Who likes to cook in the mornings? Who has time? At the same time, you don’t want to squander your hard-earned muscle and/or fat-loss efforts by skipping the traditionally most important meal of the day, do you?

Enter your answer to a quick, easy and tasty way to prepare a nutrient-rich, protein-packed breakfast – no skillet required.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of 1 minute Quaker Oats
1 cup of skim milk
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of Splenda or other sweetener
1 scoop of vanilla whey protein
1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter

The how to:

1. Add oats, milk, cinnamon, Splenda and peanut butter into a microwavable bowl.
2. Heat for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on high.
3. Add in vanilla whey protein powder
4. Chow down!

The breakdown:

Carbohydrate: 44g
Protein: 39g
Fat: 12g
Calories: 454

The why:

Each ingredient has a purpose in this energy-packed breakfast bowl.

The protein is for muscle-building and halts the chaotic act of muscle breakdown after a long fast of sleeping. The carbs are packed with fiber and are of the low glycemic kind to give you prolonged energy throughout your day. And the fat from peanut butter is of the healthy kind to keep you feeling fuller, longer and helps keep blood sugar levels steady so you are less likely to binge over unhealthy choices later in your day.

What are your favorite choices for a busy morning?