Healthy Breakfast

The one consistent piece of information across diet plans is that you must start your day with breakfast, and that doesn't mean coffee and a donut.

Research has repeatedly shown that people who eat breakfast lose weight faster, have more energy throughout the day, and are healthier in general.

Physiologically, after 7-9 hours of sleep, your body is ready for some nutrition to jump start your brain and get your metabolism racing. What are some good breakfast choices? And what if I don't have any time in the morning? These are common questions that I get asked.

First of all, as the most important meal of the day, breakfast deserves more time than the 5 minutes it would take you to eat a bowl of sugary cereal. Here are some things you can do to cut down on preparation time ...

1. Make a healthy fritatta ... sort of a quiche without the crust. In an oven-proof pan, cook the veggies of your choice, add some cheese, and eggs and toss in the oven. When cooked and cooled, cut into servings sizes, and store in the 'fridge or freezer for a quick and healthy protein-packed breakfast. Here's my favorite ...

1 Tbs olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
4 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup
feta cheese, crumbled
8 eggs (preferably organic, cage-free, omega-3),
well
beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Over medium heat, heat the oil in an oven-proof saute pan (I like cast
iron). When hot, add shallots and cook, stirring frequently until softened
and translucent. Add baby spinach and continue stirring until
wilted.
Sprinkle with feta cheese. Pour eggs on top of veggies and
cheese, and
spread evenly in pan with a spatula. Continue to cook on
stovetop just until
the edges are set.

Transfer pan to the oven, on the middle rack, and bake for 15-25 minutes
(depending upon the size of your pan). Remove from the oven when the top
is slightly browned and the middle is set.

Cool, and cut into 4 wedges. Store in the 'fridge or
freezer.

Enjoy!

To balance this meal out and add some good healthy carbs, have some fresh fruit on the side, or for something heartier try a bowl of steaming steel-cut oats. These whole-grain oats are slightly nutty in taste, and have a pleasant chewy texture. (You can also precook a batch of this, and store it in the 'fridge, just reheating your portion each morning.)

2. Hard-boiled eggs. Quick and easy. The most fool-proof method I've tried comes straight out of The Joy of Cooking. Boil enough water to cover the eggs. Add eggs one at a time (if they are room tempurature, they will be less likely to crack). When the water boils again, start the timer - 14 minutes for large eggs. When the timer goes off, pour out the hot water and fill with cold water and some ice (might need to "rinse" several times with cold water before adding the ice). When the eggs have cooled, the shells will easily slip off. Store in the 'fridge for up to 3 days.
So your quick breakfast might be 2-3 hard-boiled eggs, with fresh fruit.

3. Have some "Planned-Overs". Make extra of your dinner, and eat that for breakfast. Not suited to your palette? How about just making extra of your veggies and carb? Then you can make a quick omelette with left-over steamed broccoli and oven roasted potatoes. If cracking a couple of eggs is too time consuming for you, then make up a container of "egg beaters" by breaking your eggs in advance. Beat them and pour into a lidded container. Then just before pouring into the pan, just give the container a shake. (This will last up to 4 days in the 'fridge.)

4. PLAN AHEAD! This one is a big one. Plan for your breakfasts, and you will be sure to not fail. Don't like eggs? That's okay. How about cottage cheese? Or smoked salmon? Or organic chicken/turkey sausage? If you plan and search hard enough, you will find items that you like, that are healthy, that will fit your breakfast needs.

Here is a recent breakfast of mine ... a 2-egg omelette with planned-over rainbow swiss chard and goat cheese, 1 oz smoked salmon, and 1 cup strawberries.

What's so good about it, besides the taste? It was quick to make (under 10 minutes); it has lots of protein to keep my engine running all morning; plenty of fiber with the swiss chard and berries; and lots of great healthy fat with the salmon, omega-3 eggs, and goat cheese to keep me feeling satisfied and full.

So get started today on your health journey ... start with breakfast ... the most important meal of the day!