Upgrades aren't just for Hotel Rooms & Car Rentals

As I stepped out of my apartment complex this morning, I saw a mother fiddling with her double stroller. I'm not sure what she was doing but I immediately saw an adorable baby girl and her cozy older brother. I did a double take when I saw that the little boy was eating a sugar cookie with green sugar reminiscent of those found around Christmas time. So many thoughts popped into my head! Is that his breakfast?? Or is this his breakfast "dessert"? Are we straight up not even trying to feed our children nutritious foods anymore? Have we given up?


There is a lot I could talk about from this 10-second experience but I think I'll focus on breakfast, the meal, itself. I know to some of you, this situation sounds ludicrous, but to the vast majority of Americans, this is pretty close to their reality. I know the thought process…sugar cookies have calories and sugar, that should keep me or my child going for a while. Or, eating this for breakfast is better than no breakfast at all. No matter how common having coffee and a bagel for breakfast is, it doesn't change the fact that we are not getting the proper nutrients and real, whole, true energy from those foods. Refined flour, sugar, and salt and caffeinated drinks will give us a momentary spike in energy but then we'll crash while reaching for the next cup or sugary item.


Now, I admit that I enjoy my coffee as much as the next person, but it's not a daily or twice a day habit. It's generally a treat for me. Instead, I get my energy from eating a banana, whole grain cereal with almond milk with some sort of fat (generally a nut butter). These specific foods may not work for you. Maybe you like hard boiled eggs and an apple. Whatever it is, look at your breakfast today and "upgrade it," as David Wolfe would say. I'm not talking about eliminating anything or depriving yourself of foods you like, but maybe you can have a banana before diving into that bacon egg McMuffin, or if you like bacon, switch it up to turkey bacon. Instead of a plain bagel opt for whole wheat or maybe add a slice of tomato to the bagel. The other day, I put beets into my yogurt because I didn’t' have any fruit, cereal or nuts on hand. It was really good! Get creative! Food is your body's fuel, how well do you want it to run?


I'd love to hear ways you are going to "upgrade" your breakfast this week! Let's finish is strong!