Make Breakfast Ahead & Skip the Drive-thru

Has the local drive-thru become a part of your morning routine, akin to brushing your teeth?

I urge you to consider the following: If you go through the Tim Horton's drive-through every morning for a Bagel BELT and medium cappuccino, you are consuming 660 calories and 1290 mg of sodium just in that one meal. NOTE: recommended daily maximum sodium intake for adults in 1500 mg, which is a target you're pretty much bound to overshoot with this kind of start to your day. If you grab this breakfast every day for a year...I had to do the calculations 3x because I couldn't believe the number...that alone adds up to 69 lbs (31kg) in a year!

Now you might say "that's not right because I still need to have something for breakfast, so not all off these calories are excess". I would agree! For easy math and argument's sake, lets suppose you require a 500 calorie breakfast**. Even so, that leaves 160 calories in excess of need, leading to an easy 17 lb weight gain over the year. And I'm not even starting on the potential impact this may have on your blood pressure and water retention you might experience from the sodium.

CHALLENGE: MORNING RUSH

Mornings are a hectic time in most households, no matter the number of members. As we're rushing out the door to catch our train or beat traffic, a drive-thru breakfast can often seem like a great and convenient idea. However, consider that you may be paying for it not just with money, but also with your health.

If setting the alarm clock a few minutes earlier is out of the question, try the options below to help you get a great start to your day.

SOLUTION: PREPARE A GRAB-AND-GO BREAKFAST AHEAD OF TIME

We often prepare extra helpings ahead of time for lunch and dinner, so why not do it for breakfast? Here are a few easy meal ideas that can be prepared prior to help you break the fast in a healthy way:

• Make barley, quinoa or oatmeal and refrigerate in portions. Reheat with mix-ins, such as fruit and seeds in the morning.

• Make hard-boiled eggs for breakfast on the run. Refrigerate for up to one week with the shell on.

• Bake and freeze whole grain muffins, pancakes, and mini frittatas. Re-heat them in the toaster or microwave for a hot breakfast to go.

• Make your own coffee in a take-away tumbler. Adding your own sugar and milk will help you control the amount of calories in your morning brew.

• Mix oats, cottage cheese, fresh fruits, and chia seeds in a jar and leave in the fridge overnight for a yummy high fibre breakfast you can easily grab as you sprint out the door.

Come back tomorrow for more quick & healthy breakfast ideas!

Remember to eat health & live happy,

Anna Gofeld, RD

*this month's tips inspirations come from the Dietitians of Canada Nutrition Month Campaign Resources Manual for Dietitians

**A 39-year-old women who is 5'6" & 180 lbs requires about 1980 calories to sustain her weight if she doesn't exercise