Healthy Breakfast Cookies & the Benefits of Breakfast

Even if you aren’t a “breakfast person”, these healthy breakfast cookies will be your new favorite morning meal! 

Breakfast has always been and will always be my favorite meal of the day. I love everything about it, from the waffles and pancakes to the sausage and bacon and the cinnamon rolls and breakfast burritos. I have never struggled to eat breakfast in the morning, and can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve skipped it in my life. I just can’t start my day without eating something! I partly blame my mom and schooling for this (“the best way to start your day is by eating a healthy breakfast!”), but now it’s because I know that my body needs it. Did you know how important it is to eat breakfast? Check out these facts:

1. It can help lower your risk to developing type 2 diabetes
   When you eat breakfast, it actually helps regulate your blood glucose levels. Your glucose levels fluctuate naturally throughout the day, but over the course of the night it drops the most. When you eat breakfast first thing in the morning, you can avoid the more dramatic fluctuation that is not good for you. And studies have shown that when there is less fluctuation, you are less likely to develop diabetes later on in life. 
2. It helps you get active
   Even though they are consuming more calories throughout the day, those who eat breakfast are usually more active than those who don’t, which helps them maintain a healthy weight. This may be due to the fact that the food gives them the energy boost (by elevating your blood glucose level) that they need to get up and be active, or that it simply helps them regulate their energy levels throughout the day. 
3. Can make you smarter ; )
   While this may not be 100% true, studies have shown that children who eat a healthy breakfast perform better in school than those who don’t. It’s also great for adults, because it helps their memory, attention, ability to process information, creativity, learning abilities and so much more. So eat breakfast, because it essentially makes you smarter!
4. Helps you maintain a healthy weight
   This is a claim that is still being researched. However, many studies have found that those who ate breakfast were also at a less likely to become obese. It is more of an observational finding, but when dieting obese people ate a larger breakfast and smaller dinner, they were able to lose more weight than those who did the opposite. I believe this is because those who skip a meal tend to eat more calories throughout the rest of the day than those who didn’t. 
5. Speeds up your metabolism
   Uhh yes please! When you fast (as in the time between dinner and breakfast), your metabolism slows down. But when you eat a healthy breakfast, it kickstarts your metabolism, and you begin burning calories first thing. 
6. Helps prevent your body from entering “survival mode”
   When you don’t eat for an extended period of time, your body begins to go into “survival mode”. This means it starts storing calories as fat, because it doesn’t know when the next meal will be. When you eat breakfast, your body can use those calories for energy, and you will be doing yourself a huge favor, both physically and mentally as you start your day.
7. Can help you portion out your meals throughout the day
   When you skip a meal, you are more likely to indulge in the following meals, which means you could end up eating more calories than if you had simply eaten breakfast in the first place. When you have a morning meal, you will be less likely to needlessly snack or binge eat later on. 

So in the spirit of breakfast, I decided to whip up these delicious breakfast cookies that you will love! I am all about easy recipes, and this is no exception. Best of all, you can meal prep these cookies on Sunday, meaning you can have a nutritious and delicious breakfast every day of the week in less than a minute. Score!
When coming up with this recipe, I wanted to keep in mind all of the things our bodies need in order to maintain a healthy glucose level and to stay fuller longer. These cookies are packed with healthy grains, protein, fiber and fats that your body (and taste buds) will love. I added some pumpkin (of course!), pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, wheat germ, coconut oil and so much more. Trust me when I say these are a game changer when it comes to eating breakfast!

Are you a breakfast person? If so, what is your favorite meal to make in the mornings?

Healthy Breakfast Cookies

Print

Healthy Breakfast Cookies

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

• Author: Rebecca Hicks
• Total Time: 15
• Yield: 24 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

A delicious and healthy way to start your day with a breakfast you will love!

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups oats
• 1/2 cup protein powder (I used vanilla Perfect Fit)
• 1/4 cups chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup cranberries
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips
• 1 can pumpkin
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Line a cookie pan with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, mix together the wet ingredients.
4. Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
5. Using a 1 inch cookie scoop, drop the dough on the sheet with 1-2 inches in between the cookies. Flatten the dough with the bottom of a cup.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, or until firm.
7. Remove from oven, cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then finish cooling on a cooling rack.
8. Refrigerate for up to a week, and warm for 15 seconds in the morning for breakfast!
9. Freeze cookies for up to 2 months!

• Prep Time: 5
• Cook Time: 10

References:
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/10/why-eating-the-right-breakfast-is-so-important/index.htm
http://www.symptomfind.com/nutrition-supplements/benefits-of-eating-breakfast/