7 Ways to Power up Your Morning Meal with Delicious Food ...

Everyone knows how awesome chia seeds are and they’re one of the best ways to power up your morning meal and have more energy. Chia seeds are rich in fiber, healthy fats, energizing B vitamins, and they’re a complete protein. Eat chia in a smoothie, in oatmeal, in yogurt, or just mixed into almond or coconut milk with some cinnamon. Chia can provide energy for hours, lower your appetite, boost your mental focus, and reduce your appetite. It keeps you full for hours due to all the fiber and it helps you work better, keeping your energy up and reducing glycemic load.

Rolled or steel cut oats for breakfast are fantastic for you! If you’re short on time, make them a week ahead of time in a big slow cooker, and portion them out. Then you can just reheat and go! Or, make overnight oats where you soak them in the fridge overnight with whatever ingredients you want, like yogurt, cinnamon, almond milk, chia seeds, bananas, berries, or whatever else you like, and just grab and go in the morning. Oats are one of the most powerful grains for keeping you full for a long time, and they’re low in calories, high in fiber and protein, and one of the lowest carb grains you can consume. Steel cut or rolled oats are best since instant are very processed and can make you hungrier much quicker, causing your insulin to rise, which makes your glycemic index rise and fall. This leads to a sugar crash quickly, and zaps your energy. Powering up your morning meal is about choosing foods that keep you full a long time and that are healthy. Rolled and steel cut oats fit the bill for the job!

If you eat dairy, nonfat, plain Greek yogurt is a wonderful way to power up your morning meal. Full of protein, live enzymes, and probiotics, Greek yogurt is truly a power food, and it’s low in calories if you choose plain and unsweetened. Avoid the flavored and sweetened varieties, and just add some stevia and cinnamon or even a banana to sweeten it instead. For extra staying power, throw some chia or flax in your yogurt too. The extra fiber and omega 3s will increase satiety and keep you fuller longer. Just one tablespoon of either is all you need. My favorite brand is Wallaby Organic yogurt. The brand's kefir is also awesome, by the way!

If you read my blog or know me at all, you know I’m a huge fan of superfoods. I realize many are pricey and they aren’t essential to living, but they sure do make a difference in your energy, I promise! Superfoods can really power up your morning meal in wonderful ways. For one, they have tons of raw vitamins and minerals, which is really what your body needs to work its best. I suggest buying an all around inclusive protein that has more than just one superfood in it. I like Amazing Grass brand, Bright Earth SuperFoods brand, Philosophie Superfoods brand, and Garden of Life brand.

My dad used to have the simplest breakfast of anyone I knew, but he loved it because of how much energy it gave him and how full it kept him. Every morning with his plain black coffee, he had a red apple and a third of a cup of raw almonds every single day. I kid you not! Even when we went to New York once, he stuck to this breakfast above any fancy option, and he was onto something here. Almonds are one of the best sources of plant protein you can consume in a nut or seed. They’re also rich in brain-boosting properties, vitamins and minerals, and they help increase focus while reducing stress, unlike those energy drinks you’re downing. Paired with a piece of filling fruit like apples, almonds make a great morning meal addition. You can even use them in a protein smoothie instead of protein powder if you’re out or don’t want to use a protein powder.

Berries alone for breakfast won’t fill you up, but adding them to your morning meal is a great idea for a few reasons. For one, berries are rich in antioxidants that have been proven to improve blood flow, brain power, and decrease your insulin levels. All these are incredibly important at the beginning of the day. They are also rich in easy to digest fiber, so they help your body clean itself out each morning, while also reducing cholesterol and blood sugar. All berries are fantastic, so don’t get too caught up in which one is best, and just choose a few.

Now, let’s talk about my new favorite find for powering up your morning meal, ladies. Coconut butter! I swear, it’s heaven on a spoon! Raw coconut butter by Artisana is currently my favorite brand, as I’ve tried a few others and they just aren’t as good. Raw coconut butter is rich in enzymes that give you energy, aid digestion, and help your body function better altogether. I like to consume raw coconut butter first thing in the day for a few reasons. First, it’s very satisfying. Secondly, it’s energizing, and third, it’s rich in a type of fat that gives you focus, stamina, and boosts your mood. A bowl of processed cereal sure won’t do that for you, I promise you that. Add just one tablespoon of raw coconut butter to a smoothie, on top of oatmeal, or onto yogurt. Keep it at room temperature since it will turn very hard in the fridge. It will melt a little when placed over hot dishes, which is actually pretty delicious!

Whatever you do, don’t skip breakfast altogether. It’s a mood downer, metabolism nightmare and energy thief. What do you eat to power up your morning meal?