Say goodbye to that plain old eggs-and-toast combo.

When it comes to healthy breakfasts, creativity takes a back seat when your only options are fruit, eggs, and the occasional—whole grain, mind you!—slice of toast. (Sound familiar? You might want to steal these healthy breakfast ideas.) But rest assured that you’re on the right track; a plate full of refined carbs in the a.m. is sure to take a toll on your waistline.

In fact, the typical American breakfast makes Harvard physician Monique Tello “want to cry,” she wrote in a recent Harvard Health blog post. “A bowl of cereal, or a bagel, or a piece of toast, or a muffin are all no different than a dessert.”

Why? All of those processed carbs and sugars can cause your blood sugar and insulin levels to quickly spike and crash, leading to cravings later on in the day. And any extra sugar found in your system will eventually get stored as fat, Tello says.

So, what’s a well-intentioned breakfast eater to do? Toss out your carb-heavy breakfast and opt for Tello’s go-to meal, instead: a simple mix of berries, protein-rich yogurt, and a nuts, seeds, and rolled oats combo. She swears it’s the healthiest quick fix for those with a busy morning schedule.

“I’m a working mom. I take the train into work. I need something quick, easy, and transportable,” she wrote. “Plus, it needs to be budget-friendly, and must hold me over for a number of hours. So, I put together a quick, easy fruit/yogurt/grain/nut bowl every single day.”

Thanks to the fiber and natural sugars found in fruit, healthy fats in nuts, and protein in the yogurt, you’ll feel full and satisfied for much longer. That also means you won’t find yourself reaching for a fat or sugar-loaded snack midway through the day. But if you do find your tummy rumbling before lunch, keep a stash of these guilt-free snacks to munch on.

Looking to slim down while you eat up? This one breakfast will keep you burning calories all day long.

[Source: Business Insider]


Written by Brooke Nelson, this story originally appeared on rd.com