What you eat for breakfast may seem like a minor decision, but it can set the rest of your day up for success — or sluggishness, headaches and hunger by 11 a.m.

Doctors, who often have exceedingly busy schedules, lean on the same few healthy breakfasts to carry them through their days. And there’s one meal in particular that stood out as a favorite among experts in gut health, cancer and cardiology.

Expert Tip: Doctors Rely on This Easy, Filling, Healthy Breakfast

When TODAY.com spoke to 17 medical professionals in different specialities, many of them said they ate the same thing for breakfast: oatmeal.

But not just any oatmeal — they prefer steel-cut oats which are “high in fiber, including the soluble fiber beta-glucan,” gastroenterologist Dr. Wendy Ho, health sciences clinical professor at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, told TODAY.com previously.

That type of fiber “keeps the gut regular and prevents constipation,” Ho said. Rolled oats have less fiber than steel-cut oats, but still offer many of the same benefits and take less time to prepare, she added.

And, while the experts prefer to top their oatmeal with different ingredients, there were some commonalities. In particular, they use things like chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts and berries.

Why It Matters

Steel-cut oats topped with nuts, seeds and fresh or dried fruit offer a filling and energizing combination of fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.

“I’m trying to get in lots of good fiber, as well as healthy fats with some seeds, and then the good phytonutrients from the dried fruit,” Dr. Jennifer McQuade, an assistant professor and physician-scientist in melanoma medical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, told TODAY.com.

You can make oats with whatever type of milk or milk substitute you prefer. For example, Dr. Susan Cheng prefers to use a non-dairy milk alternative to cut down on saturated fat.

Cheng, a professor of cardiology and the director of public health research in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, also said she preps her overnight oats with chia seeds, frozen or dried fruit, nuts and seeds.

And oats are endlessly customizable, so you can make them to your particular tastes and mix them up so you don’t get bored. You can swap in nut butters or different fruit when it comes into season, like swapping in sliced apples or pears in the fall and chopped peaches or berries in the summer.

How to Get Started

While oatmeal may have been the most popular healthy breakfast among the doctors TODAY.com spoke to, there were other nutritious options that came up frequently.

So if you’re not an oatmeal fan, don’t fret. Instead, try these other healthy breakfast ideas:

  • Plain yogurt with fresh, in-season fruit. Try adding seeds, nuts or puffed kamut (an ancient grain) for added crunch and nutrients.
  • Whole-grain toast topped with avocado or peanut butter. Some doctors said they have protein, like egg whites or salmon, on the side.
  • Smoothies with fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Try adding plain Greek yogurt or tofu for extra protein.

All of these lean on combinations of fiber, protein and healthy fat to keep you full without spiking your blood sugar. And you’ll get some delicious flavor with the addition of nutrient-rich plant foods like fruit, seeds and nuts.

TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.