The Breakfast of Creative Champions

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but for me, it's never been that easy. Here's how I practice nutritious self-care each day--even with a busy schedule!
Mothers around the globe have been saying it for generations: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But for me, it's never been that easy.

Although I wouldn't necessarily refer to myself as a "morning person", the beginning of the day is my most productive and most creative time. I prefer to get an early start on projects that require more of my mental energy--especially writing. So taking time for breakfast has always been a struggle to prioritize.

My natural tendency is to get going and start working on whatever is fresh in my mind as soon as the day begins. Pausing to cook a meal just isn't going to happen.

I also don't like the way most quick breakfast options leave me feeling either. Cereal or oatmeal don't take much time, but they are usually carbohydrate-heavy which means that it starts a chain reaction with your body's blood sugar. In little time, I'm feeling more hungry and tired than if I'd not eaten at all.

Don't get me wrong--not all carbs are created equal, and I'm not bashing them by any means. I'm also vegan, so I have a special relationship with carbohydrates that runs deep. But, I just need a little more substance to my breakfast, and it needs to happen fast if I'm going to make room in my day for this aspect of self-care.

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If you're someone who can prioritize making a complete breakfast, I applaud (and envy) you. But, sadly that's just not me, and while I've never written a blog post like this before, it's something I hear other entrepreneurs struggle with far too often.

Since I've rattled this information off to many, many coaching clients over the years, I figured it was time to type it up so that you could steal my quick solution for a healthy breakfast that will fuel your creative endeavors all the way until lunchtime.

{drum roll……} The Smoothie!

Now, in case I didn't already make this point abundantly clear, breakfast prep needs to be super-fast if I'm actually going to make room for it in my day. For that reason, I spend only about 20 minutes per month prepping the fruits and veggies that I use in my go-to smoothie recipe.

Here's my step-by-step process for my favorite gluten-free+vegan smoothies:

1. I have found that the best way to portion smoothie ingredients is with Hefty Sliding Freezer Bags. I like these bags because 1) they are BPA-free, 2) they are thick enough not to tear, 3) you can rinse and reuse them many times to reduce waste (I use this collapsible bag drying rack), and 4) the slider makes it easier to ensure they are fully sealed. A 9x13 baking dish makes an excellent holder when filling the bags. I fill 8 bags at a time--do this 3 times, and you'll have enough smoothies for a full month of weekday mornings.
Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but for me, it's never been that easy. Here's how I practice nutritious self-care each day--even with a busy schedule! Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but for me, it's never been that easy. Here's how I practice nutritious self-care each day--even with a busy schedule!

2. I start by placing 1/2 of a banana into each bag. Then, I add 1/3 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup strawberries, 2-3 one inch cubes of mango, 3-4 slices of frozen peaches, and 2 cubes of chopped spinach. I prep spinach once a month when I do other veggie prep for our freezer. I buy the large tubs of spinach from Costco, dump them into my food processor with a tiny drizzle of avocado oil (about 1 tablespoon per tub), and then spoon the puree into ice cube trays. Freeze them overnight, then pop them out to store inside of a gallon-sized freezer bag. For reference, one Costco sized tub of spinach makes about 24 cubes, and I use 2-3 cubes per smoothie.
Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but for me, it's never been that easy. Here's how I practice nutritious self-care each day--even with a busy schedule!


3. After sealing up all the baggies, I place 7 baggies into each gallon-sized freezer bag (because I drink smoothies 7 days/week). Now they are ready for your freezer!
Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but for me, it's never been that easy. Here's how I practice nutritious self-care each day--even with a busy schedule!Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but for me, it's never been that easy. Here's how I practice nutritious self-care each day--even with a busy schedule!


4. When you're ready to make a smoothie, toss one bag's worth of fruit/veggies into the blender. To that, I add 1-2 peeled+boiled beets. Since this is not a frozen ingredient, I put a week's worth of beets into a resealable container in the fridge. My favorite food storage containers are made by Glasslock, and I really can't say enough about how much I love these containers! I like that the seal is incredibly secure so you never have to worry about spills, but the hinge locks are easy to open so you don't have to fight with the lid either (my pet peeve). Food stays fresh way longer than in plastic containers with less secure lids--like, surprisingly longer. They are also safe for the oven, microwave and dishwasher, and are attractive enough to use for serving, too. And, they also just look really nice in the fridge...I'm a sucker for the aesthetic of organization!
Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but for me, it's never been that easy. Here's how I practice nutritious self-care each day--even with a busy schedule!


5. Optional: If we have other leftover fruit that needs to be eaten, I might toss it in too. Pineapple is common because we never seem to finish a can once it's opened. And, when they're in season, Cutie's oranges are great too--they're seedless and require almost no effort to peel.

6. Next, I add one scoop of Vega Protein Powder. It's vegan and gluten-free, has 15 grams of protein and 20% of your daily value of iron, and has no added sugar. I've tried a whole lot of vegan protein powders, and this one has been my favorite, by far.
Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but for me, it's never been that easy. Here's how I practice nutritious self-care each day--even with a busy schedule!


7. Finally, I add 1/2 cup carrot juice, 1/2 cup orange juice (I omit this when I'm using fresh oranges), and 1/2 cup water. I use more water, if needed, to mix things up. If you prefer a thicker, creamier smoothie, you can use almond, soy or coconut milk or yogurts, too.

8. And, with barely 2 minutes of work…breakfast perfection!
Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but for me, it's never been that easy. Here's how I practice nutritious self-care each day--even with a busy schedule!


If you're like me and making time for a healthy breakfast is a challenge in your busy schedule, try this method for 30 days and see if it makes a difference for you. I even made you a pinnable graphic so you can save this recipe to your Pinterest boards! 


Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but for me, it's never been that easy. Here's how I practice nutritious self-care each day--even with a busy schedule!

Do you have a favorite smoothie recipe that I should try? Send it to me, and when I try it, I'll give you a shout out on my Facebook and Twitter pages (be sure to include your @name so I can tag you!).

P.S. To reduce waste, I have switched to compostable straws to address the eco-problem caused by the millions of plastic straws that end up in landfills, as well as our natural areas. Dispose of these in your compost or yard waste bin to help reduce your impact.



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