Healthy and Easy Breakfast Ideas

Want to eat well and nourish your body without spending hours in the kitchen every morning? These breakfast ideas will help you get all the nutrients your body needs and take less than 30 minutes to prepare. Some may not be what you would consider "breakfast foods," but they all provide a great healthy boost of vitamins and nutrients to start off your day with energy and keep you going 'til lunchtime - and won't weigh you down and make you sluggish like a heavy, grain-centered breakfast does.

Image via Wikipedia1. Soaked Beans and Balsamic Salad

Soak pinto beans, black beans or lentils in water for 10 minutes, drain, add fresh water, then boil them until soft. The soaking "extracts" the chemicals that causes gas, resulting in a healthy, protein and nutrient-rich dish without the unpleasant effects. (May cook the day before and refrigerate, for a faster prep time in the morning.)

Sprinkle the beans with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add a dash of oregano or dill for flavor.

Drain the beans and sprinkle over a nice green salad with a bit of balsamic vinegar and olive oil on top.

This breakfast is rich in proteins from the beans, rich in vitamins from the greens and also gives you healthy plant fats from the olive oil. (This also makes a great lunch, and you can substitute canned beans, drained and rinsed, to make it even faster.)

2. Fruit Salad with Yogurt

Cut up three or four different kinds of fruits. Add a cup of yogurt on top and mix - an extremely simple dish.

The fruits will provide your body with a boost of easy to use sugars to start the day off. It'll also provide a wide range of nutrients, like potassium or magnesium.

The yogurt contains many healthy bacteria that help digestion.

3. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice with Hummus and Pita

Fresh squeezed orange juice is rich in Vitamin C, among other things. It tastes great and will also give your body an energy boost. Orange juice is best squeezed right before consumption, as nutrients in the juice can deteriorate quickly when exposed to air.

Combine the orange juice with pita bread and hummus. You can pick these up at most grocery or health food stores.

Pita and hummus are very easy to prepare, as there's no cooking required (unless you want to make your own hummus the day before). All you need to do is heat it up and breakfast is served. Preparation time? Less than 10 minutes.

Image via Wikipedia4. Scrambled Eggs with Organic Cheese and Veggies

What breakfast list would be complete without eggs? Cooking scrambled eggs (or an omelet) with veggies inside is one of the healthiest and easiest ways to have a delicious breakfast.

The veggies in the eggs should be veggies that cook quickly, like spinach, mushrooms or onions. Avoid slow-cook veggies like eggplants or broccoli. It also helps to add a dash of spices or herbs to make the eggs more flavorful.

Top off the scramble or omelet with some organic cheese from your local health food store. You now have a protein-rich, whole food breakfast that's both fast and easy to make.

If you want the breakfast to be a bit more filling, add a couple slices of whole-grain (preferably sprouted) toast on the side.

These are four highly nutritious and easy to make meals. None of them take more than 30 minutes to make and will give your body all the minerals, vitamins and energy it needs to lead a productive day.