

We get it: you’re a busy woman with things to do and places to be. From your demanding work schedule to tending to your little ones at home, we don’t blame you if making a fulfilling breakfast is the last thing on your mind. For decades, breakfast has been hailed as the “most important meal of the day,” and yet, it’s somehow the most forgettable.
According to a 2022 study, 35% of survey participants in the United States reported eating breakfast daily, while approximately 12% shared that they eat breakfast only a few times a month. Still, eating breakfast has a long list of benefits that shouldn’t be missed out on if we can help it.
Breakfast provides the body with the necessary nutrients and energy to kickstart your metabolism after a night's sleep and gives our body the opportunity to consume essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber for the day ahead.
We all know that familiar feeling of fogginess that comes right before noon, but consuming breakfast can give us the fuel we need to reduce it. When we give our bodies the proper nutrition through breakfast, we can set ourselves up to experience better concentration and focus throughout the day. In this case, the right foods in the morning are essentially brain food.
With many of us making an effort to no longer skip breakfast, there has to be a way to fuel ourselves without it taking up most of the precious (and limited) time that we have in the morning. That’s why we’re sharing a guide to easy, “no-brainer” breakfast ideas that will take the mental labor out of what to eat in the a.m.
What To Eat For Breakfast When You Don't Have Time
8 Simple No-Brainer Breakfast Ideas
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1. Greek Yogurt with Granola, Nuts, and Berries
This grab-and-go breakfast is just as sweet as it is satisfying. Grab your favorite flavor of yogurt and granola mix and combine it with frozen or fresh berries.
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2. Avocado Toast
Spread mashed avocado on whole-grain toast and sprinkle with salt and pepper for a simple and healthy breakfast rich in good fats. For an extra touch, add red onions, tomatoes, or a squeeze of lemon.
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3. Instant Oatmeal with Pistachios and Cranberries
The older you get, the more oatmeal becomes a breakfast treat. But if you don’t have time to spend cooking your oats on the stove, opt for instant oats instead. Dress them up with pistachios and cranberries for added crunch and sweetness, and you’re good to go.
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4. Banana and Peanut Butter Smoothie
If you’re looking for a sweet and filling breakfast in minutes, smoothies are the way to go. For this easy recipe, blend banana, peanut butter, and your milk of choice together to create a delicious and protein-packed breakfast you can sip on.
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5. Pre-Made Egg Muffins
For the meal-preppers out there, you’re going to love this ready-to-eat breakfast idea. Whisk eggs into muffin tins and add veggies or cheese. Once they’re fully baked, pack them into the fridge overnight, and they’ll be ready to be warmed up as your portable breakfast option.
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6. Overnight Chia Seed and Oat Pudding
Take the thinking out of your breakfast prep time and leave it to the magic of overnight refrigeration. Mix chia seeds and oatmeal with milk into a small container and let it sit overnight. When you’re ready to eat, add fruits and nuts on top for a simple, no-cook pudding loaded with omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.
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7. Egg and Sausage Sandwiches
We know that nothing beats the feeling of getting a piping hot breakfast sandwich from your favorite restaurant, but why not make it at home instead? You only need eggs, sausage (vegan or turkey will do, too), cheese, and an English muffin, and poof, you've got yourself a protein-packed breakfast sandwich on hand. McDonald’s, who?
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8. Potatoes, Cheese, and Spinach Eggs Scramble
The best way to reduce the mental labor that goes into preparing breakfast is to take all your favorite things and put them into one savory concoction. That’s why we love a classic egg scramble. Add your potatoes, eggs, cheese, and spinach into a skillet for a no-brained meal that’ll leave you feeling satisfied.
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Aley Arion is a writer and digital storyteller from the South, currently living in sunny Los Angeles. Her site, yagirlaley.com, serves as a digital diary to document personal essays, cultural commentary, and her insights into the Black Millennial experience. Follow her at @yagirlaley on all platforms!
Exclusive: Melanie Fiona On Making High-Vibrational Music & Saying Yes To Partnership
Melanie Fiona is back! After taking a little more than a decade-long hiatus, she has officially made her return to music and blessed us with two singles, “Say Yes” and “I Choose You.” While both singles are very different from each other, they both reflect who she is today and the type of music she wants to make. In our conversation, the mom of two expressed what she learned during her time away.
“It's interesting, even when I said it is like coming back, I don't ever feel like I really left because I was always still performing. I've still been public. It's not like I went into being this recluse person or version of myself, but the thing that I really learned in this process is that I think things take time,” Melanie says in a xoNecole exclusive.
“I think often we're so caught up in it, being on the timing of demand or popularity, or, like, striking while the iron is hot and the thing that I've learned is that everything is on God's time. That's it. Every time I thought I would have been ready, or, like, things were taking too long, I had to reship some things, personally, professionally, in my life. I also gave myself permission to make a living, not just make a living, but make a life for myself.”
Making a life for herself included getting married to Grammy-nominated songwriter Jared Cotter, starting a family, and embracing new landscapes, such as podcasting as a co-host of The Mama’s Den podcast. She also began doing more spiritual work and self-care practices like meditation, sound healing, Reiki, acupuncture, and boundary setting, which allowed her to get in touch with her inner voice.
“I wasn't putting out music, and I wasn't experiencing a number one record, but I was being a number one mom,” she says.
