Staying healthy during the work week can be difficult, especially if your morning starts at 6 am! Nobody is awake enough to cook a healthy breakfast before commuting to the job site. And let's be honest here, purchasing a coffee and a pastry every day is not a good start in the morning for your metabolism or bank account. Racking up the pounds and reducing the funds is not the way to go with this economy!
Sure, some people work from home, but that can be tricky to stay on track when treats and snacks are just a few feet away. So my breakfast jars will be a perfect way to give you the nutrients and the protein you need to keep you from raiding the cupboard!
Breakfast in a Jar
Time: 15 minutes Servings: 4 Cost per serving: $4.28*
Ingredients:
Two tablespoons of Hemp Hearts
Two tablespoons of Bob's Gluten-free Rolled Oats
One scoop of Garden of Life All-In-One Protein Vanilla Chai
2 Apples, cut into cubes
1 1/2 tablespoons of Prana Proactiv Chia Ground
Instructions:
Grab four 500ml glass jars.
Place the cut-up apples on the bottom of each of the jars.
Sprinkle on the ground chia and hemp hearts. Swirl the contents of the jar to ensure the apples become coated with the chia and hemp hearts.
Add the rolled oats and protein powder.
Place all jars in the fridge. When you are ready to consume, add water, cover it with the lid, shake, and enjoy!
Purposeful Protein:
As one of the main building blocks in our body, protein has numerous purposes for mental and physical health.
On the physical side, it maintains muscle mass, supports joint mobility, and balances blood sugar by stabilizing our hormone leptin (satiety hormone) and reducing ghrelin (hunger hormone). Many adults over 40 begin to succumb to sarcopenia, which is the reduction of muscle mass due to the aging process. So it's best to track protein intake to ensure a good portion of meals as protein-rich sources.
Sedentary individuals need 0.8 g/kg of body weight. A higher protein intake will be necessary for more active individuals.
On the mental side, protein contains amino acids. These are the building blocks of hormones and neurotransmitters. These are necessary for body signaling for daily functions such as movement, emotional expressions, and brain cognition.
For this meal prep, I try to find a plant-based protein powder with a nice blend of different protein sources to get a complete amino acid complex. Garden of Life All-In-One provides me with 20 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, a multivitamin complex, and a blend of enzymes and shelf-stable probiotics to aid digestion so my body can absorb these beneficial nutrients!
Save your jars!
Instead of going out and buying yourself mason jars, save your nut butter jars, give them a good scrub, and keep them in the cupboard for these breakfast protein jars!
Every year around Christmas, I make my delicious peanut butter balls, which provide me with new jars! It's always perfect timing too. With constant use, the seals tend to get loose over time. And nobody wants leaking liquid when they give it a good shake!
It's a great way to reduce, reuse, and recycle!
What's your favorite way to get protein in your diet? Do you meal prep your workweek breakfasts?
Until next time, stay well!
Chloe
*Prices change, depending where you shop.
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