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Our Favorite Grab and Go Breakfast Ideas

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You’re laying in bed one morning. It’s warm, cozy, and dark under the covers. But that comfortable feeling is abruptly interrupted as you turn over and see the time on the clock. It’s 7:45, and you are supposed to leave the house at 8:00. Entering panic mode, you jolt awake scrambling around the bedroom trying to put together an outfit that looks somewhat presentable. As you’re running around the house like a chicken with your head cut off, you scramble to find your keys and head out the door. What you didn’t realize is that you left something behind. Five minutes down the road, your stomach begins to rubble. You forgot to grab breakfast. Does this sound familiar?

On crazy hectic mornings, breakfast can become the least of your priorities. Making a breakfast sandwich, scrambled eggs, or a picture perfect oatmeal bowl isn’t always the most practical options on days like these. During fast paced mornings, sometimes the best option is to quickly grab a pre-made breakfast and head out the door. 

Lucky for you, we’ve done the hard work for you! The Registered Dietitians at the Brittany Jones Nutrition Group have compiled our favorite grab and go breakfast items. When searching for breakfast options, we like to make sure the meal includes not just healthy carbs, but also sources of proteins and fat. These two macronutrients are key in keeping your body feeling satiated. Next, we look for REAL ingredients. For example, if you were to look at the nutrition label of a protein bar, the first ingredient should be a whole food such as peanuts or oats (not soy or protein powder).

While prepping your breakfast at home is always our #1 choice – we have listed our favorite grab and go breakfast ideas to keep on hand during busy mornings. Some of these options only require a microwave while others require no preparation at all. Relax – we’ve got your covered!

you will want to bookmark this list for later!

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Made with egg whites, roasted potatoes, and cheddar cheese, this breakfast will keep you satisfied throughout the morning. To make it even better, this breakfast sandwich can be quickly heated up in the microwave and ready to eat!

BUY NOW: Good Food Made Simple Turkey Sausage Flatbread Breakfast Sandwich 

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Pop these waffles in the toaster, and you have yourself breakfast.  With 11 grams of protein, these will keep you full all morning long!

BUY NOW: Birch Benders Protein Waffles

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A perfect Mexican inspired breakfast bowl with egg whites, potatoes, black beans, salsa, and cheese all on top of a corn tortilla. Stores these in the freezer and heat them up in the microwave for a quick savory breakfast!

BUY NOW: Dr. Praeger’s Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Bowl 

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This bar is filled with a variety of whole grains such as oats, millet, amaranth, buckwheat, and quinoa for a great balance of carbohydrates for energy and protein/good fats to keep you full until your morning snack. Find it in the breakfast aisle!

BUY NOW: Kind Peanut Butter Breakfast Bar 

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For all our oatmeal lovers, this one’s for you! These oatmeal cups are packed with protein from collagen and walnuts. For a fun add on, these come with a creamy nut butter packet!

BUY NOW: Purely Elizabeth Blueberry Walnut Collagen Oatmeal Cups 

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Muffin in a cup? Yes, please! Pop these cups into the microwave on a busy morning for a quick protein filled chocolate chip muffin!

BUY NOW: Kodiak Cakes Chocolate Chip Muffin Cup 

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These pre-portioned nut butter packets are great to keep on hand for a quick snack or breakfast on the go. We suggest eating these with a piece of fruit such as a banana for a healthy fiber and carbohydrate source!

BUY NOW: Justin’s Peanut Butter Squeeze Pack + Banana

OatsQuinoaImageforWeb-1-600x600Chia seed pudding is a great option filled with fiber and omega-3s! Do you feel like you never remember to  prepare your pudding the night before? Chia Pods are here to help with their pre-packaged delicious chia pudding cups! (Note: some of these are high in saturated fat – so be sure to check out the label)

BUY NOW: Oats+Quinoa Chia Pod

0675_PerfectBar_Blueberry_Cashew_w_ingredients_600_1000xWhen you’re extra crunched on time, grab one of these Perfect Bars! The name says it all. These bars are filled with healthy ingredients that will get your morning started right (even if you’re running late).

BUY NOW: Blueberry Cashew Perfect Bar 

honey_fig_walnut-2-800x800Siggi’s simple sides contain one part Greek yogurt, one part crunchy toppings. This honey and fig flavor is giving us all the summer feels – is there a better combo out there? We think not! (Also have you seen Brittany’s fig tree on Instagram? It’s huge!)

BUY NOW: Siggi’s Honey Yogurt with Dried Figs and Walnuts 

Have any other favorite grab and go breakfast ideas? Let us know below!

Interested in learning more about healthy meals and meal planning? Contact the Brittany Jones Nutrition Group here. 

Healthy Frozen Treats with WSPA

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Every year the last few weeks of summer always feel like the hottest. Stay cool and hydrated with these homemade popsicles! They are easy to make, have less than 5 ingredients each and are a cool snack after a long hot day.

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Raspberry Lime Popsicles

Serves: 6 popsicles

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups raspberries
  • 3 limes, juiced
  • 6oz water
  • 1 Tablespoon agave

Directions:

  1. Place the rapsberries, lime juice, water and agave in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  2. Fill each popsicle mold to the fill line with the mixture,  insert popsicle stick and freeze for at least 6 hours
  3. To unmold your pops, run the forms under warm water for 10-20 seconds before eating!

