Easy, healthy breakfasts

One of the cardinal rules of weight management is "always eat breakfast." When we wake up, we haven't had anything to eat for sometimes 10 or more hours. After such a long time without food, the body begins to go into conservation mode and slows the metabolism in order to hold on to the body weight that's still there. That's why it's really important to have something within an hour of waking up--the body needs this signal to know that you are not starving and go back to the normal process of using the stored fat, etc. for energy rather than trying to hold on to it.

That being said, not everyone has a huge appetite in the morning. This is an opportunity to get some of your daily needs in for a small amount of calories. As always, listen to your body. If you find you're not that hungry in the morning, but you're ravished by 11 AM, you might want to save a few more calories for a mid morning snack and keep breakfast small. Here some of my favorite things to eat in the morning:

Oatmeal: Best choice!! Fiber and protein to keep you full, whole grains, low fat & calorie, zero sodium and you can mix with all kinds of good stuff. Stay FAR away from pre-packaged instant oatmeal. It's full of sugar and sodium, and it's more expensive. The best way to buy oatmeal is in bulk from a health food store. It's super cheap (even for organic) and just as easy to make as the packaged stuff. It only takes a minute and a half and adding fruit and nuts almost makes it the perfect meal. I do bananas, sliced almonds and organic, unsweetened soy milk and it's delicious and under 300 calories. I eat it every single day and sometimes twice in one day. Yum!

Eggs: Eggs are a really good choice for a fast, inexpensive breakfast. You can easily add veggies to them and make and omelet with whole wheat toast or an egg sandwich if you're on the go. The yolks in eggs get a bad rap, but they are actually pretty nutritious and have the good cholesterol that's good for heart health. I usually use at least one full egg and add a white or two to add protein without extra calories. You can also do an egg based breakfast for 300 calories or less.

Cereal: I love, love, love cereal but there are many varieties that are trouble for your health (think teaspoons of sugar per bowl!). Kashi cereals are a great choice, and if you want to go more affordable, plain Cheerios with some fresh fruit will also work well. Stick with skim milk or light/unsweetened soy milk.

In an emergency, alarm-didn't-go-off situation, keep some low sodium veggie juice on hand and pour yourself a glass before you head out the door.