Urban Blog

Feeling as though you need a little bit more energy in the morning? Don’t worry, as you are not alone. We have some great ideas for how you can boost your energy levels and improve your overall health at the same time.

All too often people believe that “healthy and nutritious” is the same as “hard and time-consuming.” But in reality, this doesn’t have to be the case. Eating a healthy breakfast is mostly about proper shopping and preparation.

Skip the Sugary Processed Breakfast Options

The first step in supercharging your breakfast is what you shouldn’t do for breakfast. What you should never do for breakfast is turn to fast food, sugary food or food that is pretending to be healthy food but is far from it, such as “energy drinks.”

Instead, focus on giving your body plenty of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. If you want to keep your energy levels flying high throughout the day, then you’ll need to make a “nutritional investment” in the morning.

Supercharge Your Breakfast with Oatmeal and Peanut Butter

One of the easiest ways to supercharge your breakfast is with oatmeal. Oatmeal couldn’t be any easier to prepare and there are even organic oatmeal packets. Just be sure that if your oatmeal has added ingredients that they are truly healthy.

Read the labels. A large percentage of packaged oatmeal on the market has added sugar and artificial ingredients, which are the last thing your body needs especially the first thing in the morning. Your safest option is to simply buy organic bulk oatmeal. Oatmeal is an amazingly cheap food and it is one food that even if you are on a tight budget you can likely afford a few extra cents to go organic.

Why all the raving about oatmeal? Oatmeal contains lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants and has been shown to help flush potentially harmful compounds out of the body. Oatmeal is also very high in fiber and protein. The cost to benefit ratio is through the roof and it is easy to prepare.

Another reason that oatmeal is worth your attention at breakfast is that oatmeal truly does play well with others. Add a little extra protein in the form of nuts, and suddenly oatmeal becomes a breakfast nutritional powerhouse. Once you’ve prepared your oatmeal, simply add a scope or two of peanut butter or add a handful of your favorite nuts and you have a truly impressive breakfast.  Then top your oatmeal with your favorite fresh or dried fruit for an added appeal. This combination of old inexpensive favorites in the form of oatmeal and peanut butter is rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

Quinoa Seeds as a Protein Rich Breakfast

Of course, you might not want this breakfast combo or variation every single day and that is understandable. Another great option is quinoa, which can be eaten as a hot cereal. Quinoa is definitely more expensive than oatmeal, but it is also very impressive when you consider the nutritional content.

Quinoa is also easy to prepare. The best way to use it is to prepare it the night before. The reason for this is that quinoa must be rinsed and it does take longer to cook.

What quinoa has to offer makes it well worth the effort. Quinoa is extremely high in a range of vitamins and minerals as well as protein, fiber and heart and brain essential omega-3 fatty acids. By sprinkling chia seeds onto your quinoa you can instantly boost the omega-3 and protein levels. Quinoa can be dressed up pretty easily with jam, fruit, including frozen fruit and more.

Shake It Up

If you want a third great option, we’ve saved the easiest for last. Take one blender, add your favorite frozen fruits or fruits, toss in a banana or other fruit, such as an apple, then toss in nuts such as walnuts or protein powder. Add a little milk or milk alternative, and presto you have a very nutritious and protein packed meal. This option is very flexible as you can change the taste as you like by selecting different fruits or milk alternatives.

If you are looking for a very fast and healthy breakfast option, it is hard to beat making your own breakfast shake. A breakfast shake will help you fill full, give you some natural sugar in the morning and provide you with an exceptional energy boost.

A few simple ingredients such as oatmeal, quinoa, chia seeds, frozen fruit, fresh fruit like bananas and apples and jam and jelly can be used to create a very energy packed breakfast. If you still feel as though your breakfast lacks enough punch, consider adding chocolate powder to your shakes or even your oatmeal. Chocolate has been proven in studies to perk up the mind.

A Supercharged Breakfast in Five Minutes

Ultimately, just a small amount of preparation and strategic shopping goes a long way when it comes to having a breakfast. A supercharged breakfast doesn’t have to be difficult to prepare and can be made literally in five minutes or less. If you discover that you don’t have enough time to make a five-minute breakfast, then it’s time to take a good look at your schedule and find ways to squeeze this very important five minutes in every morning. You can be very alert and stay that way for several hours just by selecting the right healthy food options. Your body will definitely thank you.