Nutrition 101--Eating Healthy Starts at Breakfast

If you are anything like me, sometimes voices from my childhood can replay themselves, especially when I least want to hear them!

Does this sound familiar? Its one of those frantic, chaotic mornings when you oversleep, you can’t find what blouse you want to wear because its in the dirty clothes hamper, you run out of toilet paper, then you forget that you son needs a lunch packed…you know what I mean. You barely make it out the door with your shoes on, never mind a nutritious breakfast in your belly. Eating healthy is the absolute last thing on your mind, and then that voice…"Did you eat breakfast? Good nutrition depends upon eating healthy to start your day!"

Ever since you were a child you probably remember hearing that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. From your mom to your teacher, they told you that filling up in the morning with a nutritious breakfast was instrumental to thinking and performing your best throughout the day. You may have even heard that eating healthy for breakfast can help prevent those late afternoon munchies from gaining an upper hand…and easily getting out of hand.

The truth is those things you heard were right. (Sorry to disappoint you.)

Breakfast is important, and fortunately it seems like that message has finally begun to take hold. Recent data suggest that more people are likely to skip lunch than they are breakfast. (Goodbye power lunches?)

But if you are a breakfast-skipper because you don't have time in the morning to eat, what can you do to get a nutritious start into your day, without having to get up extra early?

Let's take a step back. What does a "nutritious" breakfast consist of? (If you are thinking along the line of a couple of donuts and a latte, guess again.) The best breakfasts contain at least 400-500 kcalories, and include a source of protein as well as carbohydrate. This will keep your motor humming until lunchtime.

Nowadays people are looking for healthful breakfast items, items that are convenient and portable, too. In the past couple of years alone, sales of breakfast foods easily eaten with one hand such as energy bars, breakfast sandwiches and drinkable yogurts have experienced phenomenal growth.

Food companies have responded to this demand with more and more healthy, convenience breakfast foods. Breakfast bars, or a bowl of cereal in a bar as they are often referred to, are extremely popular these days. If you haven't tried any, you are missing out! Keep in mind, however, that some pack more of a nutritional punch than others, so be sure and read package labels carefully prior to purchasing.

Here’s a few good choices to get you going (as you run out the door…):

All Bran Bars (Kellogg’s): Yes, now this popular cereal is available in bar form (sans milk, of course.) One bar is an excellent source of fiber at 5g. Other selling points are an absence of trans fat and cholesterol with only 130 kcalories.

Barbara’s Bakery Crunchy Organic Granola Bars: 180 kcalories of deliciousness! These bars also contain 1g saturated fat, 3g fiber and 10g of sugar.

Barbara’s Bakery Puffins-French Toast, Strawberry or Blueberry Yogurt Bars: With 8g of sugar, 3g of fiber and 130 kcalories these bars are definitely worth trying.

Country Choice Organic Oatmeal Squares: Ahh…what could be better than a steaming hot bowl of oatmeal for breakfast? Try this substitute as you run out the door…and its even organic! You can buy these bars in Oatmeal Raisin, Apple Cinnamon and Maple with 4g of fiber a piece. The also contain 15% DV of iron and 10% DV of calcium.

Kashi Chewy Granola Bars: The company that makes Kashi cereals keeps coming out with new ones. These bars contain 30% whole grains, 4g fiber and 5g or protein a piece…this should keep those hunger pangs at bay for awhile! These crunchy and chewy bars also contain 300mg omega-3 fatty acids, and come in Peanut Butter, Honey Almond Flax and Trail Mix varieties.

Larabar: Ok, technically these aren’t breakfast bars, but I had to include these in the list because of they are made of fruit and nuts only. That’s right, no added sugars, gluten free, dairy free and soy free and super-scrumptious. The kcalories are slightly higher than other breakfast bars (approximately 200 kcalories a piece) and they contain more fat, but this comes solely from the nuts.

Nature’s Path Organic Granola Bars (Flax Plus Pumpkin and Peanut Butter varieties): Yummy. Enough said.

Roman Meal 100% Whole Grain Snack Bar: This is one that may fool you. These are truly a good tasting bar, although the calories are close to 200 a piece. But with 5g of fiber and between 250 and 3220mg of potassium and of course whole grain, these are definitely worth it.

Eating healthy for breakfast never tasted so good!