So let’s kick off with an admission that won’t be the biggest surprise to those that know me, I’m not the biggest morning person. To caveat this, it’s not even that I’m not a fan of mornings or can’t face getting up early, it’s more than whatever time I wake up- I need a little time to myself to come around to the day. This could be a 5am start to sail first thing or a leisurely 10am on the weekend, I ideally don’t want to be too ambitious with my first half hour of the day. This makes me a big fan of either having a breakfast option that I’ve already prepped or very simple, quick option to whip up on the spot so I get the day off to a positive start. I definitely should have followed my own advice today, up at 6am moving the boat and I hadn’t prepped anything or checked that we’d run out of cereal bars. Not my definition of a positive start.
Even without going into the benefits of a nutritious breakfast, decision fatigue is real. The average adult makes 33,000 to 35,000 total decisions each day. Many of these happen automatically and simultaneously through the information we’ve subconsciously stored about what is “good” or “bad. So if we’re making thousands of decisions everyday so why not take some stress out of your morning by not starting with deliberation and decisions when you’re probably not feeling your sharpest anyway? Save your time, energy and will power for later on in the day. Setting yourself up for a positive start will only help, running on fumes and caffeine not so much…
I don’t think putting huge pressure on yourself to have a ‘perfect’ morning routine is particularly beneficial and I definitely don’t think that everything needs to happen first thing (and be shared on social media?) for it to count. Positive habits are positive whatever time of day you manage to do them! However studies have found those who started out each day happy or calm usually stayed that way throughout the day while those who started the day in a bad mood struggled to climb out of it – and often felt worse by the end of the day. Breakfast could help you wake up on the right side of the bed on this front. If you just manage a big glass of water and a tasty, nutritious meal, see how that snowballs positively throughout your day.
So let me talk you through how I tend to plan my week of breakfasts with recipes from my latest pack and another bonus recipe that I’ve included in this post below…
- Day 1 (Sunday Evening): Prep Chia Pudding
- Decide how much you want to make and try the ratio for each portion. Multiply by how many portions you want (you may find this is more of a snack portion than a breakfast portion!)
- Combine chia seeds + milk in your container, stir well with a fork.
- Leave for at least 10 minutes and stir well again (this will help you to get a more even texture when you leave it overnight)
- Cover and leave in the fridge overnight.
- Serve up with toppings of your choice
- I make up a batch in a jar/tupperware in the fridge and then serve up as needed, but you may prefer to make the separate portions when you make it- especially if you take your breakfast to work.
- Chia seeds contain large amounts of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, plenty of protein, and many essential minerals and antioxidants. They may help improve digestive health, lower blood pressure, and improve blood sugar control. Just like flaxseeds, you can buy them whole or ground. Whole chia seeds are perfect for the classic texture for these puddings but ground would work too.
- Day 2 (Monday & Tuesday Mornings): Enjoy Chia Pudding with Different Toppings
- You’ve already prepped your chia puddings so enjoy mixing up different toppings each day. Check out my Instagram to see a few variations I tried on the last sailing trip.
- Day 3 (Wednesday Morning): Make a Fresh Smoothie
- Smoothies are a great way to use up any fruit and make the most of frozen options too (frozen tends to keep the cost down too, especially berries or tropical fruit!) Check out the recipe pack for Mango Mint, Kiwi Ginger and Mocha Smoothie recipes.
- It’s easy to freeze any overripe fruit for future smoothies to reduce food waste, especially when all the bananas start to go off at once! Just peel and cut fruit into bite-size pieces before you freeze it so it’s easier for the blender to handle. Lay the fruit out on baking paper or in a ziploc bag on a baking sheet until it freezes so it doesn’t all stick together. You can even make your own mix of fruit and freeze it in the correct portion so all you have to do is throw it in the blender. If you don’t have a big blender, a cheap hand blender will do a decent job too and doesn’t take up any space.
- Day 4 (Wednesday Evening): Prep Overnight Oats
- Take a few minutes to prep overnight oats, you’ll find recipes for Vanilla Latte and Carrot Cake options in the pack. Just like the chia you may prefer to portion up as you make them or make a big batch and serve what you like each morning. Or make a plain batch and totally customise different toppings each morning.
- Soaking the oats overnight allows the beneficial enzymes to work and increases the number of vitamins and minerals present that your body will absorb which is another bonus.
- Day 5 (Thursday & Friday Mornings): Enjoy Overnight Oats
- You can enjoy the oats hot or cold!
- Just remember to stir the oats before eating and adjust the consistency with additional plant-based milk if needed, they may have thickened up a lot overnight especially if you added seeds.
- Day 6 (Saturday Morning): Try a Different Smoothie
- Try another recipe today or make up your own. Smoothies are also a great way to sneak more greens into your diet too- you won’t taste a handful of fresh spinach or a few cubes of frozen spinach can also cool the smoothie nicely.
- Making sure you include protein in your smoothie will help keep you feeling full. You can add protein powder, nuts/nut butter, seeds, oats or soy yoghurt for example.
- Day 7 (Sunday Morning): Treat Yourself to a Special Breakfast
- Now could be the time to try a recipe that takes a little more time and effort. Why not try Pancakes, Huevos Rancheros, Tofu Shashuka or make some Banana Breakfast Muffins so you’re sorted for the beginning of next week too?
So I hope I’ve managed to make it even easier for you to start your day right, even if you’re not a morning person… Get your hands on the recipe pack if you haven’t already and let me know which ones you make! All the nutritional information is included for each recipe as well as a shopping list. I’ve repeated lots of the ingredients so you don’t need to buy a whole load of stuff. Tag me on Facebook or Instagram and tell me what you’d like inspiration for next.
Nutrition, Fitness and Lifestyle Coaching 