5 Minutes: Spinach and Mushroom Egg Scramble
If you’re pushed for time, you can’t go wrong with scrambled eggs.
Take two eggs (or if you want to make them super-skinny, 3 egg whites
and one yolk) and combine with 4 tbsp. of skimmed milk / a touch of salt
and pepper. Add a little olive oil to your pan, on a medium to high
heat, followed by your egg mixture, and stir. Once your eggs start to
form, add your toppings. Spinach and mushrooms taste great with scrambled eggs, whilst also providing an excellent source of iron and essential vitamins K, A and C. Just half a cup of each is enough. Finish with a sprinkle of low fat cheese.
5 Minutes: Avocado and Strawberry Smoothie
For early birds with a sweet tooth, rustle up a heart-helping
avocado and strawberry smoothie. Let’s face it; 8am commutes aren’t
full-English friendly, whereas these treats can be devoured wherever the
morning takes you. Before rushing to work, load your blender with ½ an avocado (stone and peel removed) with 1 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries, 1 cup of skimmed / almond milk and ¼ cup of vanilla yoghurt. Chuck in one chopped banana and blend. For extra flavour, add honey or lemon – these secret ingredients help promote a healthy immune system, keeping you in tiptop shape in time for summer.
We love this fruit-to-yog combination first thing. Avocados are packed with the mono-saturated fats needed for a healthy ticker, and lots of tummy-filling fibre that leaves you feeling full. To mix it up, try replacing your strawberries / avocado for 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. This smoothie is perfect pre-gym!
6 minutes: Cinnamon Porridge
It may not look particularly appetising, but porridge is a staple
breakfast meal that’s long been recognised for its health benefits. Its
slow releasing energy leaves you full up till lunchtime, with a handful
of nutrients to boot: B vitamins, vitamin E, calcium, folic acid and
potassium. Just recently Harvard University released a study claiming, “consumption of whole grains and cereal fiber was inversely associated with reduced total and cause-specific mortality,” or in other words porridge is the key to a long and healthy life.
To make your oat dish more interesting, try adding ½ tsp. of cinnamon, a sliced banana, strawberries and blueberries. Mix half a cup of oats with 100ml of skimmed milk on the hob and bring to the boil. Then add the sliced bananas and cinnamon to the pan and stir for 4-5 mins till cooked. Alternatively, pop in the microwave for 3-4 mins and stir occasionally. Top with berries and a dash of cinnamon.
8 Minutes: Strawberry and Yoghurt Parfait
For a refreshing spring / summer breakfast, tuck into a delicious strawberry and yoghurt parfait. Combining a cup of fresh strawberries, 1 tsp. of sugar, ½ a cup of Greek yoghurt and a handful of granola: this crunchy but sweet combo goes nicely with a morning brew.
Simply combine the sugar and strawberries in a bowl and leave to one side (if you’re being super healthy, you can always ditch the sugar). Then layer your parfait, starting with the yoghurt then the strawberries, followed by granola on top. The protein content of Greek yoghurt makes parfait a great post-workout treat too!
10 Minutes: Baked Eggs In Tomato
For a quick and satisfying breakfast, you can always rely on eggs.
And one morning meal we can’t get enough of is baked egg in tomato.
Ditch your conventional eggcups and instead, slice the top third from
your tomatoes, dig out the seeds and break an egg into each tomato. Then
bake the eggs for 10 minutes at 220°C in an ovenproof dish (remember to
preheat beforehand). Feel free to season with a touch of salt and
pepper before placing it in the oven. Once ready, you could top with cheese or dunk a couple of toasty soldiers into your eggs’ runny middle. This dish not only looks great; its nutrition content is through the roof. Tomatoes are rich in antioxidants, and vitamins A, C and folic acid, making it a superfood we definitely need to be eating more of. Or if tomatoes aren’t your thing, switch to avocados – avocado eggcups are just as tasty.
10 Minutes: Veggie Breakfast Burrito
Liven your morning, Mexican style, with breakfast burritos. The
beauty of these is, you can prepare them Sunday night and freeze for any
morning of the week. None veggie varieties can take a little while to
prepare; say if you fancied including a little chorizo or bacon for
instance. But vegetable based burritos only take 10 mins to whip up. First take one cup of cooked black beans and flavour with lime or lemon juice. Next, prepare your scrambled eggs, whilst heating your tortilla wraps in the toaster or microwave. Once everything’s cooked, stick the beans in the microwave for 30 seconds, then bring everything together. Layer your burrito mix with avocado, salsa and low fat cheese for the perfect finishing touches. And voila, your breakfast burritos are all ready for your morning commute.
15 Minutes: Quinoa Fruit Salad
Fruit salads seem like the obvious choice for a quick and healthy
brekkie, but sometimes they don’t feel too filling. To bulk it up a bit,
try adding half a cup of cooked quinoa. Hearty, high in protein and
packed with flavour, it’s the ideal substitute for porridge. Combine
with blueberries, mango and strawberries for a delightfully summer dish.