Guaranteed Life-Saving Breakfast

This morning I was rudely awakened by a screaming toddler and Paul lying said screaming toddler onto the bed next to me, while stating, “I can’t deal with her right now, I have to get ready for work.” To which I may or may not have replied with a squinty-eyed look of confusion with a dash of anger at having been awoken this way; I went to get a bottle and then I changed her diaper and tried to get her back to sleep, seeing as how it was 6:30 in the morning and I usually sleep until at least 8. The bottle soothed her, but did not put her back to sleep, and alas, I was forced to get up, cussing under my breath (or not so much under my breath) all the way to the bathroom then kitchen.

You’d think I was used to being woken by a screaming baby by now, but I was just particularly tired this morning since I’d been dealing with Lily being sick the last three days, plus all the excitement of Hurricane Irene. Luckily we were barely affected by the stormy weekend weather, but Hurricane Lily had made her mark for sure. Anyway, I’d been hoping to get a little more sleep than I had been, but I quickly got over all my feelings of bitterness and exhaustion after I had this tasty energy-packed, life-saving (and husband-saving) breakfast!

Yogurt and granola with raspberries, banana and blueberries topped with flax seed, coconut and honey, plus a few Berry Blossoms courtesy of Lily :)

Fully Loaded Yogurt Bowl

½ cup plain organic yogurt

½ cup granola

½ or 1 banana, sliced

¼ cup raisins

Handful of blueberries and raspberries

1 tbsp flax seed

1 tsp honey

1 tsp shredded coconut

Scoop yogurt into bowl then top with granola, followed by fruit, honey, flax seeds, and coconut. Mix well if desired or go ahead and eat as is! You can use any combination of fruit that you like and other add-ins like nuts. I typically just use whatever fruit I have available; banana with mixed berries is always good, but peaches and apples are great too. The base of any good yogurt bowl is the yogurt (duh), granola, and fruit; after that, you can just toss in whatever you desire.

The breakfast Lily and I enjoyed the other day. I add coconut milk to my coffee instead of cream for it's natural sweetness and extra calcium. Try it next time and you'll see a pleasant difference!

It’s as simple as that! Add a green smoothie or cup of coffee to the mix and you’re good to go! All clouds of sleepiness will be lifted and you’ll be ready to start you’re day. And it only takes about 3 minutes to make!

I’d like to say many people eat this kind of breakfast in the morning, but it’s more likely that pastries and cold cereal are devoured along with sugared coffee, if anything is devoured at all since statistics say that many Americans skip breakfast. I know my husband often does, as much as I’ve begged him to eat something before heading to work in the past (I have since given up), although from what he’s told me sometimes he does get an egg sandwich from the deli or a donut from the office (hence my prior complaint). He is not alone in this world of 9-5ers who barely have time for a cup of Joe, let alone a bowl of granola and fruit.

I’ve always made it a priority to eat in the morning, even if it does have to be cold cereal (there isn’t anything wrong with that, but it won’t get you through the morning like a fuller meal will). The fact of the matter is I will be very cranky if I don’t eat since I get that way when my blood sugar is low. But, if you are someone who normally doesn’t eat in the morning and doesn't even have 3 minutes to spare on putting something like this together, you can make this yogurt bowl to-go the night before by placing it in a travel-ready container. I wouldn’t recommend eating and driving, but while waiting for the train during your commute, you could probably eat most of it then finish the rest at your desk!

Lily is big on this type of meal too, although this morning she was a little picky, I guess due to still feeling a little under-the-weather, but I did get her to eat some blueberries and cereal even though she passed up the yogurt and banana. Your little one will definitely enjoy this breakfast in any combination and at any age, and can be blended for babies ready for solids. Please note that babies younger than 9 months shouldn’t eat berries due to possible allergic reactions, and yogurt should wait until they’re at least 6 months unless otherwise stated by your child's doctor.

Adding the flax to your yogurt bowl- or just about anything you eat for that matter –is a sure way to get a boost of omega-3s and fiber, and they're particularly great for bone and heart health (and brain, of course, with the omegas). Studies havealso shown flax to help in preventing cancer, diabetes and inflammation, and also in lowering blood pressure. Flax seeds are wonderful and a little bit goes a long way. They can be added to just about any baked good or cereal, topped on veggies, ground for breading on meats and tofu, topped on salads…the possibilities are endless!

I use flax quite often, although I don’t think I’ve mentioned that here before. When Lily started eating solids, it was recommended by my mother-in-law and sister-in-law that I add ground flax meal to her cereal and breast milk, and I’m glad I heeded their advice. Omegas are especially vital to helping a baby’s brain development as you have probably read or been told by your child's pediatrician if you have a good one, so go ahead and pick up a bag and just sprinkle it right on your baby’s or child’s cereal- they probably won’t even notice a difference in taste or texture, but if they do, they will get over it eventually. 

Save this recipe for your own "too early" mornings, and hopefully it will rescue your husband or screaming child from getting his/her head chopped off ;)