Think back to this morning. What did you have to eat? A. Coffee and a doughnut B. A granola bar C. Nothing D. Cold cereal E. A hearty, hot breakfast Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it's one that too many of us often skip. This month is Hot Breakfast Month. Sure, it's a silly holiday created as a marketing gimmick, but if it gets you to fill your belly with a square meal in the mornings, it has served its purpose. Think you don't have time for hot breakfast? Think again. I've even converted my boyfriend, Fred. Fred, who is the antithesis of a morning person, has long complained that he doesn't have time for a real breakfast. He grabs a cereal bar or a pastry from the coffee shop where he grabs his morning cup of joe, and that's breakfast. I've tried to get him to take a hard-boiled egg, a peanut butter sandwich or even a homemade breakfast burrito, but he's usually not interested. I tried to get him on the oatmeal bandwagon with me, but he didn't bite. Finally, he remembered that he loved Cream of Wheat as a kid. I checked out the nutrition facts at the grocery store last week. (I do all the shopping and cooking; he cleans and does laundry. We've got a great setup!) The original has only 1 g fiber. However, there's a whole-grain Cream of Wheat with 4 g of fiber a serving! Score! Now he's hooked on hot cereal in the morning. He takes a container of dry cereal with a drizzle of maple syrup, then adds hot water from the water cooler at work. It's ready in under a minute, and he has had a filling breakfast. If he can make time for a hot breakfast, so can you. Here are a few tips to get you started: Make batches. Breakfast burritos freeze well and can be eaten in the car, on the bus or at your desk. Try whipping up larger batches of low-fat quiches, muffins or quick breads on weekends and freezing the extras for busy mornings. Pre-portion. Save money by buying oats or hot cereal in bulk (or at least not in those single-serve packets), and make your own single servings. Measure the proper amount into food storage containers, add your favorite toppings and head off to work or school. Add water and heat once you reach your destination, if need be. Think "healthful." Hearty, heavy hot breakfasts are common weekend meals for many people. Eggs, bacon, pancakes slathered with butter and syrup… while those are delicious "sometimes" foods, you can eat within your calorie range and still enjoy a hot breakfast. Whole-grain toast with all-fruit spread, wheat pancakes (add real maple syrup to the batter to make them portable and less messy) and egg whites on English muffins with low-fat cheese are all slimmed-down versions of your favorites. Want to get started? Find breakfast recipes (for fewer than 200 calories a serving) at SparkRecipes Toppers from Quaker Oats A Tribute to Oatmeal by Kath Eats Real Food Egg McMuffins for Home Skillets by CheapHealthyGood Last year, Jimmy Dean and Zogby International surveyed the breakfast habits of more than 6,000 people living in 25 major U.S. cities. Here are their results: "With more than 70 percent of San Diegoans waking up to enjoy breakfast each morning, "America's Finest City" tops the list as America's "Best Breakfast City." Another California city, Sacramento, came in last with 14 percent of people forgoing breakfast and only 46 percent making it a part of their regular daily routine. Also ranking at the bottom of the list is Orlando, Fla., where 11 percent of people skip out on breakfast and 46 percent eat it regularly. Do you eat a hot breakfast? What's your favorite healthy, easy-to-make hot breakfast? |
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