Board 8 > I need to stop eating cereal for breakfast (suggestions)

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I eat cereal for breakfast. I always have. It's easy. Pour, add milk, go. And also reasonably cheap. The price on name-brand cereals has been rising, but if you don't mind store-brand, you can get $2/lb prices. For simplicity and ease, it can't be beat.

But I've noticed that sometimes my mood dips later in the morning and my stomach starts to feel weird. Often this is after eating cheerios (or a knock-off,) so I suspect it might be oat-related. But the problem is that a lot of other cereals aren't really good, either. The only thing I focus on at all in my diet is trying not to eat too much sugar, and the majority of breakfast cereals have a ton of it.

I suppose it's possible I could shift to some other brand that accommodates -- Rice Krispies, perhaps -- but I also have this feeling that getting away from cereal altogether would be a good idea, at least a few days per week. The problem is that I don't know what I can opt for that doesn't involve a great deal more preparation and/or cost. Taking the time to make eggs or french toast is far more of a production than pour + eat, and most prepared food is either going to be much more expensive or not strike me as being a great start, either. (Pop tarts, toaster waffles, etc.)

Skipping breakfast is not an option, either. I'm not diabetic, but blood sugar level is still a thing. Yet, for some reason, most food one might eat later in the day sits a little funny on an empty stomach. And just about everything else I've thought of that would be an option for some people, like bagels, doesn't appeal to me, either.

So, uh, anyone care to share what they eat for breakfast, or have any obvious suggestions I might be missing?

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Eggs and toast takes literally 5 minutes

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Yogurt

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A fruit is a common option.

Sometimes I just eat cold cuts. Just the meat.
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Eggs and yogurt is my go to.

Simple and easy-You can also do hard-boiled eggs making it even faster.

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hard-boiling eggs ahead of time could work.
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I do oatmeal when Im at work. Its real easy to make with the hot water dispenser from the coffee maker.

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cooking eggs is definitely under 5 minutes.

Its really easy to make good scrambled eggs with cheese. Just heat the pan with the butter in it over medium-high , crack two eggs into a bowl and mix it. Add a slice of cheese about 15 seconds before you put the eggs in and then just cook it like you normally cook scrambled mixing the cheese in

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Fruit
Yogurt
Eggs (any variety and throwing in cheeses or meats with it is super easy/fast)
Bagel with whatever on it

Granola can be a substitution for cereal. It can also be pour, add milk, go. Much more expensive than store-brand cereal, but an option if you feel the need to go back to your routine.

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Eggs over rice hits the spot

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If you want something a bit more expensive but crazy easy (and also carb-less), Jimmy Dean has these "Eggwiches" where the buns are tiny omelets around lean sausage and cheese.

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I do oatmeal and then greek yogurt most mornings. Carbs from the oatmeal and protein (and some fat/carbs) from the yogurt. Works pretty well.

You could try those breakfast bars or maybe an energy/protein bar. Very likely going to be more expensive than cereal though.

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no breakfast

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I have cereal sometimes but have mostly switched to Kashi for that. I suggest you do the same for when you're in a rush.

My other options include:
1. A bagel with either cream cheese or almond butter. Takes about 6-7 minutes to toast and consume.
2. Kodiak cakes cooked on stovetop. I add chocolate chips so they're ooey and gooey instead of tasteless and bland. Coat the pan in oil and preheat, mix stuff together, put the flapjacks on, and cook for like 6 minutes (flipping after 3-4). Takes about 10 minutes to cook and consume.
3. An omelet. This takes a bit longer and I've far from perfected it but it's a healthy choice and should take 15 minutes or so.

A lot depends on how much effort I want to put forth. I understand the appeal of cereal but there are plenty of other quick options as well.
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Aecioo posted...

Eggs and toast takes literally 5 minutes

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More than just being quick & cheap, there are infinite combos of eggs and toast you can make. It works great with literally any leftovers from the night before. Can make it savory or even sweet (try it).

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meal replacements like glucerna/ensure/soylent are super easy, but not cheaper than cereal

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foolm0r0n posted...

More than just being quick & cheap, there are infinite combos of eggs and toast you can make. It works great with literally any leftovers from the night before. Can make it savory or even sweet (try it).

personal fav is some over medium eggs and spread some avocado on your toast, then use the toast as a vehicle for runny egg yolk

mmm

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Once you practice it a bit, it's very easy to make some biscuits from scratch (or use a mix you like)

5 minutes for the mixing/preheating the oven high
10 minutes for the baking
(5 minutes during consumption or after work to cleanup)

They were my go-to morning food until I had to start cutting carbs.

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Some good old whole wheat toast

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Thanks for the replies. I probably just need to train myself to accept a modicum of prep. Like, even toast can't compete with cereal for being easy, but if that's my standard, I'm eliminating basically everything except pre-packaged foods and fruit.

BlueCrystalTear posted...

I have cereal sometimes but have mostly switched to Kashi for that.

Is Kashi not a cereal? What's different about it?

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Rice takes some prep, but you can do it the night before if youre rice cooked has a timer. If youre American it sounds weird as breakfast food, but if you slap some fried eggs on it, which take <5 minutes, its really good

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i have weetbix (or more accurately the storebrand variant wheat biscuits) here more than other cereals combined, not saying it's a solution here but it is good. pretty solid value too tbh, i have about 2 on average per day (with milk and either a moderate amount of sugar, canned diced peaches, or stewed apples) so with 50 in the boxes at $4nzd they always last around a month

yoghurt is always an option too

GANON1025 posted...

