Along with school, busy mornings are back in session. Check out these tips to making delicious, nutritious well-planned breakfasts that can even be devoured on the go.
Author of Best Lunch Box Ever and now Rise and Shine: Better Breakfasts for Busy Mornings, Katie Sullivan Morford lends great tips for getting the biggest bang out of your breakfasts.
Savory Overnight Oats 
Tip #1: Make it a good breakfast.
This may seem like a no-brainer, but do you know what makes up a good breakfast? Not only should your bites be delicious, but they should be able to keep you energized until your next meal. Katie recommends calculating your first meal of the day to have 15-25% of your daily calories. Be sure those calories are coming from carbs, protein, AND healthy fats. Let nutrient-dense foods do the work for you as you start your day and be sure to include something from every food group, if you can. And whatever you do, don’t skimp on protein! Protein doesn’t always have to come from eggs and sausage, instead, look to yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir, nuts, and smoked fish, too.
Tip #2: Carbs that Count
When picking out the carbs you will be devouring in the morning, make sure they are less-processed and complex carbs. Katie recommends oats, whole grain breads, corn tortillas, polenta, brown rice, barley, and more. The best part? She has plenty of sweet of savory recipes in her book featuring each one of these.
Tip #3: Skip the OJ
Orange juice at breakfast may be the typical drink found at an American table, but Katie thinks there are better options that aren’t so loaded with sugar. If you want to start your day with some solid hydration, stick with water, tea, or milk. Katie’s cookbook has helpful tables with recommendations of how to swap out favorite breakfast items like plain bagel and cream cheese to be more nutrient packed, like a whole grain bagel with avocado and an egg.
Morning Fried Rice
Tip #4: Oils and Butters
We should all recognize, as Katie points out, that oils are so important in cooking, especially breakfast, so choose wisely. She suggests keeping olive oil, canola, and grape seed oil in your pantry at all times and to cook with butter sparingly.
Tip #5: Plan Ahead
Planning ahead for breakfast the night or even the day before is crucial. Be sure to check out the book for all of Katie’s tips and recipes. The first step in planning is to stock up with the proper ingredeints. From yogurt and fruit to eggs, Katie lists out exactly what you need for a week of interesting and quick morning meals. It doesn’t all have to be fresh! Remember, many breakfast items can be kept in the freezer and pantry for a long time.
Green Smoothie
Tip #6: Smoothie Like a Pro
Smoothies can be so easy and nutritious if you have the right ingredeints. Discover Katie’s perfect formulas in the book. She recommends that every smoothie has each of the following: a fruit (frozen or not), a green or vegetable (frozen or not), a protein-rich food, a liquid to adjust consistency, and a sweetener, if desired.
Egg in a Nest Pesto Pizza
Tip #7: Utilize those leftovers!
You know what goes perfectly with those leftover cooked vegetables from last night, greens that are starting to wilt, extra polenta from dinner, or even the meats? Eggs! It’s so simple and so delicious. Katie gives a whole chapter on fun egg recipes that use leftovers and common ingredients to provide more nutrients than ever before.
Tip #8: Boost Your Cereal
Take your granola, oats, or cereal to the next level. The book provides great tips and recipes, but for starters, consider adding fresh fruit, nuts, flaxseed, or chia to your morning bowls.
Raspberry Waffle Iron Sandwich
Tip #9: Wrap it up.
Breakfast sandwiches or wraps are super easy to prepare, pack ahead of time, and take on the go. From panini, to waffle iron-pressed sandwiches sweet or savory, this cookbook has it all. So make a sandwich!
Cottage Cheese Tartine
Tip #10: Make it Savory
Sometimes we overload on sweet flavors and sugar in the mornings and crash well before lunch. If you take things savory, whether it is an egg scramble, a savory sandwich, or even savory oatmeal, you are usually more likely to get the protein and nutrients you need from vegetables and more. Check out the book for great savory breakfast ideas!
From Rise and Shine by Katie Sullivan Morford, © 2016 by Katie Sullivan Morford. Photographs © 2016 by Erin Scott. Reprinted by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO. www.roostbooks.com
