Take a Breakfast Break

If you're one of the many breakfast skippers out there (you're not alone; roughly 40 percent of Americans don't eat breakfast, according to one survey), you may be struggling to start every day with a healthy bite. Whether you’re missing the meal because you have no time or you're just not hungry, we've got the solution: These delicious, nutritious and easy-to-make breakfasts. Each has about 400 calories, offers at least 9 g of fiber and 350 mg of calcium, and takes only minutes to prepare. Between these meals and the ones listed in the Menu Plans, you should have enough options to get going. (For even more breakfast ideas, check out The Best Life Diet book and the companion website TheBestLife.com.)

Chocolate-strawberry smoothie with a whole-grain bagel

In your blender, combine:

8th Continent Soymilk, Light Chocolate, 1 cup

Banana, 1 medium

Strawberries, frozen, unsweetened, 1 cup

Serve with:

Bagel, whole-grain, 1/2 bagel (around 100 calories)

Cream cheese, reduced-fat, 1 tbsp

Whole-wheat English muffin with almond butter served with low-fat yogurt and blueberries

Toast muffin and spread with peanut butter:

Whole-Wheat English Muffin, 1 muffin 

Peanut butter, 2 tsp

Serve with:

Low-fat, plain yogurt, 6 oz

Blueberries, 1 cup

Oatmeal topped with almonds and blackberries served with nonfat milk

In your bowl: (Start with heaping 1/4 cup oats and cook with water according to package directions)

Oats (steel cut or regular), 1/4 cup

Blackberries, 1 cup

Slivered Almonds, 2 tbsp 

Serve with:

Milk, nonfat, 1 cup