Breakfast is such an important meal to start your day on the right foot. I think a lot of people aren’t always sure of what exactly makes up a healthy breakfast and that’s why a number of people grab anything that’s on hand and call that breakfast.

Breakfast should be healthy and nutritious. Breakfast should provide your body with fuel and help you maintain a high level of energy until your morning snack or your lunch.

If you are stuck for simple and delicious breakfast ideas, allow me to suggest a fast rule to help:

The ideal breakfast should contain the following:

* Whole grain carbohydrates

* Calcium rich foods

* Fruits

* Protein

You don’t have to eat all of this in one sitting because you can break down your breakfast into two – you’d eat some foods when you get up in the morning and you can keep the rest for a mid-morning snack.

The worst mistake you can make when it comes to breakfast (other than stopping at a fast food restaurant to grab something or thinking that doughnuts count as breakfast) is to eat the same food everything single day. That’s so extremely boring and a mistake you really don’t want to make.

There are a lot of breakfast options and you should use your creativity to fill your body and stomach with good food.

>>> Here are 10 breakfast ideas that will help cure any boredom:

1. Oatmeal: Cooked oats topped with a teaspoon of ground flax seeds, dried raisins and/or dried cranberries is a great breakfast and it’s packed with fibre.

2. Turn dinner into breakfast with a breakfast burrito: scramble some eggs, then top with chopped tomatoes, a small amount of grated cheese, and wrap up in a whole wheat tortilla. This breakfast will hold you for hours.

>>> Here’s a recipe we recently featured on the site: Healthy breakfast recipe: Spicy breakfast burrito

3. Make your breakfast parfait: Natural yogurt mixed with a banana, a handful of berries, and whole grain cereal makes for a wholesome breakfast. The best part is that you can prepare this at home and take it with you.

>>> Here’s a recipe we recently featured on the site: 10 breakfast recipes that burn fat?!?!

4. Almond butter: Top a slice of multi-seeded or multi-grain bread with a little almond butter, sliced banana, and raisins on top, served with a glass of milk (organic preferably). This is a power breakfast that will surely keep you working at optimal productivity levels.

5. Eggs are excellent: If you prepare a whole wheat English muffin and top it with tomato and hard-boiled egg slices, you’ll have a delicious and protein-rich breakfast.

6. Pitas can also be great for breakfast: Stuff half a whole wheat pita with a little 1% fat cottage cheese, tomatoes, and mushrooms and you are good to go!

7. Use your thermos: Put mini wheat cereal, mixed dried fruit, and mixed nuts into a plastic bag and eat at work with a thermos cup of milk.

8. Smoothies are insanely easy to prepare: Mix up a fresh fruit smoothie with mixed berries, and some of your favourite fruit into your blender with a cup of natural yogurt, one teaspoon of ground flax seeds, a cup of crushed ice and some protein (peanut butter or a serving of protein powder). There are thousands of smoothie recipes and this is a breakfast idea where you can really let your imagination run wild.

9. Open face morning sandwich: Whole grain bagel topped with reduced fat cream cheese, smoked salmon and sliced tomatoes, served with two small apricots, and a cup of fruit tea.

10. Brown rice pudding: Cook your brown rice the night before, then in the morning heat it up again and top with some raisins/cranberries, sliced apple, a sprinkling of cinnamon, and a little milk (soy milk or rice milk will do as well). I like to add some maple syrup and shaved unsweetened coconut on mine.

>>> You’ll find loads of delicious and healthy breakfast recipes inside Gourmet Nutrition!

* Gourmet Nutrition: Dr. Berardi’s new cookbook for the fit food lover (I love this cookbook and I love the healthy recipes). You’ll find over 120 recipes! This beautifully photographed book is a MUST-HAVE (in my humble opinion) for anyone interested in eating body-friendly food. You’ll love the taste and you’ll love what it does for your body.

If you are ready to take things to another level, you can also take a look at Dr. John Berardi’s Precision Nutrition Program.

* Precision Nutrition System: The Precision Nutrition System is a complete nutrition program containing seven guidebooks, a gourmet cookbook, and access to member’s only resources. It’s everything you need to get into the shape of your life. From the strategies to the food!

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Eating breakfast in the morning will help you burn fat? Well, yes! It’s a bit more complicated that just stating that breakfast burns fat because NOT all breakfast options are created equally.

Breakfast is the best way to keep your weight down and a healthy breakfast is the way to go.

Breakfast that includes high fat, high sugar and high salt options (pretty much anything you’d order from a drive-through or fast food joint) should NEVER be confused with being an acceptable choice for breakfast.

Eating a breakfast made with “slow-release” carbohydrates, such as oatmeal or bran cereal, three hours before you exercise may help you burn more fat, suggests a recent study in the “Journal of Nutrition”.

