Struggling to eat breakfast as a busy mom?

In a 2012 poll conducted by Ipsos Reid, a shocking 52% of Moms said that eating breakfast was not a priority for them, even though 97% of Moms polled said that making sure their kids ate breakfast was a priority.

This could be for many reasons, including (but not limited to):

Feeling like there isn’t time in the morning to pause and eat
Financial limitations and wanting to put their kids first
Breakfast preparation adding more time and mental capacity they don’t have to spare
Feeling at a loss of what to cook in the first place

If you’ve ever felt this way as a Mom: please know you are not alone in feeling this way.

Why is breakfast so important as a busy Mom?

I’m sure you’ve heard this time and time again:

Food is fuel.

Especially after a night of fasting (that’s why they call it break-fast, after all), your body needs the fuel to function, move, think, etc. You wouldn’t expect your car to run on empty for the day, would you?

On top of that, your body is the most insulin-sensitive in the mornings - which means it uses blood sugar more effectively. This, in turn, can improve heart health.

Not to mention, having a nourishing breakfast packed with fibre, complex carbs, protein, and healthy fats can balance your blood sugar - reducing your risk of developing insulin-resistance or diabetes.

What makes a meal filling?

Have you ever made a healthy meal, ate it, and felt hungry 30 minutes later? If you answered a big YES in your head, your meal probably wasn’t filling enough.

At Growing Goddess Coaching, a filling meal fits 3 targets:

Volume - Does the meal physically have enough food to meet your body’s energy needs for the day?
Nutrients - Does the meal have enough protein, fibre, and healthy fats for slower digestion?
Enjoyable - Was the meal enjoyable and emotionally satisfying?

If all three targets are present in your meal, you’re more likely to feel energized and stay satisfied until your next meal - all while looking forward to continuing to eat breakfast again the next day.

Is time your breakfast barriers?

But if its so good for us, why do so many people skip it?

A survey conducted by bubhub.com.au found that 3 out of 5 moms agreed that since having their first child and focusing so much on meeting all of their child’s needs, they found it difficult to find the time to eat healthy and nutritious meals, themselves. In fact, of the 1200 moms surveyed, 1 in 2 moms were skipping breakfast due to a lack of time.

As a busy mom, time may be your biggest breakfast barrier. And as a coach who has worked with a variety of women in different stages of their lives, who have different socioeconomic statuses, who have different experiences, and who have different levels of support - I can assure you that even though we all have 24 hours in a day, not everyone has the same privilege and flexibility to use their time the same way.

That being said, if time is your breakfast barrier, here are a few things you can do to work around it and make eating healthy in the morning easier:

Partially or completely prep your breakfasts in batches so you don’t have to think about it during the week
Purchase different grab-and-go elements that you can pair together to make a balanced breakfast
Prepare similar healthy breakfasts for yourself and your child (in age appropriate ways) to cut down on prep
Keep breakfasts simple by picking a breakfast staple and adding quick nourishment to it
Purchase pre-made breakfasts from a meal prep service

5 Breakfast Ideas For Busy Moms

Turkey Bacon, Cottage Cheese, & Green Onion Egg Bites

Just blend together 6 eggs, 1/2 of cottage cheese, crumbled turkey bacon, chopped green onions, and your choice of seasonings in a blender. Then pour them into a greased muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes.

Prepping these over the weekend makes for a quick 30-second trip in the microwave to have a healthy breakfast.

Protein Iced Coffee

Can’t go without your morning iced coffee? Same. Try elevating it by swapping your normal milk with protein milk (I like Natural Plus) or a protein shake (like Premier Protein or Fairlife Shakes).

To prep ahead, you can brew cold brew in your fridge the night before so that in the morning, you just have to pour the coffee, protein milk/shake, and your choice of sweetener before you head out the door to school drop-off.

Greek Yogurt Fruit Bark

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, spread your choice of greek yogurt (I like vanilla) and top with your choice of toppings (I like berries, honey, and Nature’s Valley Protein Granola). Freeze overnight (or at a minimum of 3 hours). Then break into bark pieces and store in the freezer until you’re ready to eat them. You can even garnish them with mint leaves or local honey.

This is a really refreshing and cooling breakfast option for summer days.

Bonus Tip: if you want to add more protein to this recipe, mix in some vanilla protein powder to your greek yogurt before you spread it out on the parchment paper.

Raw Veggies w/ Protein Ranch

During early postpartum, one of my favourite easy breakfasts was piling a plate with veggies from a veggie tray with dip. It really requires no prep or planning and its so accessible.

As for my protein ranch, all you have to do is blend cottage cheese and ranch seasoning. You can buy a pre-made seasoning or made your own. I bet you already have all the ingredients too - dried parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme. I also like to add in some dried dill. You can keep this protein ranch in the fridge for up to 1 week - but with how good it is, it probably won’t sit there that long.

Eggs & Bacon Plate

If you’ve got a little extra time and like fresh breakfasts, a simple eggs and bacon plate is a simple solution you can put together in less than 10 minutes. You can elevate the meal with healthy sides like avocado, cheese, arugula, pickled beets, fruit, etc.

Bonus Tip: Cook your egg and bacon in the same pan to save time and dishes.