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Breakfast Foods That’ll Get You Out of Bed

I love, love, love breakfast. However, I also love the snooze button. So sometimes in the morning, between rushing to get to the gym, then getting ready, then making it to work on time, breakfast is rather, er, chaotic. (And I don’t even have kids! Ack!) Which is sad. Because breakfast rocks, and eating in the morning is such an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. Did you know that people who eat breakfast regularly weigh less than those who skip it? Yep, they do. And while I never skip breakfast, it’s not always the most gourmet fare—a banana and a few bites of cottage cheese here, a piece of toast with a slather of almond butter there. But Erin and I recently had the chance to try three new breakfast foods (read: the companies sent them to us) and drinks that turn ordinary (or rushed and sad) breakfasts into molto deliciouso (that’s Italian for awesomely tasty)!

Ella Scones

ELLASconesI’ve never made a scone in my life, so I was definitely interested in trying out the Ella Baking Mixes products. The Ella line of products is dedicated to the company founder’s mom, who had heart disease during her last years of life. The heart-healthy scone mixes have no cholesterol, and are chock full of Omega-3s and soy protein.

The baking mixes aren’t just for scone-making either. You can use them for muffins, pancakes, brownies and even biscotti. I tried out the raspberry mix for muffins (you just add milk and a little sugar) and even with the added sugar, I thought they tasted a little bland. But then I tried the chocolate and the lemon-poppyseed mixes as scones, and they were a big hit. I don’t know if it was the texture or the sconey shape, but the chocolate one especially could easily become a regular at my breakfast table. Who wouldn’t like a chocolate chip breakfast item?

And a big bonus? The scones are all less than 200 calories a serving and are SUPER EASY to make. You just add water, plop the big ball of dough down and cut it into 10 pieces. Easy as pie…or easy as Ella scones!

Chocolate Chia GoodnessChia Goodness

With a name like Chia Goodness, it has to be good, right? This raw breakfast is gluten-free, dairy-free, low-glycemic and it includes chocolate. With a mix of chia, buckwheat, shelled hemp seeds, raw organic cacao nibs and a little sea salt with dates, almonds and organic cane evaporated cane juice, it’s darn good for you. There are 130 calories a serving, along with 7 grams of good fat, 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Plus, each serving gives you a good amount of iron, zinc, copper, magnesium and manganese. It’s kind of a super food.

So how does it taste? Well, it’s different. You measure out 2 tablespoons of the mix and then add 4 tablespoons of hot or cold water or milk (I tried hot water). Then you wait about five minutes for it to absorb the water and thicken. For just 2 tablespoons to begin with you do end up with a decent-sized portion, but for breakfast I would probably need to pair it with a piece of fruit or a hard-boiled egg to round out my meal. While the taste was pretty chocolaty (more of a dark, bitter chocolate flavor, which I love, but I know not everyone does), the texture was…um…interesting. It was kind of like a mix of oatmeal, cereal and tapioca. It’s something I could get used to and like, but if you’re someone who has issues with foods with slimier textures, you may just want to forgo this one.

Almond CappSplenda Coffee

I swore off caffeine at the beginning of my pregnancy, but as the months pile up, I’ve become more relaxed with my caffeine intake. Meaning that I’ll actually have a cup of regular coffee some mornings instead of decaf. Crazy!

But now that it’s hotter than blazes outside, that steaming cup of coffee doesn’t always sound so scrumptious—and that’s where frozen coffee drinks make their grand appearance.

This 70-calorie Frozen Almond Cappuccino made with Splenda is an excellent substitution for those high-cal Starbucks frozen treats—not to mention cheaper! With a couple of ice cubes, nonfat milk powder, Splenda, almond extract, instant espresso granules and low-fat milk, you’ll be walking out the door with a frosty coffee treat that won’t leave you sweating (or regretting an early-morning caloric splurge)!

What do you eat for breakfast? Quick and simple? Slow and planned? We wanna know! —Jenn & Erin

FTC disclosure: We often receive products from companies to review. All thoughts and opinions are always entirely our own. Unless otherwise stated, we have received no compensation for our review and the content is purely editorial. Affiliate links may be included. If you purchase something through one of those links we may receive a small commission. Thanks for your support!