The other day, I was talking with my sister about eating healthy and she said, “Breakfast is the hardest meal for me. After all, what can you eat besides bacon, sausage, or eggs?” Eating breakfast is essential to your weight loss efforts. A National Weight Control Registry survey has shown that people who eat breakfast tend to be slimmer than people who do not. Eating breakfast kick starts your metabolism in the morning.
Because eating a healthy breakfast is a problem for many people, I would like to share with you some ideas for this meal to help you start your day right.
Omelets
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- – Okay I know these are made with eggs, but let’s make them healthier. To start, mix three egg whites together, plus one yolk. Cook the mixture in a pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Fill the omelet with green onions, red peppers, mushrooms, and low fat mozzarella cheese. For an added kick, serve with 2 tablespoons of chunky salsa or low fat sour cream.
Breakfast pizza
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- – To create an Italian masterpiece, simply spray two whole wheat English muffin halves with olive oil spray. Toast lightly. Top the halves with two tablespoons of tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce on each. Then add some chopped vegetables, such as peppers, mushrooms, artichokes, or olives. Cover the vegetables with part-skim mozzarella cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes in a 425 degree oven. This pizza also makes a good lunch.
Smoothies
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- – Want something sweet and healthy? Try a Strawberry, Orange, and Banana Smoothie. To make one, pour one cup of orange juice in a blender. Add one cup of frozen strawberries, one whole banana, and a scoop of vanilla flavored protein powder. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!
Nutty Yogurt
- – If you are in a hurry, nothing beats a small container of fruit flavored non-fat yogurt and mixed with 2 TBSP. of almonds, pecans, or walnuts. Alternatively, you can also stir in ½ cup of quick cooking oats. If you want a more traditional breakfast, then there is always breakfast cereal. For maximum nutrients, you want to make sure that the cereal you choose has at least five grams of fiber per serving. Add ½ banana or a cup of berries for an extra vitamin boost and top with either skim or 1% milk.
With a little creativity, you can develop your own favorites. Use this meal to set the tone for good nutrition all day long.
A Registered Nurse for many years, Kimberly Floyd battled obesity for much of her adult life. She achieved her ideal weight and has written a new book entitled ‘Moneywise Weight Loss’ which teaches others how to lose weight and save money–at the same time.
Kim has written articles for the Georgia Nurses Association publication and Nursing Spectrum Online. Now a technical writer, she has written training programs for corporate clients, including IBM, U.S. Bank, and Cingular.
Kim also teaches an online course called ‘Goodbye to Shy [http://www.ed2go.com/cgi-bin/ed2go/newcrsdes.cgi?course=gbs&title=Goodbye^to^Shy&departmentnum=PE]’. This course is distributed to over 1100 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and Australia through Thomson Learning. An accomplished speaker and trainer, she delivers presentations on health-related topics to enthusiastic audiences.
