Breakfast on the Go

Running late for work? Trying to get the kids off to school? Do these scenarios sound familiar? Too often, the pace of everyday life leaves us with little time to cook and prepare healthy meals — especially breakfast. Often, it seems easier to grab a bagel or donut on the way out the door, or to skip breakfast altogether. But both of these practices can sabotage your healthy lifestyle. Eating refined carbohydrates may cause cravings for calorie-laden foods, and skipping breakfast may encourage you to overeat throughout the day.

Fortunately, there are a number of delicious breakfast options that are perfect for eating on the go. Here are some choices:

• Precooked deviled or hard-boiled eggs (Hard-boiled eggs will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week.)
• Celery sticks with natural, no-added-sugar peanut butter
• Single-serve nonfat or 1 percent cottage cheese cups
• Precooked turkey bacon
• Individual low-fat cheese slices or low-fat cheese sticks
• Sliced turkey or other low-fat meats
• Tomato or vegetable juice cocktail in single-serving cans
• Low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt
• Low-fat or nonfat artificially sweetened, flavored yogurt (Limit to 6 ounces daily and make sure to avoid yogurts with added sugars)
• Whole-wheat sliced bread or whole-wheat English muffin topped with low-fat cheese or part-skim ricotta cheese
• Fresh berries or other seasonal fruit
• Steel-cut or slow-cooking oatmeal (season with cinnamon and artificial sweetener to perk up the taste)