Morning Grain Cups
Starting the day with a nutrient-packed, satisfying breakfast is ideal. But many of us don’t have the luxury of time to create one. Fortunately, there are many easy breakfast ideas that can be whipped together quickly. This includes grain cups, which are great for a quick meal before you leave the house, but can also be prepared at work, if you have access to a microwave. With the base ingredient in many of these cups being nutrient-dense oats and other grains, you’re already off to a good start. However, to ensure the cups fit well into your healthy eating plan, it’s important to check out the additional ingredients.
Fortunately, because of those healthy grains, the protein and fiber content of most of these cups is decent. In addition, the sodium and calories aren’t bad either. The key nutrients to keep an eye on are saturated fat and added sugars. Chocolate and a variety of sugars are most often the reasons for elevated levels of these nutrients and are what you need to be on the lookout for when scanning the ingredients list.
Helpful Hints.
Think about these tips the next time you’re in need of a quick, nutritious breakfast.
- Flavor yourself. Choose a plain, or unflavored grain cup and flavor it yourself with extracts and/or a drizzle of honey or maple syrup. This can help cut down on added sugars.
- Got milk? Try replacing the water called for in the directions with milk. This will boost the protein and calcium content as well as that of other beneficial nutrients.
- Tutti “Fruit-y.” To boost the fiber and vitamins/minerals even more, add fruit to the meal. Fruit makes a great topper or mix-in for breakfast cups or can also be served on the side.
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