Here’s why certain breakfast choices help your body burn fat: in the study eating “slow-release” carbohydrates didn’t spike blood sugar as high as eating refined carbohydrates, such as white toast. In turn, insulin levels didn’t spike as high and because insulin plays a role in signalling your body to store fat (not exactly the desired outcome), having lower levels may help you burn fat (which is what all of us want).

Dr. Oz has been extremely vocal in suggesting that the simple act of eating breakfast can reduce chances of obesity by 30%!

>>> Add variety to your fat burning breakfast choices:

I’m quite partial to oatmeal, but let’s face it, not everyone shares my love for oatmeal. Here are a few more ideas from Eating Well to help make your next breakfast a fat-burning breakfast:

1. Scandinavian Muesli

2. Savory Prosciutto Muffins

3. Creamy Wheat Berry Hot Cereal

4. Breakfast Parfait

5. Quick Breakfast Taco

6. Cranberry Muesli

7. Banana-Bran Muffins

8. Wake-Up Smoothie

9. Apricot-Walnut Cereal Bars

10. Cranberry-Nut Mini Loaves with Flaxseeds

Top photo by wikipedia

All other photos by Eating Well

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Smoothie recipes are one of my favourite healthy breakfast options.

Smoothie recipes are not only cost effective, but when you add protein, they become an incredible healthy breakfast for people on the go!

Smoothie recipes require a lot of creativity, a few ingredients, a good quality blender and about 5-10 minutes of your time! Your blender becomes this magical kitchen gadget that can prepare a power-health-booster in about 5-10 minutes and set you on the right course for your entire day.

When I find healthy smoothie recipes, I do my best to post them on the site to encourage readers to make a healthy breakfast a priority!

If you are short on ideas for your next healthy breakfast smoothie, allow me to share the latest list of smoothie recipes from Eating Well!

>>> 7 healthy breakfast smoothie recipes:

1. Thermos-Ready Smoothie

2. Raspberry-Avocado Smoothie

3. Banana-Cocoa Soy Smoothie

4. Melon-Ginger Smoothie

5. Hawaiian Smoothie

6. Banana-Berry Smoothie

7. Citrus Berry Smoothie

>>> Healthy smoothie recipes: NOT all smoothie recipes are created equally!

To ensure your smoothies are a healthy breakfast choice, follow these 5 rules:

1. Don’t add too much sugar: Agave syrup, which looks like honey but is slightly sweeter is a great replacement to sugar. Its main advantage is that it has a lower glycemic index load. In other words, it causes less of a spike in blood sugar, so you’re less likely to feel hungry soon after you’ve had your smoothie.

2. Add some coconut water: If you need to thin down your smoothie, forget using sugary fruit juice. Instead, try coconut water, the liquid from young coconuts, which is rich in potassium and electrolytes.

3. Add protein to your smoothie recipes: Adding whey protein to breakfast smoothies as an easy-to-digest protein that contains all the essential amino acids is a great way to boost the power of your smoothie recipes. Alternatively, you can also use milk or yogurt. Try almond, rice and oat milk for a non-dairy alternative.

4. Replace your banana with an avocado: Bananas are a common addition to smoothies because they add sweetness, body, and nutrients. But they’re also high in sugar. So if you’re trying to cut down on the sweet stuff, toss in a quarter or half an avocado, instead. You’ll get lots of potassium, B-complex vitamins, antioxidants, and fibre. And while avocados are high in fat, they contain oleic and linoleic acids that are effective in lowering LDL cholesterol and increasing healthy HDL cholesterol. Plus, they’re one of the best fruits (yes, they’re a fruit) for keeping hunger pangs at bay.

5. Freeze your fruit or buy frozen fruits: Cut up chunks of peaches, plums, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, and apricots, and then spread them out on a tray and freeze them until firm. Store in a plastic bag until you’re ready to use them. You can freeze blueberries and raspberries whole. If that’s too much work, do what I do and buy your frozen unsweetened fruits when they are on sale and store them in your freezer.

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Raw cacao is a powerful antioxidant that is now getting a lot of recognition.

If you’ve not yet benefited from the amazing power of raw cacao, I’ll first list 8 health benefits of adding raw cacao to your diet:

1. Raw cacao helps stimulate your immune system.

2. Raw cacao boosts your energy level because it acts as a stimulant and this will boost your spirits.

3. It can help strengthen your cardiovascular system.

4. It can reduce chronic fatigue and general weakness caused by stress.

5. Pure chocolate is a mood enhancer because it directly stimulates various neurotransmitters in your brain (such as serotonin) to help reduce depression and to give a sense of euphoria or a sense of well being.

