Breakfast

Hi to all - I"m new to PT and this question may have been addressed in the past but it's my biggest problem (at the moment) Breakfast!!! I live alone and just barely wake up in enought time to get ready for work. So my typical breakfast consists of Dunkin Donuts coffee and a bagel with cream cheese or a muffin. Most diets suggest these elaborate breakfasts but I simply just don't have the time in the AM to get it ready. I have been bringing in fruit but I dont think thats good enough. Help!!!!

Fri. May 18, 5:10am

I had the same problem this morning... no time for breakfast. I grabbed an instant oatmeal, a silhouette yogurt and a half a grapefruit that was left over from yesterday, brought it into work and i'm eating it as we speak. It's low in fat and calories, healthy, and will keep me full til lunch:D I would prefer regular oatmeal but it's just not possible when you are in a rush.

Friday, May 18, 2007, 7:31 AM

Breakfast Ideas on the go

Here are some on the go suggestions:

-fruit & yogurt or cottage cheese
-preparing your breakfast the night before
-boiled eggs
-pbj on low carb bread w/ sugar free jelly & 1 TBSP peanut butter
-protein bars, here are some healthier ones: Luna bars, Pria "Complete" (170 cal), Zone bars, certain low cal Atkins ones (& you can pair this up w/ yogurt or fruit
-Go to Deli instead: egg whites on whole wheat w/ ketchup, or whole wheat wrap w/ lean proteins: turkey, grilled chicken, roast beef, egg whites
-Smaller bagels or english muffins from store w/ light cream cheese

Friday, May 18, 2007, 7:41 AM

The most important meal, but no stress

5 min: mix berries, yogurt, favorite cereal in a bowl
5 min: Quaker 1 minute oatmeal in a bowl with cinnamon, splenda, and a few walnuts
no time: Quaker Oatmeal to Go bar
no time: any low fat, low calorie yogurt smoothie

Friday, May 18, 2007, 7:45 AM

breakfast

Set your clock so it's 10 min. fast. Then once you are done getting ready for work, you have 10 min. to eat a healthy breakfast, even if it's just a bowl of cereal. Sit down and relax for 10 min while you eat. It works

Friday, May 18, 2007, 7:48 AM

If you want to lose the weight, you HAVE TO find the time to make and eat breakfast. Make it the night before or get up earlier. If you don't have a proper breakfast, your whole day may be shot to H***! First you are so hungry you get fast food and then you try to make up for it by not eating lunch and then because you skipped lunch, you make a late night fast food stop because you are hungry beyond reason. Make sure your breakfast contains protein, fiber and fat. These three will keep you full for hours.

Friday, May 18, 2007, 8:32 AM

Thanks for the suggestions. I am a "stop at the deli" gal! so asking for egg whites - turkey on WW wrap is simple!! I did buy the Special K breakfast bars (90cal) and they are pretty good - not to filling but you can add fruit, and yogurt.

Monday, May 21, 2007, 6:57 AM

At Dunkin Donuts, the lowest calorie breakfast is a donut. Not a bagel w/ cream cheese or a muffin. A donut. The thing we all think we should avoid. They're all 200-300 cals (except some of the "cake" donuts, which are just over 300 cals.)

Bagels are 320 for plain, 330 for wheat, 380 for multigrain (thought that was the healthy one, right??), 380 for their "reduced carb bagel w/ cheese," and that's w/o any cream cheese. 2oz of their light cream cheese adds 120 cals. 2oz of plain or strawberry cream cheese adds 190 cals! The best bet is their 'buttermatch blend," for 80 cals.

Muffins range from 400 cals for a lowfat blueberry muffin to 630 for a chocolate chip, 510 for cornbread, 480 for honey bran raisin, 540 for banana walnut, etc.

What you do need to watch, though, is that the "meals" at DD are "two donuts and a coffee," or 1 muffin, or 1 bagel. You really just need one donut, not two.

This is not advocating that DD is a great breakfast, just that you can do it w/o using nearly as many calories! Go from a 500-cal muffin or 600-cal bagel w/ cream cheese every morning to a 250-cal donut, and you will lose half a pound a week. Cut out another 250 cals somewhere else in your day, and you're at a pound a week!

Monday, May 21, 2007, 10:27 AM

an egg & cheese on english muffin is around 300 cals at dunkin donuts.

i eat 12 almonds and 1/4 cup dried fruit on my commute and instant oatmeal in the office. sometimes if i'm hungry around 11 am i have a piece of fruit or a skim latte, no sugar.

another option is carnation instant breakfast made w/ lofat milk.

Monday, May 21, 2007, 10:38 AM

WOW!!!

I'm the one who started this thread - and when I said I get coffee & a bagel for breakfast, it was usually the reduced carb bagel!!!! WOW I guess I will not be eating that again!

Thanks for the info !

Monday, May 21, 2007, 4:47 PM

Yummy

Whenever you do have time, try this out:

Trader Joes (who I love) has this mini-pitas. They're wheat, and they're so good. Two is 80 cals.

If you make a serving of egg beaters (30 cals) and use a slice or two of turkey breast, its super yummy and low-cal.

Thursday, June 28, 2007, 3:17 AM

OP - isn't is shocking to learn the calorie contents of some our favorite go to quickie foods?? I'll never forget the vacation where I pounded scones b/c a healthnut friend of mine liked them. I just assumed they were good for me. I came home from that vacation and looked up the calorie and fat content and about died! :)

A favorite quick breakfast of mine:

1 pc low cal wheat toast topped with an egg white, 2 pcs ham (sandwich sliced variety), 1 pc American cheese.

It take 2 minutes to fix. It has protein and it's only 135 calories. I also put the same combo on an english muffin for 215 calories.

