Breakfast is served: not conscious before your first cuppa joe? Here are some tips for making nutritious, no-brainer breakfasts.(FOOD: OFF THE SHELF)

All across the country, in one-bedroom walk-ups and mansions alike, people are bounding out of bed in the morning, chipper and alert, ready to take on the world and the task of providing a nourishing breakfast for themselves and their families.

I am not one of them.

For those of us who find waking up hard enough without the added burden of flipping fried eggs or whipping up muffins, breakfast options are abundant. Here's the trick: finding fast morning meals that are solid enough to sustain energy, without lots of fat, sweeteners, sodium, or gluten--sadly, Pop-Tarts are not considered an actual meal.

However, as long as you're deft with boiling water and willing to wield a sharp knife on a piece of fruit, you can have any of a series of satisfying breakfasts. Try some of these; they'll get breakfast over easy.

Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix with Milled Flax Seed. Made with millet and sugar free, these muffins are a cinch to make; bake several dozen ahead of time, and freeze them for quick breakfasts. Load them up with healthful ingredients--applesauce instead of sugar, ground nuts, pumpkin puree, chopped prunes--for extra nutrition, and serve them with a cup of yogurt or a hard-boiled egg made the night before. Easy.

Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt. This traditionally made yogurt is free of fat and sugar, low in calories, and impossibly rich and creamy. For dairy-free options, try So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt--it's light, creamy, and soy-free. Or try Old Chatham Sheepherding Company Sheep's Milk Yogurt; it's surprisingly fresh and mild in flavor, and dairy-free folk find it easier to digest. Sweeten any of these yogurt choices with a bit of agave or fresh or frozen berries, and serve with oatmeal, cold cereal, or muffins.

Nature's Path Organic Instant Hot Oatmeal. It's hot, it's fast, and kids love it. As with muffins, you can sneak in extra nutrients and protein in the form of chopped walnuts, ground flaxseed, or hemp protein powder. Sweeten with a dash of agave nectar, a splash of apple juice, or a handful of raisins for a quick-and-easy morning meal.