healthy breakfast

A little wheat germ goes a long way. Just two tablespoons provides about 15% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin E and 10% of your daily folate. Vitamin E is often a little low in peoples diets so this is a good way to add in some extraespecially if you dont eat a lot of nuts or seeds two other big sources Giovinazzo says. Its easy to incorporate wheat germ into almost any meal including your go to breakfasts: Sprinkle it over cereal stir it into yogurt or mix it into a smoothie.

Trying to lose weight? According to one study eating half a grapefruit before each meal may help you slim down faster thanks to the fruits fat burning properties and its beneficial effect on blood sugar and insulin levels. Grapefruit is also hydrating filling and packed with immunity boosting antioxidants. For a well rounded breakfast pair it with proteinsuch as yogurt or an egg Giovinazzo suggests. But check with your doctor first if you take any medications as grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interfere with some prescription drugs.

Theres nothing like a banana at breakfast to keep those mid morning cravings at bay. The yellow fruitespecially when theyre still a touch greenare one of the best sources of resistant starch a healthy carbohydrate that keeps you feeling fuller longer. Slice it up and add it to cereal or oatmeal Giovinazzo suggests. It will add natural sweetness so you may not need additional sugar. Thanks to a healthy dose of potassium an electrolyte that helps lower blood pressure naturally bananas are a particularly good choice for people with hypertension.

Dont eat eggs or dairy? Almond butter is an excellent alternate source of protein and its filled with monounsaturated fat (one of the good fats). Plus as Giovinazzo points out its really delicious spread on whole grain bread or paired with a banana or an apple. Nutritionally almond butter is comparable to peanut butter and they each have about 100 calories per tablespoon. Almond butter contains slightly less saturated fat thougha definite point in its favor even for people who arent allergic to peanuts.

As its name suggests watermelon is an excellent way to hydrate in the morning. Whats less well known is this juicy fruit is among the best sources of lycopenea nutrient found in red fruits and vegetables thats important for vision heart health and cancer prevention. Best of all watermelon contains just 40 calories per cup landing it on lists of so called negative calorie foods that supposedly burn more calories during digestion than they add in. (Actually its a bit more complicated than that but thats no reason to not eat watermelon!)

Sprinkling ground flaxseed into a smoothie or bowl of cereal will turn your breakfast into a gold mine of omega 3 fatty acids; just two tablespoons contains more than 100% of your recommended daily intake for those heart healthy fats. Flaxseed which has a nutty flavor also is rich in fiber and lignan an antioxidant thats been shown to protect against breast cancer. A word of caution: Whole flaxseeds will pass through your body without being digested so be sure to buy them ground or grind them yourself with a coffee or spice grinder.

Fresh or frozen these tiny superfruits pack a big antioxidant punch. Or better yet a flurry of punches: Studies suggest that eating blueberries regularly can help improve everything from memory and motor skills to blood pressure and metabolism. (Wild blueberries in particular have one of the highest concentrations of the powerful antioxidants known as anthocyanins.) Blueberries are also lower in calories than a lot of other fruits (they contain just 80 per cup) so you can pile them onto your cereal without worrying about your waistline.

Not a coffee person? Tea has a pretty impressive r

Any fruit is a good addition to your breakfast Giovinazzo says and cantaloupe is no exception. A six ounce serving (roughly a quarter melon) contains just 50 calories and a full 100% of your recommended daily intake of both vitamin C and vitamin A an important nutrient for smooth younger looking skin. And like most melons cantaloupe has a high water concentration which means it will help you stay hydrated and keep you feeling full until lunchtime.

This fuzzy little fruit has about 65 milligrams of vitamin C per servingnearly as much as an orange. Its also rich in potassium and copper and contains more fiber per ounce than a banana which makes it a good aid to digestion. (In one study eating two kiwis a day for one month lessened constipation in people with irritable bowel syndrome.) Kiwis are slightly tart. Theyre delicious by themselves but if you prefer a sweeter flavor try mixing them with strawberries and bananas in a smoothie or fruit salad.