Short on time in the morning? Don't skip the most important meal of the day... Make one of these super-simple breakfasts instead!"
1. Fruit 'n Greek Yogurt Bowl
This one couldn't be easier... Just spoon a 5.3-oz. container of fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt into a bowl, and top with 3/4 cup raspberries, 1/2 cup chopped Fuji apple, 1/4 oz. (about 1 tbsp.) chopped walnuts, and 1 tsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips. You get protein from the yogurt, fiber from the fruit, healthy fats from the nuts, and chocolate from the chocolate! (264 calories, 6.5g fat, 59mg sodium, 37.5g carbs, 8g fiber, 26g sugars, 16.5g protein)
Change it up:Â For a tropical twist, go with peach yogurt, pineapple, mango, shredded sweetened coconut, and white chocolate chips. It's like dessert for breakfast! Another option? Use low-fat cottage cheese with no-calorie sweetener in place of the yogurt.Â
2. Fruity Green Smoothie
Afraid to try a smoothie blended up with veggies? Don't be! This one's fruity and fantastic. Just combine 1 cup spinach, 1 cup frozen peaches (slightly thawed), 1/2 cup sliced banana, 1/2 light vanilla soymilk, 1/2 cup fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt, and 1/2 cup crushed ice (or 3 - 4 ice cubes). Blend it up, and slurp it down! (281 calories, 1g fat, 134mg sodium, 51.5g carbs, 5.5g fiber, 36.5g sugars, 19.5g protein)
Change it up:Â Feeling adventurous? Use kale in place of the spinach! Then add frozen mixed berries instead of peaches and banana.
3. Overnight Oatmeal Parfait
Rather than cooking your oats in the morning, try this no-cook overnight method! In a medium jar or bowl, mix 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, a packet of no-calorie sweetener, and a dash of salt. Then just cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, until the oats are soft and have absorbed most of the liquid. In the morning, layer the oatmeal with 1/2 cup fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt and 2/3 cup sliced strawberries. So good! (322 calories, 4.5g fat, 144mg sodium, 51.5g carbs, 6.5g fiber, 19g sugars, 20.5g protein)
Change it up:Â Try pumpkin pie spice in place of cinnamon, strawberry yogurt instead of vanilla, and banana slices rather than strawberries. Or keep the cinnamon, but use peach yogurt and mandarin orange segments. Mmmm...Â
4. Lettuce 'n Lox
Love the idea of bagels and smoked salmon, but not all the carby calories? Try this mini morning meal instead... Spread a tablespoon of reduced-fat cream cheese onto 3 medium-large leaves of romaine lettuce. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning, and top with 2 oz. lox-style smoked salmon. Add 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, a thinly sliced small seedless cucumber, and 2 tbsp.
sliced sun-dried tomatoes. Wrap and enjoy! (165 calories, 8.5g fat, 870mg sodium, 10.5g carbs, 2.75g fiber, 3.5g sugars, 15g protein)Â
Change it up:Â Still craving that bagel? Look for bagel flats with 110 calories or less. Then have it open faced, piled high with goodies!
5. Enormous Cereal Bowl
Crazy about cold cereal, but not the small servings? My version has a huge portion size without a huge calorie count. Combine 1 cup puffed wheat cereal, 1 cup puffed rice cereal, 1/2 cup puffed corn cereal, and 1/4 cup high-fiber bran cereal. Top it all off with 1/4 cup blueberries and 1 cup light vanilla soymilk. Like I said... HUGE! (286 calories, 3g fat, 253mg sodium, 60g carbs, 10g fiber, 12g sugars, 12g protein)
Change it up:Â Swap out the berries for any fresh fruit: chopped pear, sliced banana, sliced strawberries... whatever! Use the bran cereal as your base, and add a little shredded wheat in place of puffed. For added protein, whisk some vanilla protein powder into the milk!
