CHAPTER 5

BREAKFAST

In high-income and middle-income countries, breakfast is probably the most sugar-saturated meal of the day. Just think about it: sugary cereals; donuts; pastries; pancakes or French toast or waffles and syrup; jam; bagels; rolls of all kinds. Our usual choices, the sugary ones, are quick. They’re easy since they’re usually processed and ready-made. They give us a jolt of energy, temporarily. Ever feel like you’ve hit a wall at 10 A.M.? It’s probably because of that sugar fest we call breakfast.

I get it: Mornings are busy, even chaotic, especially in a household with kids. How many people do you know who actually take time to sit at the table for breakfast? Not many, I’ll bet. In this chapter, you’ll find healthy breakfast alternatives. Most of these dishes can be made ahead so that you can just grab them in the morning. The things that need to be made fresh take only 5 to 10 minutes of active time.

Try these low-sugar, high-fiber breakfasts for a couple of weeks. I bet you’ll find that you have energy all morning, no midmorning crash. You probably won’t be hungry until lunch. And that’s the idea.

RECIPES:

Breakfast Grains—A Tutorial

Homemade Granola

Homemade Muesli

Nut Butter Bars

Tutti-frutti

Yogurt Parfait

Fruit Salad Twelve Ways

Berry Compote

Applesauce

Low-Sugar Blackberry Jam

Homemade “Sausage”

Almost Homemade Salsa

Power Muffins

Baked Fruit Oatmeal

Whole-Grain Yogurt Pancakes

Joe’s Scrambles and Three Others

Polenta Patties with Sautéed Greens, Poached Eggs, Roma Tomatoes, and Basil Salsa

Lox and Egg Scramble

Veggie Brown Rice Frittata

Breakfast Burritos or Tacos

BREAKFAST GRAINS—A TUTORIAL

We’ve got half of it right: We often eat grains at breakfast. Unfortunately, we eat grains that are usually overprocessed and covered in sugar. Try whole grains instead. The fiber in them helps slow down the metabolism of nutrients, avoiding those insulin spikes that shunt calories to fat.

Top breakfast grains with a few chopped nuts, some yogurt or milk, some berries, compote, applesauce, or chopped fruit. That’s a breakfast that will taste great and keep you going until lunch.

COLD BREAKFAST CEREALS

Whole-grain, low-sugar cold cereals exist but you need to really read the label! Packaged granola or muesli often has as much sugar as a candy bar. Avoid it. Make your own instead.

Choose high-fiber cereals that have no added sweeteners. Look in the healthy food section at the supermarket, or try your local health food store.

Here are cold cereals that I recommend:

GOES WELL WITH:

HOT BREAKFAST CEREALS

In America, we’ve got a very limited notion of what grains can be eaten for breakfast: We stick mostly to oatmeal (usually quick oatmeal packets, full of sugar), cream of wheat (overprocessed) or, in the South, corn grits. Expand your horizons! Barley, quinoa, polenta, even leftover brown rice or farro can make excellent breakfast choices. Top them with milk, fruit, compote, applesauce, or toasted nuts. After a while, your palate will change, and you’ll begin to love the varied flavors and textures of these grains.

Whole grains do take longer to cook. See Chapter 7 for more information. You can cook the grains the night before, as you’re making dinner. Or you can soak them overnight to speed things up in the morning. Freeze in one-serving sizes for up to one month.