Some good old whole wheat toast

Throw some natural peanut butter on that and you got yourself a decent, filling breakfast!

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Protein smoothie! So good, takes like 2 minutes and keeps you full.

Vanilla protein powder
Blueberries
Veggie powder
Spinach
Oatmeal
Warm water


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Make pancakes at night for the week and toast them in the morning to reheat.
Eggs take just a couple minutes.

Or breakfast sandwiches, I lived off of them for a while. But they are way more expensive.

I also do bagel with cream cheese.

The next logical step from cereal though would be oatmeal. It's the same 2 steps of pouring + 2 minutes of heating. Then you can add fruit or raisins or whatever. Cereal and Oatmeal are my night time snacks tho lol

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I had a similar problem with cereal but instead of terminating cereal I reflected on how I was eating just 300-350 calories for breakfast. I very rarely have snacks so that isn't a very substantial amount for a meal. So I added eggs or half peanut butter sandwiches or sometimes beans to the mix.

Not adding those things to the cereal, of course.

Felt the need to edit to clarify because you never know. Beans and cereal might seem plausible.

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azuarc posted...

Is Kashi not a cereal? What's different about it?

More protein and natural grains. Just don't eat too much.

I'm in weight loss mode atm too. My problem has been portion control more than anything.
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Aecioo posted...

personal fav is some over medium eggs and spread some avocado on your toast, then use the toast as a vehicle for runny egg yolk

mmm

Mine is also an over medium, with peanut butter on english muffin

I think I lost that sweet tooth over the years though. Nowadays I usually do the same as you, with lao gan ma if I have it. Steamed sunny side up is my new fav vs over medium though, easier and more drinkable.

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you guys aren't accounting for having to wash the pan after making eggs adds like 5 extra minutes no thanks

cereal for life. I eat a fruits and granola cereal every morning and it's king

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Nutribullet smoothies take a little bit of effort but honestly not that much. Dump in a handful of spinach, peel a banana, pour in some milk or alternative, then a spoonful of oats. From there you can put in pb, honey, protein powder, cinnamon, or whatever else you have on hand. Blend for 20 seconds and you've got breakfast.

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MZero posted...

you guys aren't accounting for having to wash the pan after making eggs adds like 5 extra minutes no thanks

cereal for life. I eat a fruits and granola cereal every morning and it's king

or 20s if you know how to wash a pan

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If you fry your egg right you can just rinse and wipe it off one time.

Like 10 seconds tops, no exaggeration

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Perhaps MZero is speaking of letting the pan cool first.

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ok maybe I just don't know how to wash dishes but how are you washing a pan in 20 seconds

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1. Rinse under hot water.
2. Scrub with soapy brush.
3. Rinse under hot water.
4. Place on drying rack.

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MZero posted...

ok maybe I just don't know how to wash dishes but how are you washing a pan in 20 seconds

I think the real question is how are you not washing a pan in 20 seconds

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Protein shake

1 banana
2 cups protein powder
1 scoop cocoa
2 scoops peanut butter powder
8 oz milk

tada

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MZero posted...

ok maybe I just don't know how to wash dishes but how are you washing a pan in 20 seconds

Put hot water on full blast, put pan under water at an angle, take out of the water, add soap to top part of pan, scrub/rinse.

If youre greasing your pan/not overcooking your food, youre basically just rinsing off oil.

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My pan definitely does not clean as fast as you guys are describing. Even with spray beforehand, there's still some bits that stick and need to be legit cleaned. Not a full five minutes worth of cleaning time, but it's more than 20 seconds.

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azuarc posted...

My pan definitely does not clean as fast as you guys are describing. Even with spray beforehand, there's still some bits that stick and need to be legit cleaned. Not a full five minutes worth of cleaning time, but it's more than 20 seconds.

You shouldn't spray a non-stick pan. I think it actually ruins the coating or something like that.

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It sticks far worse when I forget to spray it. The pan originally had a coating, but it kinda got ruined from the times I pan-fried burgers. I don't think the coating did much good when the pan was new, either, though.

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Use butter not cooking spray for eggs

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Colegreen_c12 posted...

Use butter not cooking spray for eggs

Exactly this. I cook eggs 3-5 times a week and nothing ever sticks.

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I have a nonstick pan dedicated to eggs (and other quick things) on my stove at all times.

Usually it takes no more than 30s to clean, but since we abuse the hell out of it, it can lose its nonstick. Then it becomes crusty and sticky no matter what fat you use. I'm guessing that's what the others have. Still, it's an abused pan, it doesn't need careful cleaning. About 1-2 min.

Also, 5 mins to cook eggs is a big exaggeration, if you have gas. On full blast it should be about 1 min before you start over cooking them. The toast is the bottleneck really.

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I've found that eggs are annoying to crack when I'm still sleepy. Some nights I crack them into a container and just seal that and stick it in the fridge, make sure there's a clean pan on the stove. Then toast 2 pcs bread while you grease your pan, pour the pre-cracked eggs and whatever else you want in there, cook it up, then put it on the toast open face or as a big sandwich. Voila.

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ninkendo posted...

Yogurt

Winner. Bulgarian yogurt is of course the best.

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English muffin with peanut butter is great and gives you lots of energy.

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