It's 7 AM, you overslept, and you have to be out the door by 7:20. Will you have enough time to eat breakfast? Gymnasts ​must eat breakfast! I can't stress this enough . . .

But why do gymnasts needs breakfast?

We burn most of our calories in the morning and afternoon as we are at our job, going to school, working out, and just going about our lives! So if you don't start your day off right, you will be setting yourself up for a crash later in the day during your workout!

Here are some time-saver breakfast recipes!

Pear Slices With Betsy's SuperPaste!

On Sunday night, make a paste that you can store in a plastic container:

• 1/2 cup dry oats
• 2 cups of creamy organic peanut butter
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon of honey

Mix all of this together (take your time -- it's a lot of "stuff!"). In the morning, scoop out two tablespoons and place on pear or apple slices! Yum.

Overnight Steel Cut Blueberry Oats

Place 1 cup of dry steel cut oats in a large bowl. Add 2 cups of almond milk, 1/4 cup fresh blueberries, 1 tablespoon of honey or agave, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, and a dash of cinnamon. Cover with a plastic film after mixing together. Leave over night. Unwrap in the morning for a yummy start to the day!

Avocado Cream Dream!

First, toast two slices of Ezekiel Toast. Then spread 1 tablespoon of cream cheese or goat cheese evenly over the toast and place four very thin slices of avocado on top of the toast. For a protein extra, add two slices of smoked salmon! Delicious!

Homemade, Organic, Frozen Egg McNally's

If you are short on time in the morning, prepare five breakfast sandwiches on Sunday night and freeze them. How, you may ask?

1. Take five whole grain English muffins and slice them in half.

2. Scramble up to eight organic egg whites and four whole eggs.

3. Slice up five thin slices of organic cheese.

4. Place a cheese slice on each open English muffin.

5. Top each muffin with egg mixture divided up into five portions.

6. Place the top of the muffin on the bottom and wrap these tightly with plastic wrap.

7. Pop in the freezer and pull them out as you need.

To warm them up, remove from plastic and microwave on each side 30 to 45 seconds, depending on your microwave.

Frozen Smoothie Pops

These are also great for an evening snack, but will do for breakfast in a pinch. You will need popsicle plastic containers to make your own pops.

Take 2 cups of berries, 1 cup of FAGE Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup of almond milk, 1/2 cup of coconut milk, one banana, and 1 tablespoon of chia seeds. Place in your blender until smooth. Fill individual popsicle containers with the mixture and freeze. A delicious treat anytime of day!

Betsy's Healthy French Toast

Take two slices of Ezekiel or whole grain toast and dip into the following mixture:

• Two egg whites, one whole egg
• 1 cup of almond milk
• Dash of cinnamon

Dip the bread into the mixture then cook on a pan with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. After cooking top with 1 more tablespoon of coconut oil and enjoy!


Betsy McNally-Laouar is a sports nutritionist and personal trainer who works with gymnasts at Cincinnati Gymnastics and travels the country with her training and nutrition camps. If you are interested in learning more about healthy choices for gymnasts contact her at coach@betsymcnally.com or follow her tips on her Facebook page: Betsy McNally- Laouar Gymnastics Nutrition and Fitness Specialist