Fast food breakfasts, including chains offering “healthy” options, are on the rise. Why do I work towards getting my clients out of the drive through?
Despite the “healthy” claims on a lot of products, they are not a good way to start the day. Sodium is high in everything from muffins to breakfast sandwiches to oatmeal (and don’t get me started on the hashbrowns). Inflammatory and hard on the heart trans fats are present in almost all the hot and baked items, and there’s a general lack of nutrients that means you might be filling the hunger, but you are certainly not nourishing your body.
Fast food breakfasts prime you for a mid morning crash, low energy all day, and fatigue and poor digestion over time.
Most of the reasons we stop at the drive through are time related- I don’t have time to make or eat breakfast at home. Boy do I get that! But I’ve also sat in a Tim Hortons line up at 8:00 am, it is not always a time-saver.
So how do you break the drive through breakfast habit?
Use the time you’d spend in the drive through for prep
5 minutes: Toast up whole grain bread, top with peanut/nut butter, wrap in foil and eat in the car or when you get to work if you have to. Bring along a portable fruit (apples, bananas, oranges, pears) to eat when you get to work.
5 minutes: Toss berries or other fruit (bonus points if you’ve done the prep work and cut up your fruit after grocery shopping) in a bowl, top with ½ cup plain greek yogurt and add ¼ cup whole grain granola. Try keeping the granola at work if you don’t have time to eat before you go.
5 minutes: Overnight oatmeal- mix ½ cup oats with ½ cup greek yogurt, 1 tsp honey or maple syrup, spices (1/8 tsp pumpkin spice or cinnamon are both delicious) in a travel container the night before. Add ¼ cup dried fruit and ¼ cup walnuts or almonds when you’re ready to eat. Cool, creamy and delicious!
5-10 minutes: Whole grain, high fibre cereal with milk and berries. Takes only a couple minutes to throw together and another few minutes to eat.
5-10 minutes: Make an energy boosting smoothie. Add 1-2 cups of fruit (berries are quick and easy), ½ cup plain greek yogurt, 1 tsp flax oil (or 1 tbsp ground flax seeds- sub chia if desired), ¼- ½ cup of milk (dairy, almond etc) or juice and blend. Throw in a travel cup and head out the door.
Make your health and energy a priority
Prep cut fruit, oatmeal, or even hard boiled eggs ahead of time so you can grab and go.
Get up 5 minutes earlier (that’s all it takes!) daily to avoid the time crunch.
Plan your meals, including breakfast so you have everything you need in the am.
If possible, use your workplace. Store cereal or granola in your office along with a spoon and a bowl. Keep a container of yogurt or milk in the work fridge with your name on it and put everything together when you get to work.
Get help
Sometimes its hard to put it all together yourself. Look on reddit, pinterest and google for quick breakfast ideas. See your dietitian for help with meal planning and making lifestyle changes. Ask your friends and family how they make mornings work.
Do you have topics or questions you’d like to see addressed on our blog? Recipe you’d like to share? Let us know! Email michelle.shepherdrd@gmail.com or call 778 389 4802
