by Donita Weddle

Created on: September 28, 2008   Last Updated: October 06, 2008

My grandmother, and then my mother, always said that breakfast was the most important meal of the day. Scientific research has confirmed what they always said. The brain needs that morning fuel to function at its peak. The body needs it for energy. But morning is a busy and often chaotic time for many Americans, and breakfast is often neglected. Fortunately, there are a lot of quick breakfast ideas, both in the kitchen and on the road.

IN THE KITCHEN

Although you can make great breakfast foods in under 5 minutes, it may help to have small tubs of diced onions, green peppers, grated cheese, and pre-cooked sausage or sausage patties in tubs in your refrigerator or freezer. That said, here are some fast and healthy choices.

* Eggs. They are low cost and so versatile. They can be quickly scrambled with any of the aforementioned ingredients and then stuffed into a whole-grain tortilla or pita, or just eaten by themselves.
* Whole grain toast with some kind of egg (scrambled, boiled, poached, etc.)
* String cheese with an apple, and, you guessed it, a hard-boiled egg
* A fried egg sandwich
* Microwaveable oatmeal topped with low fat milk and fruit and/or nuts
* Yogurt, mixed with fruit and topped with granola
* A banana and low-fat yogurt
* A bowl of cottage cheese mixed with blueberries or pineapple
* A breakfast burrito (scrambled eggs and sausage or anything else healthy that sounds good, wrapped in a tortilla)
* Instant Breakfast (Carnation or some other brand, but watch the sugar content) in a glass of milk
* Fresh fruit (oranges, bananas, oranges you've peeled and sectioned the night before, grapes, berries) and trail mix.
* A fruit smoothie made with fruit and yogurt.
* Peanut butter and banana sandwich
* Peanut butter and whole wheat toast or whole grain toaster waffles
* For those who don't like traditional breakfast foods, leftovers are just as good - like a slice or two of pizza, or meatloaf and green beans. Zap in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minutes, and you've got a hot breakfast.

ON THE ROAD

Fast food restaurants are slowly but surely making progress in their offerings of healthy food choices, including breakfast. Be sure to check out the nutritional content though, before you make a regular habit of buying breakfast, as not all items are created equal in terms of calorie content and nutrition. If you just can't eat at home, you can try some of these.

* Starbucks whole grain oatmeal with nuts, dried fruit, or brown sugar. Not an oatmeal fan? They also offer multigrain rolls, apple bran muffins, a fruit and nut bar, and a power protein plate.
* McDonald's Fruit and Yogurt Parfait, Egg McMuffin, or Fruit and Walnut salad
* A Subway wrap with ham, egg, and cheese, or any of their other low fat, healthy choices in a wrap or on whole wheat bread
* Arby's sourdough ham, egg and Swiss cheese sandwich
* The Breakfast Jack sandwich at Jack-in-the-Box
* Burger King's Ham Omelet sandwich
* Dunkin' Donuts Honey Bran Raisin Muffin or Egg and Cheese English Muffin sandwich
* Don't forget your local grocery store. The frozen food section, the dairy section, the bread section, and the deli all have possibilities for a quick breakfast. Some possible options includes drinkable and squeezable yogurt, fruit cups, and microwaveable breakfast burritos (which you could zap once you get to your destination). Our local Safeway deli even has hard-boiled eggs.

With so many fast and easy breakfast choices, eating breakfast will hopefully become a healthy habit in no time. Your brain and body will thank you.

Sources: www.starbucks.com, www.bellybytes.com, www.webmd.com

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