One of my New Year’s resolutions was to come up with monthly “resolutions” for myself and for anyone who follows this blog.  Cooking Light magazine (which is one of my favorite sources of recipes and ideas for healthy living) had the same idea, so I am shamelessly borrowing their healthy habits!

Cooking Light’s 12 Healthy Habits

It’s a lot easier to commit to 30 days of a new habit than a full year.  So this month’s goal is to eat breakfast everyday.

Granola with Yogurt & Berries from zestycook.com

Most residents and medical students start their day early.  At 5 am, no one wants to eat a big breakfast.  But, you really should eat something as you are heading out the door.  By 9 or 10 am, you’ll be hungry – and the muffins in the surgeon’s lounge (or breakfast at MacDonald’s) will be calling out your name.  You have to have a strategy to manage this rise and fall in insulin (and accompanying “starvation”).  If you don’t, you’ll end up eating nothing but fast food (and the box it comes in).

Physicians in practice and training should probably make a commitment to eat two breakfasts, not just one – an early breakfast to literally “break the fast” from the night before and a second breakfast in the mid morning.  (aka “Elevenses”)

A good breakfast should give you a balance of protein and carbohydrate, with a little fat.   Here’s a list of suggestions for breakfast that provide the right mix of nutrients and are easy (fast) to prepare:

• Cold cereal with milk
• Yogurt with cereal and fruit
• Oatmeal or other whole grains with milk +/- toppings
• Leftovers from last night’s dinner
• Frozen waffles or toast (whole grain is better) with peanut butter
• Bagel or toast with cream cheese and salmon
• Rice (or other grains) with eggs
• Energy bars
• Sandwiches
• Egg mugs
• Smoothies
• Breakfast tacos (see below)
• Scrambled eggs (plus whatever you want) in a tortilla
• Healthy fast food
• Homemade muffins or breakfast bars (make a batch on the weekend)
• Hardboiled eggs and fruit

Healthy breakfast sandwich from foodnetwork.com

MLBs Breakfast Tacos

These breakfast tacos are my “go to” breakfast for hectic mornings.  I make them on the weekend in a big batch to freeze for the week

Buy 10-12 whole wheat tortillas, 1 can of fat free refried beans, 1 bag of reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese.   (if calories aren’t an issue for you, use regular refried beans and shredded cheese)

Spread all the tortillas out on the counter and divide everything up between them.

Add whatever else you want:

• cooked chicken or turkey (grilled in the deli is best)
• Sausage (regular or veggie)
• Corn
• Rice
• Bell peppers or Roasted red peppers (from a jar)
• Fresh or canned green chiles

Put the tacos in the freezer in individual freezer bag .  Put the individual bags in a big freezer bag if you want to further limit freezer burn.

2 minutes out of the freezer and into the microwave = breakfast.

Breakfast taco from cleananddelicious.com

Other links to ideas for fast, healthy breakfasts

Why You Should Eat Breakfast from wellnessrounds.org

Healthy breakfast: Quick, flexible options to grab at home from mayoclinic.com

10 Quick, Healthy Breakfast Options from thedailygreen.com

10 Tasty, Easy and Healthy Breakfast Ideas from zenhabits.com