Meal of Champions

What's the most important meal of the day?

Breakfast! I know...this isn't new, but for some reason there are still people out there skipping it. Breakfast is beneficial for so many reasons....it helps kick start the metabolism to help keep weight in check, it refuels your body after going without food during sleep and it helps reduce cravings for high calorie snacks and lunches.

Of course, breakfast is only as good as you make it; if you're waking up to a bowl of Captain Crunch, or a grande chai latte and giant chocolate chip cookie you're pretty much setting yourself up for fail the rest of the day.

I think a lot of people are either short on time or get bored of the usual breakfast fare. So, here is a list of great, nutritious ideas to replace your boring breakfast (taken from http://evolvingwellness.com/topics/food/) :

If you like:	Healthy Substitution
Bread (white or brown spongy, or heavily processed whole grain)	Choose the healthiest, least processed, most nutritionally dense breads likeEzekiel bread or Sprouted Grain Bread
Bagels	Sprouted grain or whole, multi-grain, least processed bagels Consider less bulky, healthy bread options above
Nutella	Spread Hazelnut Butter with Raw Honey Any natural, unsweetened nut butter with sliced bananas on top
Jam	Homemade, fresh fruit spread: Banana – mash ripe banana in a bowl and use as a spread or topping Berries – mash desired berries in a bowl and use as a spread or topping
Eggs (fried or scrambled)	Scrambled Organic firm tofu Hard-boiled eggs – choose local, organic, free range eggs
Cereal (boxed, dry, processed)	Cooked real whole grain (steel cut oats, oatmeal, amaranth, teff, oat bran, kamut, etc.) All natural (unsweetened) Musli, Granola, or other grain flakes - Bob’s Red Mill Grains Homemade granola
Bacon or Sausage	Sorry, there is no healthy substitute for these food choices. For optimal health, they should be avoided. Not even the vegan/vegetarian mock versions of these items are healthy.
Cheese	To spread – use hummus (homemade or most natural store bought varieties) To drizzle – use cashew & nutritional yeast ‘like cheese’ sauce To slice – use Organic Firm Tofu
Coffee or Tea	Eat more greens and focus on getting more sleep for better, more regular energy levels Green Tea Herbal Tea
Orange Juice (processed, store bought)	Peel and blend fresh oranges in a blender with water/ice cubes
Granola Bars (boxed, processed)	Lara Bars, Salba Bars, Weil Bars, Organic Food Bars, Oskri Coconut Bars, other all-natural Fruit & Nut bars Homemade granola or fruit & nut bars
Doughnuts dhajsd	Sorry, there is no healthy substitute for these high sugar, high bad fat food choices.
Muffins (store or restaurant bought)	Homemade muffins (opt for healthy ingredients, eliminating bad fats, sugars and chemical additives)
Milk	Raw, organic milk Organic Brown Rice, Soy or Almond Milk (choose least processed brand) Make your own milk like Banana Milk (blend banana with plenty water in blender), or Almond Milk.
Yogurt	Organic Kefir Organic, natural, unsweetened yogurts (add your own fruits, nuts or raw honey to sweeten)
Fruit Juices/Drinks	Blend fresh fruits together using a blender (add more water to make a juice, or less water to make a smoothie) Use a juicer to make a homemade fruit and/or vegetable juice
Protein Shakes fhskj	Hemp Protein or Hemp Seeds blended in fruit smoothie
Pancakes, Waffles orCrepes	Make your own homemade (from natural ingredients) versions of these items (top with fresh fruits & nuts, raw honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup) –homemade crepes Sweet Potato pancakes
Potatoes (fried/hashbrowns)	Steamed, Baked or Boiled sweet or regular potato Sweet Potato pancakes
Food additive: Sugar (white or brown)	Raw Honey Brown Rice Syrup Maple Syrup Agave Syrup (must be organic & raw certified)
Food Additive: Salt fjhj	Sea Salt – must be grey or pink (not white and refined for maximum benefits)
Other Healthy Options	Green Smoothie Fruit and/or nut and/or vegetable salad Potato Salad (homemade, no mayo, or processed dressings) Bean Salad (from cooked, not canned beans) Raw nuts Hemp seeds

Enjoy your long weekend!

In good health,

Wendy