Easy Quick Breakfast Ideas

Today was my first day of class of my sophomore year of high school, and already I have been hearing of people skipping breakfast or just eating a banana and thinking that is enough. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because how you start the day will define how the rest of your day goes! Especially in college, there isn't any time in between breakfast and lunch to refuel, so you need to eat a nice nutritious breakfast to hold you over for about four hours.

What you want in a breakfast is protein! Protein keeps you feeling satisfied for longer, so the more protein in your breakfast, the longer you can go before needing to put a morsel of food in your mouth.

You also want to add some type of carbohydrate to give you body quick energy so you can go to class with a clear mind and pay attention well!

Some good options are:

• Instant Oatmeal! Get plain instant oats and add your own flavors. Oatmeal doesn't have much protein so I like to add a scoop of an organic brown rice protein powder (you can use whey if you aren't lactose intolerant) that is vanilla flavored. Instant flavor! Also, sometimes, I like to use almond milk instead of water for a bit more of a wholesome taste.
• Kashi Cereals! My favorite is Kashi Go Lean Crunch! Not going to lie, the carbohydrates and the sugars are a bit high on this (39g and 13g respectively), but it has as much protein than an egg and 32% of your daily allowance of fiber, which is great! Again, I pair about 1/2 cup of this with 1/2 cup of almond milk (unsweetened).
• Luna Protein Bar and a Fruit! Luna protein bars are a great excuse for a granola/protein bar. Depending on the flavor you get, the caloric value differs, but it has your carbohydrates and proteins to get you through your morning classes. Because they are only around 170-190 calories a bar, I like to pair it with an apple or orange to get more energy!
• Boiled Eggs and fresh vegetables! This one sounds weird, but trust me! You can buy pre-made boiled eggs at most supermarkets and keep them in your refrigerator. Borrow (*wink wink*) a salt shaker from the dining hall if you don't like plain eggs and you have a VERY quick breakfast. I ate this yesterday with some carrots (weird, but it was the vegetable I bought this weekend) and found it keeping me satisfied all morning!
• Fruits and Nut Butters! All-natural almond/peanut/sunflower seed butters are a great source of protein (and fats!). Pairing 1-2 Tbsp with 1-2 fruits of your choice (bananas, apples, etc), you will feel so ready for class!

Don't think that in order to eat breakfast that you have to go to the dining hall! I have given you 5 (whoa, there's 5 school days!) different ways to spice up your morning and get yourself energized and ready to go for school. You have no more excuses...eat breakfast!

Protein: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How much?

The three food categories that make up our diet have been through a lot of turmoil. It is almost impossible to set exactly when to eat carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, let alone how much we should be eating. From the Paleo Diet, Dukan Diet, and Atkins, we see protein a lot. Everyone says that a high protein and low carb diet is what everyone should be eating.

In reality, only 10-35% of your daily caloric intake should be protein. That is when you are eating a balanced diet to maintain your weight. What if you are trying to lose weight? What if you are trying to build muscle? Diets become very complicated very fast. Here are the basics of what you need to know about protein in order to eat a balanced diet.

*NOTE: If your doctor/dietitian has told you otherwise, please use their opinion over mine. This is for healthy adults, so those who may have had surgery or other health problems may not be able to follow this.

Who is protein for? Protein is for everyone. We need it to survive.

What is protein? Proteins are a biochemical compound made up of polypeptides that are folded up into globular forms. A single polypeptide is made from a chain of amino acids that kind of act as DNA links: the order they are in determine what kind of protein that polypeptide will form into when it interacts with other polypeptides.

Where do we get protein from? Protein comes from meat, poultry, egg whites, beans, and quinoa. Other things like vegetables and nuts also have a bit of protein, but it isn't a complete protein.

When do we need to eat protein? The thing about protein is that you can eat it at every meal. When trying to maintain weight, protein can be eaten with any meal as long as it is only 10-35% of your daily caloric intake. When losing weight, protein is essential because it takes the body more energy (AKA calories) to digest it. Therefore, protein should be present in every meal and snack.

Why do we need protein? Your body needs proteins so that it can build new cells, maintain tissues, and make new proteins needed for specific basic bodily functions. For example, hemoglobin is a protein your red blood cells need so that your body can carry oxygen throughout itself.

How much protein do we need? Again, the recommendation is 10-35% of your daily caloric intake. If you are losing weight, one gram of protein per pound you weigh is more than enough to keep you going. Make sure you do not go over that amount because there is such a thing as too much protein.

Healthy Recipe #3: Lemon Garlic Tilapia

I have, for the past 3 years, cut out red meat from my diet, and since my family relies on beef to survive (I swear, they cannot live without it), it is hard for me to live at home sometimes. But, I have found a friend in tilapia. The thing with tilapia is that it is just so easy to use. You can buy them independently packed and, they're cheap! Also, because it is such a mild fish, the sauce you make to marinate it becomes the best part of the meal, which means a lot of experimenting! And as a chemistry geek, that is my favorite thing to do.

Tilapia's Health Benefits:
4 ounces of tilapia has about 20-30 grams of protein! That is more than 50% of your daily value of protein, meaning it can help burn fat like no other animal protein. Tilapia also holds a lot of B12 (about 30% of daily recommended value) and niacin (30%). As well as those two well known nutrients, tilapia also has about 80% of your daily recommended value of selenium! Tilapia is a wonderful source of protein with little fat and no carb. It is a great fish to eat post workout because the potassium can help prevent muscle cramps. All in all, this fish is a great add in to your diet.

Here's my favorite way (at least right now) to make tilapia:

Ingredients:
1 lemon
2 cloves garlic (or the equivalent in minced garlic)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 oz serving tilapia

Squeeze lemon juice onto a plate. Add the finely diced garlic, the salt, and the pepper into the lemon juice. Place thawed tilapia into this mixture and let it marinate for about a half hour (or overnight). When you cook it, just put a skillet on medium heat and drop all contents of the plate into the skillet. The marinate will act as an "oil" or the base to cook the tilapia in.

I swear, the tilapia tastes amazing and goes with anything from a side of broccoli to just a simple salad. I LOVE having tilapia with a kale based salad; the two go really well together!

Enjoy!