There are many moods of breakfast. Sometimes I crave all natural cereals, sometimes sugary cereals, sometimes high fibre ones and sometimes just plain old wheat-bix.

(There’s never a time that I don’t eat breakfast. Not from a virtuous ‘the most important meal of the day’ mind, more that, like I said, I love breakfast cereals).

So, I’ve listed the best breakfast cereals by category.

1. Best for kids: Weetbix or any whole gain wheat biscuit type cereal. Kids can burn the carbs off in minutes. They’re cheap, easy to eat, easy to add fruit and stuff to and filling. Many active sportsmen claim to eat as many as nine each morning.
2. Best for weightloss or weight management. Anything low GI. Forget low fat. Most of these are high in sugar. Sugar is the weight losers enemy. Actually, with the amount of sugar we consume, it’s all of our enemy. A nutritionally well-balanced low GI breakfast cereal will keep you feeling fuller for longer so lessening the urge to snack.
   

   Best for weight loss? Low GI breakfast cereal.

3. Best for sugary hit. Take your pick. For mine it’s Crunch Nut Cornflakes. Just the other evening I was talking to a friend about our secret cereal fetishes and lo and behold the next morning the honey covered cornflake delights were on the table. My wife had bought some for a kids’ treat. More lo and beholding as I chowed through three bowls of the stuff. Fun while it lasted but regretted it the whole day.
4. Best breakfast recipes using cereals. I’m a serial cereal mixer. If you’re in a sugary mood, offset it by mixing the madness with some healthy breakfast cereal, especially anything low GI and high fibre and protein.
   For extra healthy breakfast, mix your healthiest cereals with some soy grits or protein. They don’t taste too bad but need to be part of a mix.
   A fresh breakfast recipe is to add some grated green apple to your cereal. Actually any fruit in season is a good idea. They add flavour, freshness and fibre.

Enjoy!

Breakfast cereal is good. Right?

For some reason most of us think cereals and especially muesli are good for us and our family. Of course, there are the obvious examples but surely grains and milk are are a healthy way to start the day.

If only it were so.

Are your kids eating a bowl of sugar?

Eating a healthy breakfast or a bowl of sugar?

Take 2 minutes and check the levels of sugar in the cereals your kids are eating. Go on, I’ll wait.

Surprising isn’t it?!?

Even the so-called ‘healthy’, ‘whole grain’, ‘all natural’, ‘real fruit pieces’ claims can mask sugar levels of 25%. And more.

Healthy foods aren’t always healthy I’m afraid.

The good news of breakfast cereal.

The good news is there are a few really healthy breakfast cereals on the market.

The first place to look is not the the front of the pack. That’s where all the marketing hype is. Go straight to the back. Check out the nutritional panel. There’s no hype there. Just facts.

DIY breakfast ideas

If you can’t find something healthy and low in sugar, it’s pretty easy (and cheap) to make you’re own. Plus, you can tailor it to suit your tastes.

Try nuts like:

• almond flakes
• hazelnuts
• linseed
• walnuts

Seeds like:

• sunflower
• pepitas
• sesame

Grains (whole) like:

• Oats
• Puffed wheat

Fruit (fresh is best)

• Whatever’s in season
• Kids favourites
• Berries
• Green apples, sliced or grated

Develop your own breakfast recipes. Share them with friends.

Maybe one day they’ll be so popular you can market them.

Enjoy!

In today’s world it just means fast. No-one has time for cooking or complicated breakfast recipes in the week, especially the working week.

But, that’s no excuse for eating badly in the morning. I think most of us have heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s just that not many of us treat it importantly.

Looking at the supermarket breakfast aisle we’re faced with a wall of cereals all making some sort of health claim. To be perfectly honest not many of them really live up to their healthy messages. But this is not an article about the pros and cons of breakfast cereals.

In short, a good short-hand for a healthy start to the day is a low GI, all natural cereal with less than 10% sugar (nb. even low GI products can be high in sugar).

Low GI foods are in good taste

Fast Breakfast Recipes

Low GI cereal with low fat milk and fresh fruit. Not only good for you the low glycemic index (GI) means you’ll feel fuller for longer.

Eggs and sausage. Yes, eggs and sausage! Use a non-stick pan (no oil), free range egg and a low fat sausage. Fast to prepare and filling.

Fruit salad, low GI cereal and yoghurt. Just grab whatever fruit you have handy or is in season and chop roughly (no time to spare on nice cuts). Adding low GI cereal adds some texture and protein. Yoghurt adds some calcium and sweetness.

Bubble and Squeak. Almost forgotten gem but one of my all-time favourite fast breakfast ideas. Using last night cooked (ideally steamed or stir-fried) vegetables, add an egg and pan-fry. Add a slice or two of whole grain toast and away you go.

