10 healthy ideas for breakfast on the go

Published 9:57 pm Sunday, June 21, 2009

With our families’ hectic schedules, finding the time to prepare breakfast for our kids and ourselves can be challenging.

Here are some tips for making this important meal a little easier to get on the table — or into big and little hands on the way out the door:

1. To-go bags: Set up lunch bags the day before a crazy morning. Include low-fat yogurt, a baggie of granola, a hard-boiled egg and a handful of grapes.

2. Whirl it up: Have a smoothie. Just make sure to add some protein, like yogurt or tofu, to keep you satisfied longer.

3. Waffle sandwiches: Make quick and healthy breakfast sandwiches with frozen waffles (toasted), peanut butter and sliced banana.

4. Prep night: Set foods aside the night before; peel and cut up fruits, pour cereal or prepare mixtures for baked or scrambled eggs.

5. Morning mush: Consider steel-cut oats for a super-healthy and convenient meal. Combine the oats and water, bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let set overnight. The next morning, you just have to reheat them.

6. Use your microwave: Most hot cereals have microwave instructions. Mix the cereal with liquid and flavorings, pop it in the microwave and finish dressing while breakfast cooks itself.

7. Stockpile: Keep your freezer full of frozen waffles and healthy breakfast burritos.

8. A berry a day: Don’t think of berries as an extravagance. They’re outrageously good for you and they turn the most boring bowl of cereal into something special.

9. Portable eggs: Keep hard-boiled eggs in your fridge — it’s an easy dose of high-quality protein.

10. Fruit on the run: Always keep a bowl of fresh seasonal fruits available for the easiest grab-and-go.

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