually used sliced chicken sausage or ground turkey)

-avocado

-salt and pepper to taste

All you do is throw your sweet potatoes in a skillet and cook until tender, add in your sausage and cook thoroughly. (Tidbit: most sliced sausage comes pre-cooked and just needs to be re-heated. If you're using ground turkey, cook it in the skillet first, drain it, and then add the sweet potatoes). Throw your taters and sausage in a bowl. Fry and egg (or two) to your liking and add on top. Slice a half an avocado, throw it on top, add salt and pepper, and chow down. 

The sweet and the salty flavors in this dish will just own your life.
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3 - Fruit and 'Leafy Green' Smoothie

Okay, don't be scared by the leafy greens. Fun fact about smoothies: you can't taste the leafy green. Whether you choose spinach or kale or straight up grass - you won't be able to taste it. But I probably wouldn't eat grass. Not too sure of the nutrients in that one. 

You can mix in any form of fruit/green, but here's my go-to:

-1 cup pure apple juice*

-handful of baby kale

-frozen blueberries, blackberries, strawberries

*My favorite is this organic honeycrisp apple juice from Whole Foods!

Place all of the ingredients in a blender (I use a little Nutribullet), blend, and go! These are also nice because you can make them the night before and put them in the fridge. Plus, quite frankly, these smoothies often turn into snacks on a hot summer day. Sometimes I just crave a cold smoothie. 

And if you are thinking "yeah, um, there's no way that smoothie could keep me full until lunch time..."

See number 4 :)
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4 - DIY Jamba Juice Bowl 

Okay, so I am obsessed with the acai berry bowl at Jamba, but 1) it can get expensive, 2) it almost has too much food, and 3) I'm still not entirely sure what ingredients make up the base smoothie. 

But it's so good. 

So one day when I was eating Jamba's bowl, I thought ya know what - I can totally make this. So I did a little DIY version. 

All you do is take the smoothie from above (and I blend in a handful of ice cubes to make it thicker since we eat this with a spoon rather than a straw), pour it into a bowl, add a sliced banana, add granola, drizzle with honey, and BAM you're done! 

The Jamba version has bananas, strawberries, blueberries, granola, coconut, and honey all on top, but that's just a bit much for me. This version still gives you your daily dosage of berries and is a refreshing chilly treat, but the nanners and granola keep you a little more full. 

I prefer KIND's Oats and Honey Clusters granola, but if you're doing the paleo thing (or are GF), try Trader Joe's grainless granola and skip the honey!
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5 - Overnight Oats

So I posted about this last April, but it is most definitely still in my rotation. Not to mention this was like my breakfast staple in my little apartment in Australia. 

I said it in April and I'll say it again - cold soggy oats sound disgusting (I'm really selling this here..), but theyre SO good! Jeff hates oatmeal (texture thing), but he loves this little dish. 

You can see the whole recipe HERE. The best part about this is the keyword "overnight." You make them the night before, so when you wake up, all you do is grub. Perfect for the person who hates mornings and wakes up right before they have to walk out the door :) 
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And those are my 5 easy, yet healthy, breakfasts! You could make these Whole30, paleo, vegan, etc. with a few changes, but if you're just looking to make better eating choices and slim down a little - these will get you there :) 

Plus, I'll be honest with you - I ate a pint of Blue Bell last night. #allinmoderation

If you want to see other Trim Down Tuesday recipes, click here. Happy Tuesday! 

Until next time,
Katy