I second the berries and yogurt as another good one. Easy, you get several servings of fruit and it has protein.

Good luck! A great breakfast gets you off to a great start every day :)

Thursday, June 28, 2007, 6:49 AM

You are in charge of your schedule

Go to bed earlier. Get up earlier.

Or try this: prepare for the next day in the evening: measure out your nuts and fruit into baggies. Or whatever you like that is grab and go and healthy! I put some Kashi Good Friends cereal in a small baggie, add some nuts and bring a container of milk so I can sip and crunch on the way. I like some fruit, too, so I put grapes or raisins or berries or a banana or whatever in the breakfast bag, too. Put your vitamin(s) out next to the bag so you remember to take them, too. Set up your coffee so you push the button and go (or in our case, boil the water and pour into the French press pot. In the time it takes to do the Dunkin' thing you can take care of yourself.
While you are doing the 10 minutes of evening prep you can even pack your lunch and/or "coming home commute" snack. I am always hungry after work, so to keep me from hitting the fridge as soon as I get in the door, a 6 oz V-8, a reduced fat string cheese, a bottle of water and some apple slices or orange segments are in a mini cooler waiting for the drive home.

A few minutes the night before can really make your mornings better. As with any habit, you may want to make excuses about why you can't or don't want to, but the bottom line is, do you want your life to be better, healthier, whatever? If you do, then the effort to add a healthy habit will be worth it - 'cause YOU are worth it!

Saturday, June 30, 2007, 7:05 PM

7:05 poster great ideas. i especially love the suggestion that you prep healthy snacks for the times you know you're most vulnerable to just grabbing that not-so healthy quick fix.

Saturday, June 30, 2007, 7:25 PM

I don't have time either. So I have my coffe ready to be turned on in the morning with a to go cup that they sell in most grocery stores. Then I boil 1 or 2 eggs sometimes I take a cheese stick and a bananna. I take this in the car or train It always makes me have a better day!

Saturday, June 30, 2007, 10:21 PM

This thread was great. It gives me some more ideas. I generally used to skip breakfast too before coming on PT and then about died by noon. I now eat a bowl of frosted mini wheats in the morning or rice chex with a banana. I also try the slimfast dutch chocolate breakfast bars when I am in a real hurry. Those are actually pretty good. I don't like any of the other slimfast products at all. The one poster was right. It takes time to stop and get food, so an extra ten minutes in the am to toast some toast is not going to break your morning. You just have to get in a routine. I also use the I can't believe it's not butter spray on my toast. It's zero calories, zero fat. Can't beat that!!! LOL. I don't mind it at all.

Saturday, June 30, 2007, 10:41 PM

Interesting post

Wednesday, July 4, 2007, 9:08 AM

Okay, so I just posted this response on the thread titled "High Fiber Foods," but it's what I do for breakfast--flax bran muffins. Make them for the week, month, whatever, freeze them and take one out each morning to toast up a bit. Very good for a commute. See High Fiber thread for more of my raves and recommended modifications for this recipe.

Link

Wednesday, July 4, 2007, 1:10 PM

Who the hell keeps writing "interesting post" on all the threads??????? Is this a joke?

Wednesday, July 4, 2007, 1:15 PM

I also am on very limited time with 2 small children and working full time. I either pack up cereal in a baggie and put that with a small thing of milk, a bowl and spoon in a lunch type Igloo the night before so when I'm ready to walk out the door in the AM I just have to grab and go. I eat at my desk at work.

Most of the time I usually pack up, the night before, a banana, yogurt and granola bar. Sometimes I also pack cottage cheese or a string cheese as well.

Good luck.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007, 6:08 PM

If I am short on time I usually have some high fiber/high protein cereal with a piece of string cheese.

If I have extra time my favorite is french toast made with 100% whole wheat bread and egg whites. Add a serving of turkey bacon and a banana and you have a very filling breakfast!

Wednesday, July 4, 2007, 6:38 PM

OP, it doesn't sound like you don't have time in the mornings, it sounds like you don't keep easy food on hand at home. The time that it takes you to stop at Dunkin' Donuts could make breakfast at home 3 times over, if you keep the right foods on hand.

Try a mini whole wheat bagel, toasted (can toast while you're doing somthing else), and spread a wedge of light laughing cow cheese on each side (or lowfat cream cheese, or 1T of peanut butter, etc.)

Throw a pack of instant oatmeal in your purse, and add hot water at work. Or, keep a whole box of instant oatmeal at your desk.

Grab two lowfat granola bars.

Grab an apple and a cereal bar.

Anyway, there are lots of very quick options, but you have to buy them at the grocery store and keep them on-hand. If you have time to stop at Dunkin Donuts, you have time to make breakfast!

Friday, July 6, 2007, 12:48 PM

I agree with 12:48 - if you have time to stop for breakfast you can eat something quick. A bowl of cereal with skim milk is usually just over 200 calories. I eat Special K or Honey Nut Cheerios almost every morning. Not super nutritious but low cal, low fat and quick! Also, I like half an English muffin with Laughing Cow, or just a little light butter and cinnamon. There are some English muffins that are 60 calories so half is only 30! And its plenty filling and its quick.

If you must go through a drive through, you would be better off getting an Egg McMuffin type thing with a fruit cup (most fast food places have fruit now) and throwing the bread away. Sometimes I even ask them to take the bread off before they give it to me!

Friday, July 6, 2007, 2:02 PM

A lot of restaurants have websites that have nutritional info, and dunkin donuts has it listed as well. Although no one should eat out everyday, the english muffn with egg and cheese is a good choice, and coffee with skim milk instead of cream.

Friday, July 6, 2007, 4:53 PM

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