Build a Better Breakfast
You'll feel better and more energetic than ever with these perfectly balanced no-recipe meal ideas.
- view all thumbnails
For a breakfast that will keep you energetic all morning long, try a mix of:
-Quality Proteins: The protein in foods such as eggs, nuts, and smoked salmon makes breakfast stick to the ribs longer.
-Healthful Fats: People who eat a breakfast that contains a small amount of fat, like that found in low-fat milk, usually eat less overall throughout the day.
-Complex Carbs: The fiber and nutrients from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables help you lower cholesterol and maintain a healthy weight.
For the Cereal Lover: Bowlful of Bounty
Trade boxed cereals for this muesli from Dave Grotto, registered dietitian and author of 101 Foods That Could Save Your Life. Combine toasted oats (about 1/2 cup) with almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and dried cherries. Add a splash of skim milk and drizzle honey on top. "It's a powerful bowl," says Grotto, who ate it every morning for 20 days and saw his cholesterol drop 70 points.
For the Super Rushed: Smoothie to Go
Blend a frozen banana, skim milk, fat-free yogurt, and peanut butter (plus a few berries if you like) and pour into a to-go cup. The ice crystals in frozen bananas make the smoothie frothy. If you want a sweeter flavor, use really ripe bananas. "Many take-out smoothies give you a lot of calories from sugar and then you crash," says Ellie Krieger, a registered dietitian and author of The Food You Crave. Not so with this one.
For the Egg Eater: Sunrise Sandwich
"Aim to get at least three food groups in your morning meal," says Jackie Newgent, registered dietitian and author of The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook. Her favorite: Layer a poached egg, guacamole, salsa, and spinach leaves on whole wheat toast and serve with a side of honey-drizzled, plain, fat-free yogurt topped with fresh raspberries and sliced almonds.
