Ive read tons of weight loss magazines and one of the biggest thing they all stress is to eat breakfast to start the metabolism. Its normally a rush to work in the morning and Ive done well staying away from the easy Safeway bakery bagels. (I use to have one almost EVERYDAY) But Im not sure what to eat in the AM. I tried the oatmeal thing but it requires 2 packages (plus unmeasured amout of sugar) to make me feel full. I did the smoothies.. and it really didnt catch on. Im a bit a penny pincher and dont want to buy Jimmy Dean Turkey Morning Sausages. So I wind up going to work on empty stomach drooling over someones shoulder as they open a Reese Cup. Any quick easy ideas?

Hi

I think it's a great plan to start eating breakfast - I find it's a good way to get some extra fruit portions in! 2 questions though - what plan are you following (if any!) and do you have access to a fridge or a kitchenette and/or somewhere to store food at work?

X

I am eating a whole wheat english muffin with peanut butter right now. Fast, easy, and cheap!

Try the plain microwave oatmeal again, but use TWICE as much water and keep it in for twice the time. Give it a bit of time to cool, then add sliced peaches, sliced pears, sliced apple or pineapple and some fresh ground cinnamon. Scramble an egg or two with some cheese or chopped veggies in a microwave safe dish and cook it; put it in a high fiber roll or English muffin.

I often make up breakfast burritos for the week for my DH, but not sure if it is penny-wise. Take high fiber tortillas, add a scrambled egg or egg beater to each one and then whatever else you want to add, ham, sausage, cheese, salsa, onions, gr pepper, whatever. Roll up and heat in micro on your way out the door. I make enough for the weekdays for him. My sons like these too. I have frozen them, but you would want to take one out the night before to make microwaving easier.
I have also made up english muffin sandwiches for the week too, one egg or egg beater, ham/canadian bacon, slice cheese and you are good to go. Can make these ahead too and freeze if you like. Take out the night before from freezer for best results
Another quick option would be yogurt with fruit and granola?
High fiber cereal?
If you make sure you are getting enough fiber and protien, you should feel full for a few hours.
HTH

One thing that I really enjoy in the morning is an omelet or veggie scramble. I count calories, so one thing I do to cut down while still eating a sizeable portion is using one whole egg and two whites. To those, I add whatever vegetables appeal to me (lately it's been peppers, tomatoes, and onions, but sometimes it's spinach). If you want to fancy it up at the cost of an extra few dozen calories, add a level tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese or a few crumbles (about the size of a six-sided die) of feta.

Using two egg whites and one whole egg makes a substantial breakfast, but if I'm really feeling hungry, I add in a whole-wheat English muffin with some sugar-free jelly on top.

It works out to under 400 calories even with the muffin AND even if I cook it with butter. I can lower that to under 200 if I skip the muffin/jelly and cheese, but usually I go for the whole shebang. I'm eating 1500 calories a day, so that's a good fit for a really substantial breakfast.

Another favorite is a take on an egg McMuffin. One egg microwaved in a microwaveable egg cup (not in the shell!), one slice of cheddar cheese, and a slice of tomato on an English muffin is 318 calories. Very filling, too!

Eggs are awesome. If you're doing low-carb, skip the muffins and add another egg or two.

I agree with Nola- eggs are great! Extremely cheap, filling, and loaded with nutrients.

Personally I would suggest Morning Glory muffins. You can make a batch in 45 minutes once a week and have enough muffins to last you the week. There are some great low-fat ones on AllRecipes.com. They are basically flour (use whole wheat), eggs, sugar (use brown, reduce it), apples, carrots, raisins, oil (sub with applesauce), and apple butter (I sub with pumpkin puree). Sooo tasty and filing. Plus they are low fat and low calorie- only around 200 per muffin.

Nearly every day for breakfast I have a half-serving of oatmeal (not from a packet but the instant Quaker oats from the huge cylinder, 1/4 cup) with 1 tbsp peanut butter and 4 slices of turkey bacon. If I'm in a big rush to get out the door I might just have a serving of walnuts (1/4 cup) or two hard-boiled eggs.

Thank you all for such wonderful ideas! Im gonna try the oatmeal again with the different ways to prepare it and mabey this one will stick. I am a big sucker for eggs so mabey if I find a 'egg cup' it might lead to different things. I did the breakfast burrido before but it seemed like i was making so much. Im not really doing much of a calorie counting or south beach idea. Its more of learning to eat less (or more in smaller amounts) and portion control. Along with reigning in emo eating.

I love the idea of portable "grab and go" foods. You can make-ahead breakfast sandwiches with bagel thins, light English muffins or Arnold bread rounds, egg/egg whites, veggies, sausage/turkey, and/or cheese.
Another good idea is make-ahead crustless mini-quiches with any number of meats, veggies, etc.LINK

Just zap in the microwave and go.

If you can sit down, there are egg-mug recipes that cook eggs in a few minutes.
LINK

Also, having been pretty frugal and trying to eat right years ago, I started shopping at alternative stores. If Aldi, PriceRite, ShopRite, or small Asian markets are an option, they tend to have cheaper produce and sometimes have items (turkey bacon, turkey sausage patties, eggs, light cheeses) that can be more expensive at traditional grocery stores.

There is always my backup, soup for breakfast. Cheap, satisfying, and delicious!

Munchy those are some great links thanks I see a trip to costco in my future to stock back up on egg subsitute. I love eggs anytime of the day

I used to HATE breakfast. I never had an appetite in the morning and I felt sick forcing myself to eat. But then last summer I signed up for an accelerated microbiology course that was from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Just a couple days into the course I learned pretty quick the benefits of breakfast. I started slow. I'd hard boil some eggs Sunday night so I could just grab one on the way out the door. On exam days I made an effort to scramble eggs (french style is the BEST) and have a piece of whole wheat toast. It's been almost a year later and now I NEED breakfast every morning. It really does give me a mental boost. My breakfasts range from packets of instant oatmeal with fresh blueberries and walnuts. An egg a couple times a week. I bake multi grain bread every week so I sometimes have a slice of that with some almond butter and a glass of fat free milk. And my newest thing, a big bowl of fruit. Always. I get my daily fruit servings at breakfast. I usually buy a cantaloupe and cut it into chunks and keep it in the fridge and take what I want each morning. I've noticed for me to keep with it, it needs to be easily accessible. I buy whatever berries are on sale for the week. So along with the cantaloupe and berries I'll have a banana. Usually amounts to 1 1/2 cups of fruit. I've reached my daily serving of fruits and I have fuel to get me through the morning!
So for me...it has to be easy, and not the same thing every day. I like a little variety. Hope this helps.

One of my favorite new breakfasts is 1/2 lenders everything bagel, toasted, topped with 1 slice of low-fat beef bologna. This way I still get some bagel, and the protein in the bologna helps the meal last longer.

Hi Valoki,

This is a great thread with great responses. I was a non-breakfast eater. On the days that I just can't stomach solid food or I am rushing out the door, I make an Alive! Ultra Veggie Shake. Man alive it tastes terrible, but it does the trick! lol

This thread did also help to give me ideas about what to cook for my family on busy days, so THANK YOU all for that!

~Peace

I love breakfast! I can't imagine not eating it.

Currently breakfast is a coffee with a big splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a cup of berries (blueberries, raspberries or whatever looks best) or other fruit and 1/2 toasted w/w english muffin topped with a wedge of laughing cow and an over easy egg.