Breakfast

Of all of the meals and snacks eaten, I am a firm believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the entire day. After resting and repairing your body all night long, you need healthy, nutritious foods to get your system up and running. I am always amazed at what people believe is food, especially breakfast foods. Sure, my family indulges in the occasional doughnut and on rare instances I do let the boys buy a box of sugar laden cereal, but these "treats" are eaten on special occasions like vacation or on Saturday morning. During the week I make it a point to serve a healthy breakfast every morning. As a preschool teacher I ask my students, usually during circle time, what they ate for breakfast. I usually hear Pop Tarts, Coco Puffs, Toaster Strudels or nothing at all. The last response concerns me more than a bowl of Honey Smacks. How can a parent send their child, especially a tiny child, off to school with nothing in their tummy?!

Breakfast does not have to be some elaborate, time consuming task. While we always eat at the table, one could easily create a portable healthy meal to feed in the car or at the bus stop. Here is a list of easy breakfast ideas:

Pancakes: I like to make double batches of whole wheat pancakes on Sunday morning. After we eat I layer pancakes between pieces of wax paper and freeze them in a zip lock bag. When the boys want pancakes on Tuesday morning all I do is reach into the freezer bag, grab a few frozen pancakes, pop 'em in the microwave and in less than one minute we have hot tasty cakes. In addition to making our pancakes with whole wheat flour, I also add in yummy extras such as pureed pumpkin & cinnamon, diced apples, pureed or whole blueberries (fresh or frozen depending what I have on hand), mashed banana and on occasion a few tablespoons of chocolate chips. If you add in fruit the cakes are sweet enough to even forgo the traditional maple syrup, making these super easy to eat on the run. And speaking of syrup, did you know that Log Cabin, Aunt Jemima, etc is NOT maple syrup? It is just high fructose corn syrup mixed with a bunch of artificial flavorings and other ingredients. Schnucks, Dierbergs, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, etc all carry 100% maple syrup. It is pricier compared to the $1.00 bottle of "syrup" you can get at Schnucks, but it is real, all natural maple syrup from a tree. I buy our maple syrup for about $6 at Trader Joe's. A little goes a long way!

Waffles: If you cannot make your own whole wheat waffles, but whole grain frozen waffles. Top with a smear of butter (peanut, almond, sunflower, soy) and some fresh sliced strawberries or banana and you have a fast, easy meal.

Burrito: Stuff a whole wheat or corn tortilla with scrambled egg, low fat cheese (and some diced veggies if so desired). You can eat this as you walk or drive.

Smoothie: Pour milk (skim, almond, rice, soy or coconut) into a blender with fresh/frozen fruit and a little low fat yogurt. If you have protein powder add in a teaspoon or tablespoon for added protein.

Oatmeal: I "stole" this recipe from my friend, Maria. Before you go to bed add 2/3 cup of old fashioned oats to 2/3 cup of milk (skim, almond, soy, rice, coconut....I like coconut milk). Mix and place in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to eat the next morning, pop the oats in the microwave and top with anything of your liking. I love to add a dash of cinnamon, a small scoop of sunbutter and some sliced banana. Yum!

Yogurt: A cup of lower sugar yogurt topped with sliced fruit and a few tablespoons of granola is a fast, healthy breakfast. Try Greek yogurt for added protein.

Other quick, easy, healthy ideas are fresh fruit such as apples and bananas, dried fruit packets (look for the sugar content), whole wheat cereals with higher protein/lower sugar content such as Kashi varieties, sunflower/soy/peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread/tortilla or a whole grain bagel with low fat cream cheese and sliced fruit.