“I was experiencing things that were allowing me to heal and get in touch with myself so that I could make new music from a space of joy and freedom, and excitement again because I definitely feel like I did lose some excitement because of just politics and industry and what it can do to your mental health and even your physical health. So giving myself the space to really just say, ‘Hey, it's okay. Everything's right on time.’”
The joy and excitement are felt in one of two new singles, “I Choose You,” which is more of a lovers rock vibe, a tribute to Melanie’s Caribbean roots. While the Grammy award-winner is known for ballads like “It Kills Me” and “Fool For You,” she is becoming more intentional about the music she makes, calling it high-vibrational music. She says her music is a “reflection of my life,” as it captures every facet, from hanging out with friends to riding around in her car.
“Say Yes” has the classic R&B vibe Melanie is known for. However, both songs are inspired by her relationship. Melanie and Jared got married in December 2020, and the Toronto-bred artist dished on their relationship. Fun fact: he is featured in the “Say Yes” music video.
“When we first started dating, I had come into that relationship post a lot of self-work. I had gotten out of a long-term relationship, I had a year and a half to date and be by myself and do a lot of work on myself alone. And when we met, I remember feeling like this has to be my person because I feel it,” she says.
“And so when we went into that relationship, and we started dating, I was very clear. I was like, I know what I want. I'm very clear on what I need, and I'm not going to withhold my truth about myself in this process because of pride or fear of rejection. I know you love me, but I'm coming with my heart in my hand to let you know that if we're gonna get there, we have to put fear aside and say yes. So that was kind of like my open letter to him, which is why the video is us having a conversation.”
Melanie also shares that saying yes to her partner has empowered her in many ways, including motherhood and showing up for herself. Her new EP, also titled Say Yes, will be available at the top of 2025.
Check out the full interview below.
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Almost two weeks later, Wicked is still on everyone's lips. The high-grossing film stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda, as their characters, tell a story about race and acceptance. However, what has captured audiences on and off the screen are Cynthia's and Ariana's looks as they play on their characters' styles.
Ariana, like her character Glinda, is often dressed in pink, and Cynthia, much like Elphaba, is covered in green. But what also has many people talking is the British actress' nails. Her nails are often long, blingy, and, of course, green. Many TikTok girlies are even doing their own versions of Elphaba's nails. But there's one person to thank for the green nail mania: Shea Osei.
The London-based nail artist has been working with the Wicked actress since she was 16 and shared all the tea on her epic nail styles with Unbothered UK.
Here what she said.
Shea On Elphaba's Nails Being The First Thing We See Before Seeing The Character
I was ecstatic. I was happy. It was just great to see my craft, my artistry just out there, not just nationally but globally.
Shea On Elphaba's Nails Representing Her Character Development
When we started with the first [nail] look, we chose nice, subtle green ombre nails that show who she is but a calm, chilled-out version of Elphaba. As she grew into herself, became more confident, and found herself, she was more like, yes, this is me, I’m Elphaba, I am who I am, and her nails became more daring. In the salon scene, when she had a transformation, her nails were, one, longer and two, they were more daring. There are many close-ups of Elphaba’s hands in the film, where you see her nails, and you see the difference in what they were [at the start of the film], so I feel like that helps to tell the story.
Shea On Elphaba's Nails Representing Black Womanhood
Yes, it was 100%. And I feel like, yes, the nails represented Black womanhood but also just being yourself. I just feel like the nails represented Cynthia as if to say, ‘I'm Black and I can be a Black witch’. This is who I am. And also, I can have braids and they can be done in any kind of way and can still be styled however is needed. I think we saw, if I'm correct, three or four different braid styles in the movie. Sim Camps, who styled the braids, did an amazing job — there would be mornings when she would be making sure the braids were intact and looked amazing on camera. So, yeah, definitely the braids were an ode to Black culture and the nails were 100% like, yes, we're doing it.
Shea On Seeing The Fan Recreation On TikTok
Yes, I have! If you are going to the salon and you want to recreate Elphaba's nails and let's say, you're going for the nails after the salon scene, where she just gets a fresh set, I would say ask for a plain black base and then ask if they have green foils to stick it on top to give that green effect. Then apply a shiny top coat. And it looks insane! The green ombre is more complicated with colours mixed to give it a green earthy colour.
Shea On The Importance Of Expressing Yourself Through Nail Art, Despite Some Criticism
We love it and don't want anyone to change. Let's look at athletes such as Flo-Jo, remember her nails? Now we have ShaCarri Richardson and her nails are always long and she's always got nice designs [on them]. It’s also Black people, not only Black women — because if you look at athletes that are men that make sure they get their nails painted as well. A$AP Rocky gets his nails painted. It's just so good to see that our culture is so colourful and also so inviting. It’s not only Black people that can have these kinds of nails, anyone can have them. I’m glad we can be the inspiration to everybody and they can draw bits of our culture and add it to theirs.
I like the fact that Cynthia is able to go out of there into the world and still be authentically herself. She hasn't changed for anything or anyone. This is how I am. I like my nails like this, my nail techs love doing my nails like this.
I'm over the moon that Cynthia can go out and still have her nails how she wants to. [Cynthia’s nails] has been a topic this entire Wicked press tour. Everyone will ask Cynthia about her nails in every interview and I love that. I love it because that's who she is. And if you see her you'll see that she's always got her nails done and she’s always got some banging heels on. Even on her down days, she’s always dressed. That's just how she is.
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