3 Great Breakfasts for Weight Loss That Are Actually Filling

We know, we know—slowing down to cook a meal can seem next to impossible between work, your social life, and everything in between. Grabbing a bagel or pastry in the morning is almost too easy—but here's why you should make the time to whip something up yourself, even if it's just a few times a week: "Preparing and eating meals at home gives you control over the quality of the foods you consume and the quantity of fat, sugar, and salt added," says Molly Morgan, R.D., author of the new cookbook Skinny-Size It. "In addition, when you cook, you burn calories: Approximately 30 minutes of cooking translates into 90 calories burned, and the cleanup burns another 50 calories, for a total of 140 calories burned (based on a 150-pound person)."

In other words, if you made just three meals per week, you could burn nearly 22,000 calories a year and lose six pounds—without hitting the gym once. And that's before you even calculate the calories you saved by eating something healthy and homemade. Pretty convincing argument, huh? Skinny-Size It is packed with 101 slimming yet satisfying recipes. Here are three of our favorites for breakfast time:

Peanut Butter-Pretzel Granola (pictured above)
Makes 12 servings

"This recipe was inspired by a peanut butter-pretzel bar that I love," says Morgan. "I wanted to develop a higher-fiber and lower-sugar version."

2 1⁄2 cups whole-wheat pretzels (such as Snyder's of Hanover), chopped
2 cups old-fashioned oats, separated
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1⁄3 cup natural peanut butter, creamy
1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄3 cup agave nectar

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare a nine-inch square baking dish by lining it with parchment paper.
2. Place pretzels in a food processor, and process until they are coarsely ground. Put the ground pretzels in a large mixing bowl. Place 1 cup of the oats in the food processor, and pulse until they resemble flour. Add the oat "flour" to the mixing bowl, then stir in the remaining 1 cup oats and the chia seeds. Mix well, and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, combine the peanut butter, olive oil and agave nectar. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until warmed through and well combined.
4. Stir the peanut butter mixture into the oat-pretzel mixture, and mix well.
5. Transfer the peanut butter–oat mixture to the prepared baking dish, and spread it out evenly.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the granola is lightly browned. Let the granola cool, and store it in an airtight container or divide it into single servings and store them in airtight containers.

Nutritional Information
Per Serving (1/4 cup): 210 calories, 12 g fat (1.5  g saturated), 23 g carbs, 5 g sugar, 45 mg sodium, 5 g protein, 4 g fiber

MORE: 7 Things That Make You Think You're Hungry (Even When You Don't Need to Eat) 
 

Molly Morgan

Baked Apple Pie Parfaits
Makes 2 servings

"Making a baked apple dish that is lightly sweetened and contains plenty of cinnamon adds a ton of flavor without all the added sugar and calories," says Morgan.

2 medium McIntosh or Golden Delicious apples (or any other variety that’s good for baking), peeled, cored, and sliced
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
6 oz low-fat vanilla yogurt
1⁄4 cup KIND Healthy Grains Maple Walnut Clusters with Chia & Quinoa (or similar granola with 130 calories and 3.5 grams of fat or less per serving)

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Place the apple slices in a small mixing bowl, and add the agave nectar and cinnamon. Toss to coat. Transfer the apples to a baking sheet.
3. Bake the apples for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender.
4. Serve the baked apples over vanilla yogurt, and garnish with the granola.

Nutritional Information
Per Serving: 230 calories, 1.5 g fat (0  g saturated), 53 g carbs, 39 g sugar, 65 mg sodium, 5 g protein, 7 g fiber

MORE: 7 Research-Backed Breakfast Tips for Faster Weight Loss
 

Molly Morgan

Carrot Cake Muffins
Makes 24 muffins

"This recipe contains nearly double the amount of shredded carrots found in typical carrot cake recipes and derives natural sweetness from pineapple," says Morgan.

Nonstick cooking spray or 24 cupcake liners
1 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots (six to eight medium carrots)
1⁄2 cup crushed pineapple, drained

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Coat the wells of a 24-cup muffin tin with cooking spray, or line the wells with paper cupcake liners.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla, and mix well.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon), and stir until well combined. Add the dry mixture to the large bowl containing the sugar, oil, and egg mixture, and stir until well combined.
4. Fold in the carrots and the pineapple.
5. Spoon the batter into the wells of the prepared muffin tin so that each well is about half full.
6. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Nutritional Information
Per Serving (1 muffin): 120 calories, 5 g fat (0.5  g saturated), 18 g carbs, 10 g sugar, 160 mg sodium, 2 g protein, 2 g fiber

All recipes are from Skinny-Size It (Harlequin Nonfiction) by Molly Morgan, R.D.

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