Struggling To Make Breakfast Part Of Your Workday Morning? These Hacks Can Help

Do you have a hard time making breakfast a habit? As a nutritionist who women meet their health goals and fit self-care into their busy day, I firmly believe that starting our day with the proper fuel can set us up for success, but when we're juggling a lot, it so easily falls off the to-do list.

Sometimes when I meet with a new client, she’ll lower her voice and say, “I know it’s bad, but I rarely eat breakfast.” When we dig into the “why” behind it, nine times out of ten it’s a lack of time or feeling overwhelmed, not a lack of knowledge about what’s healthy. She knows she functions better with that morning meal, but making it happen on a regular basis is hard.

And no, you don’t have to devote your entire Sunday to creating an assembly line of chia pudding cups (though you certainly can if it makes you happy). Try these easy ways to make a healthy breakfast part of your routine.

Tap into your “why.”

On a scientific level, having a balanced morning meal that provides a combination of protein, fat, and carbs helps maintain stable blood sugar, which is key to keeping your brain and body powered up so you can stay alert and focused and on an even keel, emotionally. Have you ever noticed how much harder it is to deal with stressors when you’re hungry?

If you need to go deeper, think more specifically about how your day will benefit from having a solid breakfast. Maybe you’ll complete projects more easily, experience smoother interactions with others or make healthier choices when you get to lunch.

Plan ahead.

Think about what trips you up and make a plan to help you deal with that barrier.  If time is your issue, wake up a tiny bit earlier. If you’re rolling your eyes at me right now, then take a little time the night before to prep something easy like overnight oats, hard-boiled eggs, a sandwich or a yogurt parfait. You can also take stock of some favorite healthy options at places you pass by on your way to work to make it convenient to pick something up. I have a client who actually keeps a list of those different options on her phone so she doesn’t have to think in the moment.

If having an unpredictable schedule is your downfall, take five minutes over the weekend to think about what you have coming up in the week ahead of you. Note when it might make sense to have breakfast at home and when you might need to get creative with an on the go option.

If you’re just not hungry in the morning, don’t push yourself to suddenly eat a big plate of food. Even a little something to work with like a hard-boiled egg, a piece of fruit with nut butter or a nut- or seed-based bar can help you stabilize your blood sugar. Even a latte or cappuccino made with cow’s milk or protein-rich plant-based milk (pea protein is my favorite) also can give you a boost.

Break it into parts.

If it's just not realistic to sit down and have a full meal in the morning or you have a very long stretch between breakfast and lunch or generally just feel super-hungry in the morning, break up your breakfast into Part One and Part Two.

For example, one of my clients has a spoonful of cashew butter before she heads to the gym at six and then has something like whole grain toast and eggs, a veggie omelet or a green smoothie after she gets to work. 

Think outside the “breakfast” box.

I see this all the time with clients getting stuck in a rut with labeling only certain foods as “breakfast” foods. Expanding your thinking opens up a whole new range of possibilities. While we might be inclined to only think of sweet stuff or limit savory options to egg-based dishes, lots of foods can give us the fuel we need in the morning.

A few ideas that might sound weird at first but can majorly simplify your morning: a turkey sandwich on wheat or sprouted grain bread, a bowl of soup, or even dinner leftovers.

Let your body be your guide when it comes to establishing a healthy breakfast routine. Get real with yourself about your barriers and give yourself some grace as you get in tune with what works and what doesn’t. Don't be afraid to get creative—you might find your next game-changer.