The Perfect Breakfast

Everyone knows it is important to eat breakfast, especially if you are trying to lose weight. I've also read that breakfast is supposed ot be the biggest meal of the day to get your metabolism going and regulate your appetite so you won't be ravenous in the afternoon.

Breakfast can be difficult for me during the school year because I have to leave the house at 6 am, and who wants to cook or even eat that early? This past school year my breakfast had to last 4 1/2 hours because my planning period was at the end of the day. Sometimes I would remember to grab some almonnds during that long run without food, but you can't always remember to feed yourself when you have 30+ teenagers in your face. I had a hard time finding something that would keep me full for that long. I often found myself foggy brained and lethargic at least an hour before lunch.

After much experimenting, I finally realized that the perfect breakfast for some one in my situation would be around 400 calories, low in sugar and carbs, and very high protein and fiber content to keep me going. Although I love protein smoothies, they only keep me full for about 2 hours, and I am not too big on cereal (it also sends me crashing). Here are two options I have been trying this summer in an affort to reteach myself how to eat.

For those Who have time to cook...
Dr. Praeger’s Spinach Pancakes ($4) are like healthy potato latkes for spinach lovers. I like to eat them with eggs in the morning and a little reduced fat sour cream. They are so tasty and for two I get 2 grams of fiber and protein each. They are available at health food stores like Whole Foods or in the health food frozen section of your supermarket.

I eat these with egg whites (8 – 9 grams of protein) mixed with reduced-fat cheese (7 grams of protein) and salsa. Add in some fruit or yogurt and you have a filling meal under 400 calories. Preparing this meal only takes about 10 minutes if you buy the egg whites in a carton.

Breakfast-on-the-GO
Fiber One Yogurt ($3 )
I love this yogurt, and it is so creamy.. There is no artificial sweetener aftertaste, fat, or that weird bitter yogurt taste. This yogurt is only 80 calories and includes 5 grams of fiber. The only, and somewhat significant, downside to this yogurt is that it has HFCS. That’s probably why it tastes so damn good, lol.

South Beach High Protein Cereal Bars ($4 )
Aside from the great taste, these bars have only 140 calories and high in protein (10 grams) and fiber (5 grams). SB considers your glycemic level, so you don’t have to worry about a crash later on in the day. Plus, I always seem to find coupons for them. My favorite flavor is peanut butter.

I usually eat just the yogurt and bar and have a snack 2 hours later, but when school starts I will add a fruit and some almonds to it to get it up to 400 calories.

What is your perfect breakfast for weight loss?