5 Common Breakfast Mistakes Moms Make (and How to Fix Them)

Mornings as a mom are chaotic. Between getting the kids ready, packing lunches, and dealing with last-minute meltdowns, your own breakfast often takes a backseat. But if you’re trying to lose weight, boost energy, and keep up with your little ones, how you start your day matters.

Here are five common breakfast mistakes moms make and simple fixes to fuel your body without adding stress to your morning routine.

1. Skipping Breakfast or Just Drinking Coffee

The Mistake:

You’re running late, so you grab a coffee and call it breakfast. But an empty stomach and caffeine spike set you up for energy crashes, cravings, and mood swings later in the day.

The Fix:

You don’t need a sit-down meal, but you do need something with protein and fiber to keep blood sugar stable. Try a protein smoothie, Greek yogurt with berries, or a boiled egg with avocado toast—easy options that take less than five minutes.

2. Not Eating Enough Protein

The Mistake:

A bowl of cereal or a piece of toast might be quick, but they’re mostly carbs, which digest quickly and leave you hungry again by 10 a.m.

The Fix:

Aim for at least 20-30 grams of protein at breakfast. Some easy, high-protein options:

• Scrambled eggs with cheese and a side of fruit

• A protein shake with almond milk and frozen berries

• Cottage cheese with flaxseeds and a handful of nuts

Protein helps keep you full longer and stabilizes blood sugar, so you’re not reaching for snacks all morning.

3. Letting the Kids Eat But Not Yourself

The Mistake:

You prepare a balanced breakfast for your kids, but you’re so busy managing their chaos that you forget to eat—or you just pick at their leftovers.

The Fix:

Make your breakfast just as much of a priority as theirs. Prep something simple the night before, like overnight oats or egg muffins, so all you have to do is grab and eat.

4. Choosing 'Kid-Friendly' Breakfasts That Leave You Hungry

The Mistake:

Eating the same breakfast as your kids—like waffles, toast, or sugary yogurt—might be convenient, but these don’t provide the balanced fuel you need.

The Fix:

If you’re eating what they eat, make it work for you:

• Add peanut butter & chia seeds to toast for protein and fiber

• Swap sugary cereal for Greek yogurt + granola

• Pair waffles with eggs or a protein shake to balance it out

5. Eating Too Little (Then Overeating Later)

The Mistake:

You try to keep breakfast “light” because you’re focused on weight loss—but by mid-afternoon, you’re starving and end up over-snacking or making poor choices.

The Fix:

Front-loading your day with enough food prevents cravings and overeating later. Focus on a balanced breakfast with protein, healthy fats, and fiber so your energy lasts.

Your Breakfast Sets the Tone for the Day

Skipping breakfast or choosing the wrong foods can leave you feeling tired, cranky, and stuck in a cycle of cravings. But with a few simple shifts, you can start your day feeling full, energized, and in control.

Need easy, high-protein breakfast ideas that fit into your busy mom life? Check out this blog or my shop to see more inspiration and free meal plans.

Smooth Moves

Got someone who just doesn’t get enough veggies? Or just want to add more veggies to your diet without effort or even really tasting them? I’ve got the perfect solution for you- smoothies!

Smoothies are my favorite go-to for a quick breakfast or after a workout when I don’t have time to throw something else together. When putting together a smoothie, it’s important to consider all of the elements that make up a balanced meal, including healthy fat, protein and fiber. Without all of these, you are at risk of spiking your blood sugar quickly which can sabotage weight loss and cause you to be hungry again soon and reach for something else.

The rules I like to follow when I make a smoothie are a 1:2 ratio of fruit and veggies, for every fruit serving, I include 2 servings of vegetables, and include fat and protein.

Pick 1 fruit, 2 vegetables, 1 liquid, 1 fat, 1 protein, 2-3 ice cubes = your complete smoothie.

