You've heard it a million times. "The most important meal of the day" and all that. Yet, most of us still rush off and start the day with little more than the toothpaste taste left in our mouth. But any nutritionist worth their Omega-3s will tell you that eating breakfast does more than just prevent a grumbling stomach during your morning meeting. It improves mental performance and prevents you from storing fat throughout the day. "When people skip breakfast, their levels of insulin (the hormone that stores fat) rise at the next meal they eat," says nutritionist and author Jonny Bowden. Have something to eat in the AM, and you'll keep insulin levels low so you burn fat instead. Here are three simple options to spice up your first meal routine, depending on how much time and effort you want to put into it.
Freeze a peeled banana overnight. In the morning, blend 2 tablespoons of almond butter, the frozen banana and 8-10 ounces of milk in a blender until smooth. Add a scoop of protein powder and blend again, just to combine.
Chop an apple with the skins on. Place in a microwave-safe bowl with 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 cup of water and nuke for 3 minutes. Stir and top with a splash of milk and brown sugar or honey.
Toast some hearty bread. Cut an avocado in half and smear onto the warm toast. It's buttery and delicious on its own, but you can finish it with a drizzle of good olive oil, sea salt and/or red chili flakes.