It's Breakfast Time

Have you ever been in rehearsal when someone says, "I haven't eaten all day?" Or maybe you've been that person. Sometimes finding something to eat first thing in the morning can seem almost impossible when you're running out the door. Stopping at a coffee shop to grab something might sound like a good idea but it's costly and things like muffins and other baked goods are packed with ingredients you want to avoid putting in your body first thing in the morning - or ever.

Eating in the morning is very important. It gives you the energy to start your day, helps you be at your best performance, and boosts your immune system. It also helps control your weight. People who skip breakfast tend to eat a larger meal later in the day and then the body will store fat because it doesn't know when it'll eat again. Or the other option of grabbing a snack mid morning because of convenience is usually high in sugar or fat.

To avoid all of this and keep yourself healthy, just eat breakfast. It doesn't have to be a big meal or complex. Just something that is healthy and has vitamins that will keep you going for a bit.

First of all, start your day off with a glass of water. Your body is dehydrated when you wake up so drinking a glass of water first thing will give you energy and help reduce things like headaches. Dehydration is one of the top reasons for getting a headache. Also, you feel hungry when you're dehydrated so having a glass of water at the beginning of your day will help tell you how hungry you really are. If you can add a wedge of lemon to your water, you'll help detoxify your body as well.

Here is an easy, affordable, and healthy breakfast recipe that you can grab on the go. It also works as a great snack too. And it's incredibly versatile! This is the basic recipe below.

Baked Oatmeal
Time: approx 25 minutes
Oven: 350F
Makes 8-9

2 cups Oats
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon or to taste
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 cup Milk
1 egg (optional)
2 tbsp Cooking oil or Melted butter
1 tsp Vanilla (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Line a muffin tin with paper liners and divide batter.
Bake for 20 minutes.

It made 8 for me but depending on the size you make them, you can get a couple more or a couple less. If it's all you are going to grab in the morning then I would recommend making them a bit bigger.

Notes and substitutions:
Quick or instant oats work the best.
Instead of brown sugar, you could use 1/3 cup honey, or 1/4 maple syrup, or 1/4 cup white sugar.
You can use a non-dairy milk like coconut or almond. I used coconut.
The egg is optional for my vegan friends but it does hold them together a bit better. I didn't use one in my last batch and they were still delicious.
I like to use coconut oil when I can so that's what I use in this recipe but a canola oil or other cooking oil will work just the same.
You may omit the vanilla if you wish. It's just there to add a bit of flavour.

My favourite thing about this recipe is you can add in whatever you like. I chopped up an apple in mine and added walnuts and ground flaxseed. They'd also be delicious with berries or dried fruit. Adding in nuts like almonds or walnuts will give you some protein to help keep you full longer and adding in seeds like flax or sesame will give you vitamins your body needs. If you have the time to eat breakfast at home, try topping one with milk and fruit.

Original recipe from manilaspoon.com

Enjoy!



~Hannah

Remember, a healthy mind and body equals a happy and healthy dancer.