Power breakfasts to fuel your day
Pouring milk over a bowl of a sugar-laden cereal may be a quick breakfast option, but it isn't satisfying, at least not to me. I know because for years that was my breakfast. By early afternoon the sugar jolt from the morning had worn off and I was tired and hungry. Then out came the bag of potato chips. These days my healthy breakfast recipes aren't heavy on the sugar. They're still fast, but are full of satisfying, healthy ingredients like fiber-rich fruits and vegetables and lean protein. My healthy breakfasts keep me going until lunch time, so that bag of chips can stay in the vending machine.
Here are a few of my favorite breakfast recipes. They all take 15 minutes or less (except for the peanut energy bar which I make ahead for a grab-and-go option):
Egg & Salmon Sandwich - Smoked salmon and egg whites on a toasted whole-wheat English muffin is the perfect power breakfast. For a more substantial meal, pair it with a piece of fruit or a glass of 100% juice.
Peanut Energy Bars - This carbohydrate-rich bar, full of nuts, seeds, fruit and oats, was adapted from Amy Harrison's prize-winning submission in the Plains (Georgia) Peanut Festival recipe competition sponsored by The Peanut Institute. It includes a little protein, and is a great grab-and-go pre-workout snack on mornings when you don't have time to digest a full meal.
Asparagus & Canadian Bacon Omelet - An omelet is a satisfying meal to start the day, and will give you staying power until your midmorning snack. Although cooking a low-fat omelet may seem complicated at first glance, it will quickly become second nature.
Tomato & Ham Breakfast Melt - We seek out thin sliced bread for this easy breakfast because it has fewer calories than regular bread. Several national brands distribute "thin" varieties. Otherwise buy a whole loaf and use a bread knife to slice it yourself.
Citrus Berry Smoothie
(see recipe below) - This meal-in-a-glass smoothie is bursting with berries and orange juice, healthful sources of carbohydrate and powerful antioxidants.
1 1/4 cups fresh berries
3/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
1 tablespoon toasted wheat germ
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place berries, yogurt, orange juice, dry milk, wheat germ, honey and vanilla in a blender and blend until smooth.
Makes 1 smoothie, about 2 cups.
Per serving: 432 calories; 3 g fat (2 g sat, 0 g mono); 15 mg cholesterol; 77 g carbohydrate; 20 g protein; 7 g fiber; 250 mg sodium; 617 mg potassium.
By Hilary Meyer
EatingWell assistant editor Hilary Meyer spends much of her time in the EatingWell Test Kitchen, testing and developing healthy recipes. She is a graduate of New England Culinary Institute.
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