6. It is also considered as a mild aphrodisiac as it has shown to increase sexual appetite after regular consumption. Yes, raw cacao brings out the vixen (ladies) and fox (gentlemen) in you!

7. Raw chocolate has a very high ORAC quotient. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. This is an important property, as it denotes the ability to absorb free radicals from your body. Basically, raw cacao, helps protect your body from carcinogens and free radicals that can cause cancer.

8. Finally, raw cacao is a powerful superfood that helps regulate your sleep.

>>> How do I add raw cacao to my own diet?

Well, I really wasn’t sure at first. When I first bought raw cacao, I wasn’t sure how I was going to eat it. I put a handful in my mouth and quickly discovered that I would NOT be eating it like I eat my other dark chocolates.

1) Raw cacao smoothie

I then thought about my breakfast smoothies! The next morning, I added the raw cacao to my raw oatmeal and grinded it all in my blender then added the other ingredients I use to prepare my smoothies (raw sugar, 1 banana, 1 apple or 1 pear, my protein powder, ice, water, rice milk and frozen wild blueberries) and mixed the whole thing. I was pleasantly surprised because adding raw cacao to your smoothies is a great idea and you do taste the flavour (that said I did find that not all the chunks were finely grinded). Interestingly, the raw cacao concoction was not brown like it would have been if I have added chocolate milk to my smoothie because the flakes don’t melt.

2) Raw cacao oatmeal

A few weeks after the raw cacao smoothie recipe, I woke with this intense desire to eat cooked oatmeal. I usually let my creativity come to play and I usually add whatever I have on hand  — like fruits, dried fruits or nuts.

I decided to add raw cacao and shaved unsweetened coconut flakes to my oatmeal and topped it with maple syrup and rice milk and OMG what an amazing combination.

To this day, the raw cacao oatmeal recipe is my favourite way of eating raw cacao, followed closely by my raw cacao smoothie.

Raw cacao is a bit more expensive than dark chocolate or chocolate in general, but you will use only a bit of it at a time and it’s soooooooooooooooooooo good for your health.

I’d love to know if you eat raw cacao and if so, how to you add it to your diet?

Do share your raw cacao recipes by leaving a comment below!

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A healthy breakfast can be as easy and giving your morning coffee a slight twist! Yes, I’m big on breakfast smoothies and anyone who has been reading this site for a while knows that one of my favourite kitchen gadgets is my blender. I simply love how quickly I can whip up a delicious protein-base breakfast in 5 minutes!

I found this really great recipe that is a twist on the regular cup of coffee, which most North Americans call breakfast. Don’t get me wrong, I would walk far for a good cup of Costa Rican coffee (my favourite beans are from Costa Rica. Since tasting coffee in Costa Rica in November 2006, I’ve not been able to appreciate anything else at home). I do enjoy my morning latte but coffee is NEVER-EVER the first thing I put into my system. I usually have coffee after my fruits and a protein-base snack. If I start the day with coffee I get so shaky it’s surreal and I become famished quickly.

This recipe is a great twist because it gives you the taste of coffee without the having to deal with the emotional coffee-crash that follows the coffee-high.

I would add a scoop of your favourite protein powder to complete the recipe because right now as it stands it will hold you for 60 minutes max. Adding protein to the mix will hold you until lunch or until you eat a healthy snack.

For the Meatless Mondays, I want to offer you a healthy and quick breakfast recipe that will you’re your morning started on the right foot!

>>>INGREDIENTS<<<

2 small frozen bananas

1-1/2 cups low fat 1% milk

1 (6-oz) container low-fat coffee yogurt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

>>>INSTRUCTIONS<<<

Combine frozen bananas, milk, yogurt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a blender and blend till smooth.

>>>NUTRITION INFORMATION<<<

Servings per Recipe: 2

Amount per Serving

Calories: 247

Total Fat: 3g

Saturated Fat: 2g

Cholesterol: 16mg

Sodium: 155mg

Total Carbohydrates: 45g

Dietary Fiber: 3g

Protein: 12g

*** This recipe is part of the Meatless Monday series. It’s easy to go meatless with a vegetarian pasta recipe!***

If this is the first time you are reading about our weekly Meatless Monday feature, you can find out the reason why we’re featuring these vegetarian recipes by visiting this link to read the full story: Why not go meatless on Mondays?

Photo by Nikki L.

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Teri Gentes’ SunButter Pita Break-fast Pizza will give you the energy to kick start your morning!

If you just commit to eating a healthy breakfast each morning, you’d considerably reduce your risk of gaining weight because you’d be giving your body the proper fuel it needs to get started on the right foot.

You don’t have to eat a lot, but you really NEED to eat something nutritious.

