Three Healthy Breakfasts that Taste GOOD

These days we have a lot of people who want to lose weight, or simply who want to cultivate better eating habits. Or perhaps they want to create healthier eating habits in their kids. What to do? It is not easy to change bad habits, and there are so very many delicious but not nutritious foods out there today.

Breakfast is one of the main meals of the day that is culprit. For instance, we have extremely sugary cereals that children just love, and we have pop tarts with all kinds of gooey-ness on them. We also have "quick, efficient" microwaveable waffles, pizza pockets, meats, and all sorts of things.

In the name of speed and taste, what are we doing to ourselves and our kids? We are cultivating not only laziness, but also an inability to control the tongue, when really it is the stomach and the rest of the body that we should be worried about. One of the ways we can help deter these unhealthy habits and thus foster a more powerful, energetic, and healthy body is to watch what we eat for breakfast.

In this lens, I have four simple, quick ideas for foods that you can eat for breakfast that are both healthy AND yummy. They also are not "rabbit food" that leaves your stomach growling hours before lunch. They make your tongue, your stomach, and the rest of your body happy!

Oatmeal

When you read this, you might think, "Oh no, not OATMEAL!"

Oatmeal has a bad rep. It is often perceived as boring. The way it drips and sticks together grosses some people out. And if you dare mention oatmeal to your kids, they might make a face at you.

But oatmeal can be tasty! It also can be made according to your tastes. You can make it soupy or thick; you can put as much sugar, milk, and other things in it and on it as you like. Some people like bananas or other fruits with their oatmeal. Some like nuts or even granola (which is very healthy; I almost added it to this lens, but sadly, granola has even more of an "eww, gross!" reputation than oatmeal). Soy milk is healthier than regular milk, so if you put it in with your oatmeal you get even more health benefits.

I am one of those lucky people who enjoys oatmeal. My mother would make it for me as a kid, and she would put a lot of milk and sugar in it. Because it had lots of sugar, I did not mind eating oatmeal. But the sugar in oatmeal is nothing compared to the sugar in many cereals these days. For example, Trix cereal has a 41% sugar ratio, and Cocoa Puffs 44%. And if you want to get straight down to how many grams of sugar, Apple Jacks has 15, Trix 13, Lucky Charms 11, and Cinnamon Toast 10. Raisin Bran Crunch has a surprising 20 grams of sugar, Frosted Flakes 11, and Frosted Mini-Wheats (bite size) 12. On the healthier side are Kix, which has only 3 grams of sugar, Honey Bunches of Oats which has 6, Multi Grain Cheerios which also has 6, and Shredded Wheat has ZERO grams of sugar!

Any of these cereals with less sugar in them (they also have less carbs and fat) can take the space of number two in this lens. Oatmeal still has the number one spot. It is tasty, healthy, and can be suited to the individual. Plus, there's nothing quite like making oatmeal at home in your kitchen! It's easy, quick, and dare I say, fun.

Certain Cereals

I know, the title for this number is vague. Apologies. But like I pointed out in my previous section, there are a number of healthy cereals which have less fat, less carbs, less sugar, and are still tasty. Allow me to list some of these here:

CORN FLAKES - This cereal is yummy, but don't let the milk sit around in it! Then it becomes soggy really fast. I personally dislike soggy cereal. Corn Flakes boasts only 2 grams of sugar, 0 saturated fat, 24 carbohydrate grams, and 100 calories per 1 cup of cereal. It also contains 0 trans fat!

KIX - it may have 110 calories per 1 cup serving, but it also has only 3, that's right THREE, grams of sugar, 0 saturated fat, and no trans fat.

RICE KRISPIES - This one is on the higher end, with 120 calories per 1 cup serving and 29 carbohydrate grams. But, it only has 3 grams of sugar, 0 trans fat, and the *sound* of Rice Krispies is unmatched! There is nothing like introducing a kid to this cereal. When they say this cereal snaps, crackles, and pops, they mean it!

For a longer list of cereals and their properties, please visit my source link, here: http://www.acaloriecounter.com/breakfast-cereal.ph...

There is a great chart there that spells it all out for you.

What do you think of healthy breakfasts?

Toast

Toast. Just one magical word. But I'm going to get more specific. I'm going to recommend to you what one of my best friends loves to eat. It's healthy, and it's deeeliicciouuss!!!

The toast that I really recommend for its taste, its crunch, and its health properties is sourdough bread. Before you talk to me about whole wheat (which I also highly recommend!), let me finish. Sourdough bread is statistically healthier than other breads. In 2008, Professor Terry Graham studied 4 types of bread to test which had more health benefits. Sourdough bread came out on top. You can read the details here: http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2008/07/sourdough_brea...

Sourdough bread is so yummy, you don't even need to put anything fancy on it. Just slap some butter on that thing, and your tongue will thank you later! In the name of health, don't put too much butter on your toast. Besides, sourdough doesn't even need it. Its flavor is so strong, just a little butter to moisten your toast is enough.

Toast, like oatmeal, has the benefit of being adjustable according to what you like. You can make it crispy, lightly toasted, browned at the edges, or dark, however you like (unless you have a temperamental toaster at home, as I do. *sigh*). What I usually do is put butter on it, and that's it.

BUT...there is a secret ingredient to this toast. You don't have to add it, indeed your taste buds may hate it, but my friend loves it and so do I. What is the magic ingredient? BREWER'S YEAST. You can buy it at your local health food store, and it may come in a box or a bag. It's yellow, powdery, natural, and it's loaded with amino acids, proteins, vitamins, etc. It can be very strong, so I caution you again on being excessive; but put a pinch of it, lightly spread, over your buttery slices of sourdough toast, and you will be in for a tasty surprise!!

Just try it. If you hate it, then oh well. But if you like it, you can save it for further toast adventures, whether sourdough or otherwise (it really does go well with sourdough though). Brewer's yeast is also delicious on POPCORN! Sprinkle some and mix it into your homemade or microwaved popcorn mix, and you don't even need to put lots of salt or pepper in your popcorn. Brewer's yeast alone will turn popcorn from the "good" meter to the "fantastic" meter.

One word of caution about sourdough bread: the word "sour" is in there for a reason. Again, if you don't like it, oh well. I will mourn your loss for you. But if you like it, remember, it is SOUR. It doesn't go very well with really sweet things (and thus helps your sugar intake), such as jam. Keep it simple, buttery, and add brewer's yeast for a little pick-me-up.

That's my list! Hope it helps you stay healthy! Good luck! If you try any of these things, do come back and tell me what you think of them.