Kids are back in school, and many parents are scrambling to get breakfast on the table. New York nutritionist Joy Bauer, the mother of three children and author of Slim & Scrumptious,says parents should have a repertoire of four or five delicious, healthful breakfasts that they can whip up in short order. Among her recommendations:
Mind and body
Research shows that students who eat breakfast do better on standardized tests and have improved cognitive function, attention spans and memory skills. Plus, children who start the day with healthful fare are also likely to have consumed important nutrients such as calcium, fiber and protein.
Choose whole grain
•Whole-wheat toast, a whole-grain toasted waffle, whole-grain pita bread or an English muffin makes a nutritious base. Spread with peanut butter and sliced fruit such as apples, grapes, strawberries or bananas. "That way, you're eating nutrient-packed fruit instead of sugary jam," Bauer says.Or top your whole-grain base with a scrambled egg or sliced tomato and melted low-fat cheese or reduced-fat cream cheese and lox.
Get creative with ingredients
•One of Bauer's kids' favorite recipes includes a touch of cocoa powder and some semisweet chocolate chips. Bauer says she's "crafty enough" that she incorporates whole-wheat flour and flaxseed into the recipe.
•Oatmeal can be interesting. "I take plain oatmeal and have fun doctoring it up with foods like dried fruit, fresh fruit, nuts, wheat germ or ground flaxseed," Bauer says. Sometimes she adds a tablespoon of chocolate chips or colored sprinkles. Or she may add 1 or 2 teaspoons of white sugar, brown sugar, honey or maple syrup along with one-half to 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Another spicy addition: ground cinnamon, nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice.
•Adding vegetables to egg dishes is a bonus, she says. Try it with scrambled eggs, omelets and frittatas.
Be smart with dairy choices
•Add non-fat or 1% low-fat milk to whole-grain, kid-friendly cereal.
•Build a parfait with non-fat Greek yogurt, whole-grain cereal and chopped fruit.
RECIPE: Muesli parfaits can be made in advance
EASY: Low-calorie breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks
•Combine whole eggs with egg whites and mix in 2% reduced-fat cheese.
Make a better muffin
•Look for muffin recipes that cut down on the oil and sugar. Use whole-wheat flour and oats, sweeten with fruit and natural unsweetened applesauce. Bauer uses half all-purpose flour and half whole-wheat flour. She advises making a batch of muffins and freezing them so they are ready to go at any point, especially on busy mornings.
Be healthy on the go, too
•Plan some nutritious, easy-to-carry snacks such as a health bar, piece of fruit and homemade trail mix. "This kind of light, on-the-go snack is often the perfect compromise for kids and adults who can't stomach the thought of food first thing in the morning, yet want to reap the benefits of a high-octane morning energy boost," Bauer says.
•To make trail mix, combine half a cup whole-grain cereal, 1 to 2 tablespoons of nuts and 1 to 2 tablespoons of raisins.
Beyond kids: Eating breakfast is 'a smart strategy' for dieters
Dieters who eat breakfast drop more pounds than those who skip it, and breakfast is a regular habit of people who have lost a lot of weight and kept it off, research shows.
"When you look at the pool of evidence for health, well-being and effective weight management, breakfast is a smart strategy," says Karen Miller-Kovach, chief scientific officer for Weight Watchers. That's one reason the group encourages its members to eat a breakfast that's high in fiber and protein.
If you do, you are more likely to start in control of your hunger and stay in control, she says. If you skip breakfast, by the time you get to lunch, you may be famished and overeat, she says.
The meal should include a food that's rich in protein, such as an egg, peanut butter or non-fat or low-fat milk, and something high in fiber, such as whole-grain cereal, oatmeal or whole-wheat bread, she says.
Her traditional breakfast is a poached egg on whole-wheat toast, she says. "That's always what I get when I'm traveling."