Not only do you need a healthy breakfast to start your day, but you SHOULD ALWAYS include a good source of protein.

This breakfast recipe is the ultimate “no-excuse” breakfast recipe!

>>>SunButter Pita Break-fast Pizza<<<

>>>PREPARATION<<<

1. Begin with a 4 inch pita Break Breakfast Pita such as Muesli or Morning Grain (Break Breakfast is a healthy brand of pita sold in Canada, if you don’t have access to that brand, just stick with a small size whole weight pita – make sure there is no added sugar in the brand you pick.)

(All natural and preservative free www.pitabreak.com)

2. Spread evenly with 1½ tsp of SunButter (Crunchy, Original and Organic)

(This PEANUT FREE, real food seed butter is rich in vitamin E, thiamine and iron) www.sunbutter.com (you can also use some peanut butter, but make sure there is only one ingredient on the label: 100% roasted peanuts)

3. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp of all-natural local honey

(Unrefined, un-pasteurized honey contains trace minerals and enzymes beneficial for your health)

4. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp Ruth’s Chia Goodness Cereal

(More omega 3 than flax, more calcium than milk and a fabulous source of protein and fibre www.ruthsfoods.com)

5. Top with a generous sprinkle of cinnamon.

(Helps reduce blood sugar levels, lowers triglycerides/HDL, a digestive aid, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial)

>>>NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION<<<

Fast, easy this pizza provides approximately

11 g protein

49 g carbs

2 g omega 3

8 g fibre

Approx. 350 calories

Photo by Teri Gentes

>>> Teri Gentes is a wholistic lifestyle wellness educator and nutritional cooking coach helping people incorporate healthier habits into their everyday life.

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If you feel like you’ve been moving from one meal to another you might really love these recipes that are all about goodness and health!

Not long ago, Food & Wine featured a segment on 10 healthy breakfast recipes that help your body cleanse and detox after the overload of holiday foods and drinks.

These healthy breakfast recipes come from top chefs and they are all quite delicious and quite easy to make.

The ultimate mistake sooooooooooooooooooooo many people make at this time of the year (and in many cases all year long) is to skip breakfast because they feel they’ve eaten a lot of food.

You NEED breakfast because it will actually help you eat less food at those holiday gatherings.

If you wake up with a full stomach, bypass all these recipes and go straight to recipe #10, because even when you have a full stomach from last night because you’ve not digested well, you need to jump start your body after hours of fast and the smoothie recipe on this list will be your best ally!

I hope these 10 healthy breakfast recipes will inspire you to take time for a good breakfast during the holidays (I dare you to not be able to find one of these that you’ll like):

1) Soy Milk–Arborio Rice Pudding with Poached Figs recipe by Joe Bastianich

2) Poached Eggs with Parmesan and Smoked Salmon Toasts recipe by Jean-Georges Vongerichten

3)  Cinnamon Polenta Pancakes recipe by Marisa May

4) Overnight Oatmeal with Almonds and Dried Cranberries recipe by Grace Parisi

5) Spiced Yogurt Muffins recipe by Jennifer Musty

6) Fruit-and-Nut-Packed Granola recipe by Neal Fraser

7) Eggs Baked in Roasted Tomato Sauce recipe by Marisa May

#8) Maple, Pear and Ricotta Parfaits recipe by Marisa May

9) Mustard Green and Sweet Onion Frittata recipe by Gabe Thompson

10) Pomegranate-Banana Smoothie recipe by Grace Parisi

Photo by zoha_n

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Am I sounding like a broken record? I surely hope so. I will keep beating the healthy breakfast drum as long as I possibly can because breakfast is that important.

When I see people walking around with a cream cheese bagel or a Mc-something-breakfast-crap I want to run to them and hug them and run with them to some of my favourite breakfast eateries.

Since I cannot hug everyone on the planet, I figured the next best thing is to circulate information on healthy breakfast ideas and also share as many healthy breakfast recipes as I can find.

Since most everyone is always rushing in the mornings, I found these 8 healthy breakfast ideas from Eating Well.

Don’t forget to come back to the site and let me know which was your favourite recipe from this list:

1) Apricot-Walnut Cereal Bars

2) Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Frittata

3) Blueberry-Ricotta Pancakes

4) Quick Breakfast Taco

5) Lemon-Raspberry Muffins

6) Egg & Salmon Sandwich

7) Citrus Berry Smoothie

#8) Blueberry-Coconut-Macadamia Muffins

Top photo by lepiaf.geo

Photo of egg Benedict by thebittenword.com

Photo of pancakes and egg sandwich from Eating Well

>>> Healthy breakfast recipes are such a popular topic on this site that I’ve officially placed all these posts under one separate category. You can check it out here: Healthy Breakfast Recipes

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