Get creative with your breakfast recipes. In no time you’ll break free of the cereal routine.

Enjoy!

The following is a list of creative breakfast ideas involving fruit:

1. Spread peanut butter on a small pita and wrap it around a banana. Make sure you get your calcium with a large glass of cold milk.

2. Have a delicious waffle that is topped with berries and yogurt.

3. Fill a pita with fresh fruit and cottage cheese.

4. Have a scrambled egg or omelet sandwich with a tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. Have a fresh banana with it.

5. For a light breakfast, have a muffin or English muffin with a fruit spread, a banana, and a glass of milk.

6. Have a fruit smoothie made in a blender. One recipe is:

Berry Banana Smoothie

Ingredients: 1 frozen banana, peeled and cut up 1/4 cup fresh or frozen berries (such as raspberries, blackberries and/or strawberries) 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice 3 tablespoons plain yogurt

Preparation: Put the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

7. Have a delicious fruit salad. Cut up all your favorite fruits in a bowl. Add yogurt or honey. Add some granola on top. You can also try the following recipe:

Ingredients: 2 cups cubed cantaloupe 2 large red apples, chopped 1 cup red or green grapes 1 medium banana, sliced 1/2 cup lemon yogurt 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

Preparation: In a bowl, combine the fruit and mix. Combine the yogurt and orange juice and sprinkle it over the fruit.

8. Make some pancakes and add fresh fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.

9. Have a parfait that includes layering granola, yogurt, and fruit in a parfait dish.

10. Make a toasted bagel topped with cream cheese and fruit slices such as berries.

11. Have a healthy fruit Hodge Podge:

Ingredients:

1 honeydew melon cut up into chunks 1 banana cut into pieces 1 apple cut into pieces apples 50g of a granola cereal 2 tablespoons yogurt

Combine all ingredients. You can also use your own favorite fruits.

12. You can try this Breakfast Fruit Cobbler:

2 Cups of fresh, canned or frozen fruit Place fruit in a baking dish sprayed with cooking oil.

2 Tablespoon sugar 1 Teaspoon cornstarch 2 Teaspoon water or (juice from the canned fruits) 1/2 Teaspoon lemon juice

Mix together and pour over fruit in dish.

1/2 Cup quick cooking oats 1/4 Cup all-purpose flour 1/4 Cup brown sugar 1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon or (1/4 Teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 Teaspoon of nutmeg) 1/4 Cup cold butter

Preparation: Mix together cutting in the butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit in dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

A nutritious breakfast includes fruit which is a great source of fiber. Being creative with your breakfasts will make your food more enjoyable and give you the necessary fuel to take on the day.

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I love the the fact that eating is the best strategy to losing weight.

Diets, especially those that demand complete and instant change to routine, in many cases are counter-productive. That is, after the diet you put the weight straight back on. Maybe even more weight than you lost.

Plus, diets are plain boring, hard-work, anti-social and expensive.

Much better to eat your way to weight loss or weight management. Or to general health and wellbeing for that matter.

And there’s no better place to start than at breakfast.

If you had just one weight loss strategy to use then a good, filling, healthy breakfast would be it. (On the other hand, skipping breakfast is probably the worst weight loss strategy).

It’s pretty simple. What you eat at the start of the day sets your body and your mind up for the rest of the day. Throwing down a high carb, sugary cereal may be quick and taste great but the sugar rush is over as quick as it starts. What you’re left with is the familiar mid-morning slump. And that takes many of us straight to the cookie jar for yet another quick, tasty, sugary hit.

The good news is a filling, low carb, low sugar, high protein and fibre breakfast is easy to make and will keep you going through the day. You just need to top-up with smaller meals at lunch and dinner.

Here’s a few breakfast ideas and breakfast recipes to get you started. We recommend low GI cereal for weight loss and general health for many reasons especially it’s ability to make you feel fuller for longer.

Traditional Big Breakfast

Low GI cereal with low fat milk

Eggs, poached

Wholemeal toast, no butter

Coffee or tea with low fat milk and sweetened with a natural sugar alternative like stevia

Banana or small juice

Breakfast, Fast

Low GI cereal or porridge with low fat milk and fresh fruit and mint

(avoid cereals high in carbs and sugars, even the so-called ‘healthy’ cereals)

Chinese herbal tea throughout the day

Sweet Success

Low fat, low GI cereal with low fat yoghurt and fresh fruit (look for cereal high in protein and fibre)

Chinese herbal tea

Breakfast Crunchie Smoothie

Blend low fat milk or soy milk, banana, strawberries, low fat yoghurt and low GI cereal

Enjoy!