Everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you’re concerned about your weight, this is the time to spend your calories. You’ve got all day to burn them. The funny thing is that good breakfast food will supply you with protein, fiber and calcium, while being low in fat and calories. Go figure.
Makers of breakfast cereals are offering a lot more healthy breakfast choices these days, probably due to consumer demand. The next time you are at the supermarket in the cereal aisle, take a few minutes to take a close look the nutrition labels. Cereals that kids like are usually the ones that are full of sugar. A much better choice are those with whole grains, high fiber content and as little sugar as possible. Granola style cereals with added bits of dried fruit, such as raisins, cranberries and blueberries are ideal. These provide sweetness that is usually enough to satisfy the sweet tooth, and are much healthier than sugar. Honey is also a healthy alternative instead of sugar.
Even if you’re in a hurry, don’t skip breakfast. You need that energy to get started in the morning. If you’re into baking, this can be a very economical choice. Simply whip up a big batch of muffins and freeze what you won’t use in a couple of days. Whole grain flours are the best choice, especially if you need to monitor your intake of carbs. Bran muffins are excellent and you can add dried fruits or applesauce to make them a tastier snack.
Smoothies make a quick and nutritious breakfast food, ready in minutes and giving you a big head start on your quota of produce for the day. A cup of low fat milk, a banana, some fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries or peaches make a great tasting breakfast food you can drink on the fly. Bring it with you on your way to work or school. Instead of milk, orange juice and yogurt also makes a good power breakfast drink.
Make your own version of the fast food breakfast muffin, for pennies on the dollar. A whole wheat English muffin, filled with an egg, scrambled or fried, a slice of your favorite cheese and a slice of sandwich ham is a low-carb, high protein breakfast food. Using whole wheat pocket bread, you can make a one egg omelet for even more nutrition. An egg, your choice of meat, some diced sweet bell peppers and a bit of cheese fits neatly into the pocket, with some of those antioxidants added to the nutritive value of this easy breakfast food.
Weekends are usually when we all like to indulge ourselves. After all, that’s what weekends are for, right? Strawberry pancakes topped with non-dairy whipped cream, strawberry crepes, a Monte Cristo sandwich, or eggs Hollandaise are some of my favorites. These breakfast foods are not quite so healthy, but hey, it makes up for all those bran muffins you made the kids eat during the weekdays!
Here is a real simple German pancake recipe you can try for breakfast.
