5 Healthy Breakfasts to Aid in Weight Loss

Not only is breakfast the most important meal of the day, it is essential to long lasting weight loss. Breakfast boosts your metabolism so that you burn calories at a higher rate for the remainder of the day. Sometimes, however, it can be difficult to think of healthy breakfast foods to eat. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Oatmeal: Oatmeal is a great breakfast food. It is loaded with fiber which is important in any diet. Stay away from the flavored instant oatmeals, however, because they are laden with sugar. It is much better to add your own sweetener because you can control how much you are using. There are also different ways to sweeten your oatmeal. Some sweeteners include honey, brown sugar, raisins, fresh fruit, low sugar jam or preserves. A touch of vanilla or cinnamon also adds sweetness and flavor without a lot of calories. I love to add raisins, cinnamon, and a hint of brown sugar to my oatmeal.

Veggie omelet with whole wheat toast: One trick in making a healthy omelet is to cut down on the yolk and use more whites. If you want to make an egg white omelet you can, but you may lose some flavor. When I make an omelet, I use two egg yolks with three egg whites. This makes the omelet nice and fluffy, and you still maintain the taste. Throw in the veggies of your choice, add a slice of whole wheat toast and a piece of fresh fruit and your meal is complete.

Yogurt with fruit and nuts added. Start with a yogurt that is low sugar and low fat. Some of the Greek yogurts are low in sugar. Chop up some of your favorite fruit and throw in a few nuts or low sugar cereal and you have a yummy, complete breakfast. I love to add fresh blueberries and chopped walnuts to my yogurt.

Cold cereal. Contrary to popular believe, cold cereal CAN be healthy, but you must learn to be a label reader. This is the best way to know if a cereal is healthy and good for your waistline. Just because the front of a box uses words such as "natural", "healthy", "high in fiber" or "high in protein" does not mean the cereal is healthy. A cereal can be very high in fiber, but loaded with sugar and sodium. Learn to read ingredient labels. Ingredients are listed in the order. If sugar is listed 1^st or 2^nd, that means sugar makes up a majority of the cereal.

Peanut butter toast. This is one of my favorites. I use whole wheat bread. Just as soon as I take the bread out of the toaster, I spread some all natural peanut butter onto the warm toast. The peanut butter melts and it is so good. Sometimes I slice a banana on top, and that adds both nutrition and flavor.