Breakfast.
Sounds simple, right? I mean, just how complicated can breakfast get?? But that's the thing. I am not exactly a bright and perky morning person, and when I was growing up cereal was always available in my house. And I would eat it. My brother and I could go through a standard 10-serving size box in 2-3 days. We'd have big heaping bowls of anything from Raisin Bran to Cap'n Crunch to Cheerios to Fruity Pebbles. It was whatever we felt like putting in the buggy when we went grocery shopping with our parents.
Well, I still have that nasty habit today. I can eat a mean bowl of cereal. And I do. And I hate it. I'm throwing away 500-600 calories on a meal that in three to four hours makes me starving once again.
So, it's time for a game plan. I organized the pantry last night after our quick and small shopping trip and I have SO MUCH breakfast stuff it's not even funny. I'm going to write out what I have and plan some meals around it. I will have to cook of course, and maybe that will encourage me to actually get up at a decent time and even cook for my husband (who is NOT a breakfast eater at all!).
About that list.....
-Granola (goes in yogurt)
-Yogurt
-Apples and Grapes (and sometimes other fruits as well)
-Eggs
-Oatmeal (instant packages and quick cook oats)
-Pancake mixes (I love those Martha White muffin mixes; just add alittle oil and an egg and they make excellent pancakes!)
-Bread (for toasting of course) ;-)
-Bagels
-Cream cheese, jelly, and other breakfast food toppings
-Trail mix bars, nutrigrain bars, and other handheld snack-type items that can be on-the-go
-and of course.... Cereal
I needed no effort to make that list at all, nor did I need to look in the pantry to check what I had. What I need to do is rotate the food I eat. Most of those choices aren't high in calories and take less than 15min to fully prepare a good breakfast from them. I think I can make some decent meals out of this, which my body will not devour and then beg me for more food in 3 hours.
I think I'm going to do just that. I think I'll cook some pancakes and eggs! Yum!
Enjoy your Tuesday! (Also- don't forget to vote if you are in the U.S.!)
About that list.....
-Granola (goes in yogurt)
-Yogurt
-Apples and Grapes (and sometimes other fruits as well)
-Eggs
-Oatmeal (instant packages and quick cook oats)
-Pancake mixes (I love those Martha White muffin mixes; just add alittle oil and an egg and they make excellent pancakes!)
-Bread (for toasting of course) ;-)
-Bagels
-Cream cheese, jelly, and other breakfast food toppings
-Trail mix bars, nutrigrain bars, and other handheld snack-type items that can be on-the-go
-and of course.... Cereal
I needed no effort to make that list at all, nor did I need to look in the pantry to check what I had. What I need to do is rotate the food I eat. Most of those choices aren't high in calories and take less than 15min to fully prepare a good breakfast from them. I think I can make some decent meals out of this, which my body will not devour and then beg me for more food in 3 hours.
I think I'm going to do just that. I think I'll cook some pancakes and eggs! Yum!
Enjoy your Tuesday! (Also- don't forget to vote if you are in the U.S.!)
Breakfast is a killer!
ReplyDeleteI know it's supposed to be the most important meal of the day and should be your largest, blah blah blah!
I work my days like this...
breakfast is simple with no more than 250 calories, usually only about 100 ( a granola bar or yogurt)
lunch is another 400ish and the majority of them for dinner. Just the way I like to eat!
I'm lucky enough that don't feel the need to eat breakfast until I get to work for 9. Then I look at it this way, it's only about 3 hours between breakfast and lunch, so I should be able to eat less to get me through. From lunch to dinner is 5-6 hours, so I need something more filling.
I hate when I read my food log and see I have used my calories for breakfast and drinks.
I too could eat a mean bowl of cereal...it's why I don't have it any more.
My TOPS group was challenging themselves to eat oatmeal for 3 days at breakfast. A couple of the members swear by it and that it makes them eat less over the course of the whole day.
I have never once had oatmeal, but grew up thinking I didn't like it. I will try it AND have even bought some oats...now to just cook them up. There are some great recipes out there for "oatmeal in a jar" so that it's all ready to go on the fly.
Good job Julie!
Curious...how are you doing on the scales?