Quick Health Breakfasts for Moms on the Go

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – not just for your kids, but also for you! Breakfast is the day that jump starts your metabolism. You are actually less likely to binge on foods that are bad for you later in the day. Women who eat breakfast are 25% less likely to be overweight than women who skip breakfast or who just have coffee for their morning meal.

Thankfully there are all kinds of quick breakfasts that are easy for busy moms to have with their coffee in the morning that are healthy and can help prevent low blood sugar and weight gain.

One of the easiest and healthiest of morning meals is to simply eat cereal with low-fat milk. Sprinkle a bit of frozen milk or chocolate chips in the mix for a healthy treat.

If you have time to make cereal you might also have time to make instant oatmeal. Add skim milk and raisins for a breakfast that is rich in protein, iron and B vitamins.

Smoothies are also an obvious choice. Make with milk, yogurt and fruit. Be sure to add crushed ice to make it extra frothy. If you are trying for weight loss add a little bit of protein powder to the shake.

A quick high protein choice is to eat whole grain toast spread with a nut butter drunk with a glass of low fat milk. A half a bagel with a light spread of peanut butter and cream cheese also works to keep your tummy full during the busy morning hours. Yogurt with berries and low fat granola is also a good idea.
Another fabulous low-fat breakfast choice is to scramble an egg with some salsa in a tortilla. If you are not watching your weight you can also add a bit of cheese.

If you are in a super-hurry grab a handful of nuts and a banana as you go out the door and eat it while you commute or are driving to work. This is a very filling high-energy snack that is also low calorie and healthy. If you do not like sweet things for breakfast then you can also try grabbing a piece of string cheese, turkey or ham and a piece of fruit.

If you really do not have the time for breakfast then start drinking a meal replacement drink from a can or at the very least have a glass of milk. Drinking a glass of milk just as you fly out the door is better than no morning meal at all!

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Get Rid of Gluten

If your kids have energy problems, stomach aches or other physical problems then consider getting rid of the gluten in their diet. Gluten can also make an otherwise healthy kid obese.

Gluten is also not great for moms either. It can cause cravings, colitis and belly blot Gluten is, in fact the source of most ongoing digestive problems causing everything from gas to bloating to irritable bowel syndrome. Just cutting out gluten has been known to make the body healthier within days.

Gluten is the key component in most types of bread, and it’s found in a number of grains—namely wheat, rye, and barley. It is part protein, part starch or carbohydrate.

We generally think of gluten as being only in bread and pasta, but in fact it is now widely used in processed foods, with negative consequences to many people’s overall health. It’s important to check labels and read ingredients carefully.

Other names for gluten include: modified food starch (though this sometimes refers to corn on a food label), hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed wheat protein, textured vegetable protein, and, of course, wheat.

The rule of thumb is that the more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is that these ingredients will show up on the labels.

Gluten is often present in:
• Bagels
• Beer
• Bread and bread rolls
• Cake
• Cookies
• Couscous
• Crackers
• Deli meats (which are heavily processed)
• Flour, including wheat, spelt, semolina, and rye
• Muffins
• Noodles
• Pancakes
• Pasta
• Pizza Sauces (often thickened with flour)

There are gluten-free versions of these products available made from beans, rice, corn, nuts, soy, and potatoes.

Gluten is not a naturally occurring protein in the human body. In fact, some researchers call gluten protein a toxin.

How could something that we eat so much of be classified as a toxin? Some studies suggest that gluten damages the small intestine and allows food proteins to be released into the body, and the immune system then interprets these proteins as invasive and goes into high gear to defend itself.

In other words, you get an overblown immune response. This kind of immune response can possibly contribute to or mimic diseases like lupus, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.

Problems with digesting gluten can also cause headaches, asthma, skin rashes and hives, weight gain and/or loss, bloating, fatigue, and behavioral problems such as depression.

At the most harmful end of the spectrum is celiac disease. Commonly thought of as an allergy, it is actually an immune-system response to gluten.

Gluten can be hard to avoid. Just do the best you can!

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