Here are some of my favorites :

Fruit :

• 1/2 frozen banana

• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, or mixed berries

• 1/2 orange

• 1 packaged unsweetened acai puree

Veggies :

• 1-2 cups spinach

• 1 carrot

• 1 cup kale

• 1-2 beets

• 1/4-1/2 sweet potato

Liquid :

• 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk or regular milk

• 1 cup unsweetened coconut water

• 1 cup cold water

Fat :

• 1-2 tbsp nut butter

• 1-2 tbsp hemp seeds

• 1-2 tbsp chia seeds

• 1/4 cup raw nuts

• 1/4 avocado

Protein

• 1/2 cup nonfat plain greek yogurt

• 1 scoop plant based protein powder

• 3 tbsp powdered peanut butter

Be mindful of portion sizes and remember, if weight loss is your goal or even maintenance, a smoothie is a great option, but not in addition to all of your regular foods, otherwise you’ll have a caloric excess. If you are trying to gain weight, increase protein and fat content and consume in addition to your regular diet.

Happy blending, you’re only limited by your creativity, I promise you won’t even know the veggies are in there and can get 1/2 of your servings of both fruit and veggies in one smoothie! Let me know what you’ve tried!

How to Meal Prep Like a Boss!

No matter the time of year, we're all super busy. There's a party to go to, mountain to climb, pumpkin patch to explore, kayaks to float in, microbrews to drink- I get it. That’s where a little planning and prepping one day a week can make a big difference in your life. If you are busy, want to lose weight, eat healthier or just like to get all your cooking done at once, this is the way to go.

It can seem daunting at first to plan that far ahead (I know it was for me) but hopefully these tips will help make it easier and get you going towards successful meal prepping.

Start Simple This isn’t really the time to start eating crazy foods you aren’t used to, at least for the first few weeks. Think about putting together foods you already like and know how to prepare, this will save you time to begin with.

Master Breakfast If you already eat oatmeal, try doing overnight oats. I love oats because they are high in fiber, and can be super nutritious for a filling and healthy breakfast. If you’re more of an egg person, you can prep the veggies for a scramble or omelette ahead of time and throw them in the pan in the morning with some already beaten eggs and whip up a breakfast in just a few minutes. Better yet, bake egg muffins all at once and have breakfast all week.

Shop Smart Don’t head to the store without a plan, you run the risk of roaming the aisles and buying foods that don’t really go together. Plan out what you’re going to have for the week and make a list to take to the store, you’ll save time, money and sanity.

Be Snack Savvy Pre-packaged minimally processed bars like Kind and RX make great snacks that take absolutely no work. If you’re looking for more whole food options, buying things in bulk like string cheese and hard boiling a bunch of eggs ahead of time are great to grab on the go.

Get Freezin’ Making large batches of food ahead of time and freezing them is a great way to save time. You can throw tomorrow’s dinner in the fridge to thaw before you head to work and come home to a dinner that will require a few minutes in the microwave. Or, if you’re into smoothies, try making homemade smoothie kits of frozen fruit and veggies and then after a workout or whenever, throw it in a blender with your milk or water of choice and you’re good to go.

Choose Grains Wisely Pick grains you can use for multiple meals and cook a big batch on Sunday. Quinoa is great for breakfast in place of oatmeal, or you can throw it into salads for extra protein, or serve your fish or chicken for dinner on top of it.

Spread Your Food Out On a sheet pan that is. Roasting veggies and protein in big batches in the oven is a super easy way to prepare a lot of food at once. You can throw these in salads, or use them for low maintenance dinner ideas.

Slow It Down If you have a slow cooker- bust that thing out! You can make all sorts of food in your slow cooker, and it doesn’t just have to be soup. You can make quiches, oatmeal bakes, lasagna, enchiladas, roasts, the sky’s the limit. Set it to go before you leave work, come home to a delicious meal you can reheat all week.

What are you waiting for? Get out there and prep yourself for a week of healthy eating and spend less time in the kitchen. If you are looking for or in the need of some awesome meal prep ideas then make sure to check out my pinterest board.