Check out these great Zoku Classic Pop Molds, 6 Easy-release Popsicle Molds With Sticks and Drip-guards, BPA-free

Have nutrition questions or want to know more about becoming a Brittany Jones Nutrition Group client? Contact us here!

Popcorn Trail Mix 3 Ways

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Do you feel like you are running out of healthy snack ideas? A popcorn trailmix is a fun take on a classic snack that the whole family will love! It’s easy to make and store, and can also be packed as a healthy vacation snack.

We always recommend snacks that incorporate both carb + protein. Protein helps keep your body satiated by releasing appetite suppressing hormones, stabilizing blood sugar, and slowing digestion.

Air popped popcorn is a quick snack that is low in calories and sodium. When paired with nutritious proteins and fats, it can become a satiating snack. We prefer air popped popcorn over microwave popcorn because it is a whole food without any added processed oils (like hydrogenated oils in the “fake” butter) and is a great base for creating a trail mix.

Popcorn Trail Mix 3 Ways

Follow the recipes below by simply adding the ingredients into a large bowl and tossing them together!

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Chocolate Cranberry Popcorn Trail Mix (Serves 4)

  • 4 Cups air popped popcorn
  • ¼ Cup almonds and/or cashews
  • ¼ Cup dark chocolate chips
  • ¼ Cup dried cranberries

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Savory Popcorn Trail Mix (Serves 4)

  • 4 Cups air popped popcorn
  • 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • ¼ Cup unsalted dry roasted peanuts
  • ¼ Cup dried chickpeas
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

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Tropical Popcorn Trail Mix (Serves 4)

  • 4 Cups air popped popcorn
  • ¼ Cup dried Mango
  • ¼ Cup coconut chips
  • ¼ Cup macadamia nuts
  • 2 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds

How to air pop popcorn:

  • Option 1: Place 3 Tablespoons of a single layer of popcorn kernels in the bottom of a deep pot with a lid on top. Turn the stove on medium heat. Carefully listen to the popcorn pop. The popcorn will pop vigorously at first. When the pops are roughly 5 seconds apart, turns off the stove. Wait a few minutes to allow the popcorn to cool and move to your desired bowl
  • Option 2: Here is the air popper that Brittany uses and you can get it on Amazon
  • Option 3: Buy your own pre-popped popcorn such as SkinnyPop at your local grocery store

-Written and photographed by Gabby Childers, Brittany Jones Nutrition Intern

How to Host a Chill and Healthy Dinner Party

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As we head into the third weekend of the #COOK75 challenge, it’s a great time to talk about alternatives to dining out with friends. Why not host a dinner party instead of going out to eat?

If hearing the phrase “dinner party” stresses you out, don’t worry! I am not a super formal person myself, and a dinner party doesn’t have to big this big ordeal with invitations, and seating charts. You can simply invite friends over for dinner without having all of that stress!

I’ve broken hosting a chill and healthy dinner party down into 5 easy steps. Not only will you save money by eating/drinking at home, you will likely be eating more healthy whole foods (and less processed foods) and won’t have anyone waiting for your table. You can stay and enjoy yourselves for as long as you would like!

5 Healthy and Chill Dinner Party Tips

  1. Don’t make the invite list too big. A dinner party is more intimate than a party-party, and 2-6 guests is a good starting point. You can feasibly cook for 4-8 people in a “normal size” kitchen without having to batch cook, and also have enough plates, silverware, and glasses for everyone.
  2. Ask your guests for food allergies/preferences before choosing recipes. After you send out your invites (and yes this can totally be a text – we’re chill, remember?) the next step is to ask what kind of food they want to eat. This is the time that the guest will typically mention a food allergy or preference. You can then start looking for recipes, and if you’re not sure if it fits within their allergy/preference don’t hesitate to run it by them. You don’t want to make anyone sick, so it’s always better to check if you’re unsure! When I’m in need of some culinary inspiration, I always browse the Blush Nutrition Recipe eBooks for ideas.
  3. Opt for a one pot or sheet pan meal. Make it easy on yourself with a meal that seems fancy, but is in fact very easy to make. If you want to have separate dishes because of food allergies or preferences, try making the meat/veggies on a sheet pan, and then serving a grain on the side. An example of this would be making the Sheet Pan Chicken Parmesan with Italian Veggies from my Winter Recipe eBook and serving whole wheat pasta or cauliflower gnocci on the side. Make sure to test out the recipe first! Don’t let your party be the first time you try something – take notes on your first round to make it easier on yourself on the day of the party. If there are steps that you can prep in advance (like chopping veggies or cooking grains) you can do that a couple of days before as well.
  4. Collaborate! While some more formal blogs/books might tell you that a dinner party host/hostess must make every dish at the party, we are living in 2019, and you do you. If your guest asks if they can bring something, and you feel you could use the help, say yes! Ask them to bring an appetizer (like a cheese board with crackers and nuts) or a dessert (like berries and dark chocolate).
  5. Add fresh flowers to the table. Skip the stress of name cards and fancy place settings, and spruce up your table with some simple fresh flowers! I always have fresh flowers from my garden on our table, and I find it elevates the table while also sending a welcoming feeling.

Do you have any dinner party questions/struggles? Send me a message here!