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• Switch out your cereal for granola. Granola is jam-packed with nuts, seeds, whole grains etc (and it’s also easy to find a gluten-free or nut-free granola). A dense, nutty granola like “Kind Peanut Butter Clusters” (my personal favorite) gives you protein, oils and all the good stuff that cereal just can’t deliver. (NOTE: They just started making single-serve granola in a cup at grocery stores, which even removes the bowl step!)

• Yogurt is better than milk. Yogurt has a longer shelf life than milk, and it is full of protein. It comes in tons of flavors, mix-ins and fat %, so you can tailor it to your tastes/needs. + you can easily find single-serve cups, so you can eat it with just a spoon.

• Berries rock. If you want something fresh at breakfast, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries are easy because they don’t need to be cut/are hard to eat(like bananas or apples). Add them to yogurt, cereal, oatmeal etc (DOWNSIDE: short shelf life.)

• Smoothies/Protein Drinks are easy and can be bought in bulk. For tough mornings, stock up on smoothies or protein drinks. They come in a ton of flavors and options.

• “Clinical” drinks are formulas balanced with all the nutrients you need. Try: Ensure, Boost

• “Protein Shakes” are targeted at athletes, so they’ve got lots of vitamins as well. Often they don’t need to be refrigerated !!! Try: Svelte, Muscle Milk

• “Smoothies” are usually made of fruits and veggies. They aren’t as well balanced, but can be great alternatives to fresh fruits/veggies on low spoon days. Try: Naked, Suja Juice

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• Oatmeal! Instant oatmeal isn’t instant, but it’s pretty quick. Usually, you tear a package into a bowl, add water and microwave. Some stores have started selling oatmeal in cardboard bowls, which removes step #1. It’s warm + filling and most find it pretty easy to eat. You can add stuff in to make it extra nutritious without major effort. Try:

• Try dipping instead of spreading on toast. Even if you’ve got a toaster, making toast can be a lot of work. To save energy, don’t bother spreading your butter, jam, peanut butter etc with a knife. Instead, plop some on your plate and dip your toast into the spread itself. Sounds silly, I know, but it tastes the same and now you don’t have to wield a butter knife. Even easier: find the single packs of spreads so you can skip lifting the heavy jar.

• Skip the egg. Eggs can be tricky and quickly energy-draining. For a savory breakfast, substitute your egg sliced turkey, chicken or ham. This gives you the protein of an egg for way less effort, and is great in a breakfast sandwich. If you’re feeling up to it, add a slice of cheese and microwave/toaster oven/oven that sucker so it’s all warm+gooey. Yum.

• Raisins or other dried fruits (LONG shelf life!)

• Nut Butter (yess protein)

• Pre-chopped nuts (ditto)

• Jams and jellies, honey, syrup (yumm)

• Any fresh fruit you’ve got lying around

• Brown sugar, cinnamon and other spices

• How to (correctly) consume a Muffin

• Buy a muffin at the store, store it in your fridge to keep it longer

• When the muffin’s death is nigh, place it in a bowl upside down (wrapper side facing the sky)

• Remove the wrapper, and microwave 20-30 seconds

• Grab a spoon and eat that warm muffin like a champ. You deserve this.

• If energy permits, add some yogurt, pb, fruit etc to your bowl o’ muffin.

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• Yummy apple slices. Slice an apple, and place on a plate with cinnamon and sugar. Microwave for 30-60 sec. It’ll taste like the inside of an apple pie. Great on toast with nut butter (or whateva)

• Egg in a cup. Crack your egg into a microwave-safe mug. Microwave on HIGH for a min (add more time if you’re egg isn’t cooked!!). Eat directly from mug. Feel free to mix-in cheese, salt+pepper, canned chicken, leftover pasta sauce etc. There are no rules.

• Make a breakfast banana boat (very fancy). Preheat oven/toaster oven to 350. Slice an unpeeled banana vertically, creating a slit. In your banana pocket, add nut butter, chocolate chips, granola, nuts, raisins, really anything your stomach desires. Wrap your banana boat in tinfoil, and throw it in the oven for 5 min. Pull out, eat out of the peel with a spoon. Best part? No clean up!!