Healthy Continental Breakfast

Hello again! It's that time of year again...back to school! As a university student, back to school means more than just that. It means back to my second home. There are so many great opportunities that are available through university life that I would never experience otherwise. I can't wait to share more about my sophomore year with ya'll!

Let's not get too ahead of ourselves though! Before moving in, my family stayed at a nearby hotel for a couple of days. After a not so great motel experience last year, a hotel was definitely the way to go. Besides the pool and hot tub, which are obviously the best perks, the hotel provided a nice continental breakfast every morning. The options were far more extensive than I imagined they would be, so I took on the challenge of creating the healthiest morning meal that I could. I poked around looking in every little tray and mini fridge before assembling my plate. Here is what I chose:

 

• Black tea with skim milk
• 1 hard boiled egg with a pinch of salt and pepper
• Quaker's Instant Oatmeal (maple and brown sugar) with a splash of skim milk
• Dannon's Light & Fit "mini" blueberry yogurt

I usually try to start my day off with a good amount of protein to keep me energized and satisfied for a long amount of time. At the hotel breakfast they had a variety of regular yogurts so I figured this would be an ok source of protein. In the past I couldn't stomach any yogurt besides flavored greek, but I've gotten less picky over the years. Greek yogurt still remains my preference because of its thickness and higher amount of protein, but regular yogurt will do in a pinch! I grabbed a little blueberry yogurt which must have been around 3-4 oz. Although it was a bit too sugary for my taste, it made a good side to the rest of my breakfast. 

The hard boiled egg was by far the most natural item on my plate, and added another source of protein along with some good fats and vitamins. 

The bulk of the meal was the Oatmeal. Of course instant oatmeal would never beat the real thing, but it is still tasty...especially if you choose the maple and brown sugar flavor! Despite all of the sugar in this oatmeal, you are still getting some fiber from the whole grain rolled oats and some protein. Not too shabby!!

And of course, some tea :)

So there you have it! Continental Breakfast with a healthy spin. Or you could be a little more traditional and just have this...

Bagels and Waffles

And what goes better with breakfast than a dip in the pool and the hot tub?!?

Do you see me way back there?

My "go-to" Breakfast Shake

I am a creature of habit, and when I find a breakfast that I like, I can stick to it day after day. While some people may look forward to their morning cup of jo, my daily fix is a chocolate breakfast shake. Every now and then I've tweaked my "recipe" depending on what I'm in the mood for or if I had a hard workout or not. Here are the basics:

As you can tell, this is a monstrous shake. That cup is 28 ounces. I started out making this shake to have before camp counseling because I wanted something filling to last me until lunch time, but on the lower calorie side since I wasn't working out much those days. This definitely did the trick! 

What I like most about this breakfast is how easy it is, and how every person can adjust the ingredients to their liking. I personally love to use Silk's unsweetened almond milk (vanilla or original) because it gives the shake a nice consistency with a fraction of the calories as regular milk. I have made this shake with a combination of low fat milk and water when I've run out of almond milk which gives the shake a slight frothy texture. 

As far as yogurt goes, I used to be a Chobani girl all the way. Lately, however, I've been digging the Fage nonfat yogurt. It seems a bit thicker to me, which is one of the qualities I am always looking for in a shake. In the past I was really into using Friendship Whipped Cottage Cheese. I found that the whipped made it easier to blend in. Both yogurt and cottage cheese make great options. 

Now for the chocolate! I love chocolate. One of my most memorable Christmas gifts growing up was a whopping five pound Hershey Bar. While I still enjoy rich chocolate treats, I find that incorporating cocoa powder into my breakfast meal is a great way to satisfy my chocolate cravings. I use about 20-25 grams. Many times I add I spoonful of instant decaf coffee to create a mocha flavor. Mmmm! I used sprinkle in some Jello Sugar Free Instant Pudding, specifically the chocolate fudge flavor, which was deliciously chocolatey and made for a veryyyyy thick shake. However, I've been trying to slowly back away from artificial sweeteners and the cocoa powder is natural and tasty all the same.

I have been using Ez Sweetz in my shakes which comes in a dropper bottle since that is what my family has in the house. I've made these shakes with Truvia as well. I don't know how it would taste without any sweetener. 

Lastly, I use a lot of ice because I love a large and thick shake. I enjoy drinking it with a straw but also having to eat it with a spoon because it is so thick! I usually fill my huge cup nearly to the top with crushed ice and throw it into the blender after all of the other ingredients are mixed. Depending on your preference, you may or may not want to add less ice. 

So there it is, my favorite breakfast!! If only I lived somewhere where I could enjoy my cold shake year round! 

Yummy!!!