[nagina abdullah headshot]Courtesy of Nagina Sethi Abdullah For years I worked as a busy management consultant for a top firm in New York City, and my mornings were back-to-back busy. They would consist of a black car waiting outside to take me to the airport at 5:45 a.m., to international conference calls starting at 6 a.m. or earlier, to a commute into New York City. Then, as our kids grew up, we also needed to get them dressed and out the door to their bus stop. Any parent knows this seemingly simple daily activity can be more time-consuming and energy-draining than running a half marathon. Before I know it, no matter what kind of morning I was having, it would whiz by. But even though I worked 70-hour weeks, there is one thing I never skip, and that’s eating breakfast. Breakfast gives me energy to get through my morning with focus. Plus, eating a filling breakfast was one of the keys to me losing 40 pounds despite the pre-dawn car service and bustling the kids out the door. When I don’t eat breakfast, I usually end up finding something I had wanted to avoid — think Starbucks bakery options or donuts in the break room. When I eat a healthy breakfast, I feel full but not tired, have a lot of energy, and don’t feel hungry and distracted. My mornings are so much more enjoyable! I’ve since left management consulting for a career in business development. Between my day job, starting my own health coaching business on the side, MasalaBody.com, and being a mom of two young kids, working 70 hours is just an average week. Here are three strategies I use for a quick breakfast with the right calories and nutrition to keep me healthy, full, and give consistent energy until lunchtime. STRATEGY #1: I PREP AND FREEZE ‘SMOOTHIE SACKS’ DURING ‘SUNDAY PREP’ A smoothie is the quickest way to get breakfast on any busy morning. I prep the ingredients on Sunday during 30 minutes of “Sunday prep.” As a result, a smoothie takes me two minutes or less in the morning to prepare it AND drink it. Plus, they taste great! I usually combine all the ingredients on a Sunday night or the night before into a “smoothie sack” for each day. Each “smoothie sack” has a filling combination of: * ½ cup berries or fruit * ½ cup spinach or greens * 1 scoop of protein powder or 5.5 oz. Greek yogurt * 2 tablespoons of flaxseeds * 2 tablespoons of nut butter I use a large Ziploc bag to store ingredients for each day, and then place in my freezer. Then, each morning I pull out my smoothie sack, drop it into the blender, add one cup of almond milk or water and after a quick whirr, my breakfast is ready. A minute later, I’m completely done with breakfast and nourished for my morning. STRATEGY #2: I BUY READY-MADE PROTEIN SOURCES THAT I CAN ‘GRAB AND GO’ I set myself up for streamlined mornings with simple, tasty options that take the stress out of breakfast. Getting protein into breakfast is a key to keep me full and stabilize my blood sugar levels in the morning. I buy ready-made protein sources that I can just grab and go, like hard-boiled eggs already boiled and protein-packed cups of Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. I like low-sugar Dannon Light and Fit Greek Yogurt and Good Culture fruit cottage cheese from Whole Foods. Grocery stores store hard-boiled eggs near the eggs or sometimes at the fresh foods/take-out section. STRATEGY #3: I USE AN APP THAT CREATES MY GROCERY LIST FOR ME I have so many to-do lists that it’s hard for me to maintain one more. By using a meal planning app, I add in the foods and recipes I plan to eat for the week, and it whips out an easy to follow grocery list on my phone or electronic device that I can follow while I’m at the store. After adding my breakfast foods into the app over the first 1-2 weeks, my recipes and foods are stored so I can easily reselect them for each week, saving me some time. Using an app for grocery shopping takes the thinking and effort out of getting breakfast foods into my home. It’s a must-use. Two of my favorites are Plan to Eat ($4.95/month, online only) and The Recipe Box ($4 in the App Store). _Nagina is the founder of MasalaBody.com and a weight-loss coach for busy women. She has been featured on Fox News, Mind Body Green, and Woman’s World Magazine for her easy weight-loss methods for busy women. Get instant access to three easy breakfast recipes (including a smoothie recipe) and her FREE Weight-Loss Recipe Book and one-week meal plan with seven easy recipes here._ NOW WATCH: Here's how much sugar is in the most popular breakfast cereals
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