Elevate Your Health Colorado: Your Health Information Resource

You would never forget to dress in the morning. Or comb your hair, or brush your teeth, or … well, you get the idea.

So why do so many of us skip breakfast? Skippers cite several reasons, including that they’re too rushed, too tired, or simply aren’t hungry when they wake up.

“Some people skip breakfast in an attempt to lose weight,” says Sue Heikkinen, RD, a board-certified dietitian with Kaiser Permanente. “But in reality, people who eat breakfast tend to weigh less.” In fact, 78 percent of members of the National Weight Control Registry —a study of those who lost 30 pounds and kept it off for a year or more—eat breakfast.

What’s more, according to the American Dietetic Association , studies show that breakfast eaters also concentrate and solve problems better than their non-breakfast-eating counterparts. They also have lower cholesterol levels, a healthier overall diet, and more energy.

Given all the benefits of breakfast, it’s time for skippers to stop skimping! Heikkinen offers some simple suggestions.

Grab-and-go
If you’re flying out the door for work, don’t forget to fuel up for the energy and concentration you’ll need. Here are some “briefcase breakfast” ideas.

• Keep string cheese and fruit in the refrigerator, stock whole-grain waffles in the freezer, and bake up a batch of bran muffins at the start of the week.
• Pack high-fiber cereal into sandwich bags and add to low-fat yogurt at work.
• Buy single-serving dried cranberry portions or fruit to serve over instant oatmeal.
• Sprinkle last night’s leftover veggies or beans with cheese and make breakfast wraps.

Easy breakfasts
If you have more time to wake up and smell the coffee, several simple breakfasts can get you off to a good start.

• Set up the blender before you go to bed, have low-fat yogurt and fresh or frozen berries ready, and voila, you’ll make morning smoothies in a jiffy.
• Serve peanut butter on whole grain toast or try peaches and honey on waffles. “The fiber and protein combination gives lasting energy,” Heikkinen says.
• Stock your pantry with low-sugar cereals. A recent study showed that children who ate cereal for breakfast have a better body mass index than those who skip breakfast.

Weekend leisure
Ahhh, the weekend. Time to let down your hair and crank up the skillet. Start your weekend healthfully with these family-pleasing breakfasts.

• Make whole-wheat tortilla breakfast burritos with scrambled eggs, black beans, salsa, and low-fat cheese.
• Toast whole-wheat English muffins and top with scrambled eggs and tomatoes.
• Experiment with fruits by mixing them into pancake and waffle batter; add vegetables such as onions and peppers to omelets and diced potatoes.

Finally, steer clear of low-nutrition cereal bars. Watch the calorie—oops—we meant coffee drinks. And try new things (like the Blueberry-Pecan Pancakes below, for starters). “For a lot of people, breakfast doesn’t have variety. That can be tiresome,” Heikkinen says. For more healthy recipes, visit Dr. Maring’s farmers’ market and recipe blog.

Blueberry-Pecan Pancake Mix Ingredients
½ cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole-wheat flour
½ cup dried blueberries
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1½ cups nonfat buttermilk
2 tablespoons canola oil

Preparation
Place pecans in small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat for 2-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk flour, berries, toasted pecans, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the mix.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, egg whites, buttermilk, and canola, then pour into the blueberry-pecan mix. Stir until just combined. Use about ¼ cup batter for each pancake. Yields 16 pancakes.

Nutrition information
Per serving (2 pancakes)
259 calories
10 g fat (1 g sat, 6 g mono)
54 mg cholesterol
35 g carbohydrate
8 g protein
356 mg sodium
109 mg potassium

For more healthy living tips, visit KaiserPermanente.org.

Sue Heikkinen, a registered dietitian, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado. She received her master’s degree from the University of Minnesota and performed her dietetic internship there.