We will address each of these barriers and give some solutions:

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1 Though widely recognized as the most important meal of the day, about 18% of Americans over the age of regularly skip breakfast. Research continues to show the benefits of eating breakfast regularly. Eating breakfast within 30 minutes of waking up has been demonstrated to increase the metabolism and thus, decrease the chances for becoming overweight. A nutritious meal at the beginning of the day has benefits for children and adolescents with improving school performance. For adults, eating a healthy breakfast can keep the mind sharp by stabilizing blood sugar and enhancing brain activity with vitamin C and B vitamins. Eating breakfast helps replenish your brain as it is kind of starved for nutrition (and water) after sleeping. Breakfast can also boost your mood and help you avoid feeling drowsy or sluggish. The list of advantages goes on and on. What are the main reasons people report for not eating breakfast? 1. Not enough time 2. Not hungry 3. Don t like typical breakfast foods We will address each of these barriers and give some solutions: But I don t have enough time in the morning! We all get busy in the morning and sometimes going without a meal is a much easier decision than missing that important 9:00 AM meeting or risk dropping your children off to school late. However, simple changes can be made to every lifestyle to help you budget some time. A lot of us aren t alert in the early morning, so deciding what and how to cook can be overwhelming.

2 Plan Ahead. Get out of that dense morning fog by eating something! Breakfast (and lunch) can be prepared the night before when you have more time to do as you please. Here are some suggestions for you to try: Oats, quinoa, barley or casseroles can be prepared in a slow cooker and be ready by morning. Smoothies help you to get your daily servings of fruit or vegetables. Prepare your blend and freeze overnight. Easy Avocado Bake Recipe Easy Avocado bakes. Ingredients 2 to 4 servings 2 Avocados 4 Eggs Salt and pepper to taste Instructions 1. Preheat the oven to 425 F (218 C) and line a baking sheet with foil. 2. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit. 3. Once the pit is removed, crack the crack the eggs into the halves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and other seasonings of your choice. 4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the egg is cooked thoroughly. 5. Enjoy with salsa or a slice of toast. Go for a plain old fruit salad. Alternatively, you could make a meal plan for the week. Make a large meal on Sunday and portion it to eat for breakfast throughout the week. protein. Boil a carton of eggs for a healthy daily morning Make several stacks of pancakes and freeze them. Put them in the microwave for a couple of seconds when ready. Use whole wheat or half whole wheat flour and add some fruit and nuts to make them healthier. Quiche or frittatas are a great way to get healthy amount of fat, protein and vegetables in the morning Buy It Pre-Packaged. Not all packaged or processed foods are bad for you. Some can fit right into your diet to benefit you. Grab-and-go or something that is easy to throw in a container as you walk out the door. Granola bars or cheese cubes or sticks are time savers. Note: Not all granola bars are made the same. Look for one that that has less than 8 g of sugar, high in protein and fiber and has less than 10 ingredients, with whole grain or wheat listed as first. Some good brands include KIND Bars and Larabar. Yogurt is often sold in individual packets that are portable. Bran cereal with fruit and skim/almond milk Graham Crackers with peanut butter Frozen breakfast sandwiches In comparison to a McDonald s Egg Mc Muffin --- Jimmy Dean Delights Turkey Sausage, Egg White & Cheese Muffins, or Weight Watchers frozen breakfast sandwiches are much better nutrition- wise and even cost less!

3 Jimmy Dean Delights Turkey Sausage, Egg White & Cheese Muffins McDonald s Egg Mc Muffin Price $5.94 (4 count) $3.79 $3.99 (1) Size 145 g 138 g Nutrition Calories: 260 Total Fat: 8 g Sat. Fat: 3.5 g Total Carb: 28 g Protein: 18 g Calories: 300 Total Fat: 12 g Sat. Fat: 5 g Carb: 29 g Protein: 18 g But I m not hungry! Did you eat a large meal at dinner? Anything after? How much sleep did you get? What is eaten before going to bed has a huge impact on your appetite in the morning because your body hasn t fully digested the food from the night before. Your metabolism slows down slightly during evening hours, so it will take more time to digest. Additionally, a lack of sleep and shortened time between meals will throw off your sleep cycle and blocks normal hormonal function of hormones like insulin, leptin and cortisol. This may cause you to not wake up hungry and they you might skip breakfast or eat too little and you will lack the calories your body needs to start a new day. Nutritionists recommend a balanced meal plan and to limit or be mindful of what you have for a late night snack. But I don t like breakfast foods! Something healthy other than typical breakfast foods can be eaten. Maybe leftovers from dinner sound more appetizing. In other countries, there are things traditionally eaten in the morning that are different from what we eat in America. In Israel, for example, fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and onions are chopped and then a squeeze of lemon or lime juice added. In Norway and Sweden smoked fish is eaten with bread. People from Thailand eat cold cooked rice with coconut milk, fruit and nuts..

4 Perfect Pancakes 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 eggs, beaten slightly 1 cup white flour 2 tbsp oil ¼ cup sugar 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 2 cups buttermilk (or 2 cups milk with 2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice, let sit 5 min) 1. First combine all dry ingredients. 2. In another bowl mix eggs, oil and buttermilk. 3. Make a well in flour mixture, pour in wet items. Mix until smooth. 4. Spray a large pan (or use 2 pans on 2 burners for maximum speed and efficiency!) 5. Heat on medium heat. Cook approx. ¼ cup batter per cake. 6. Turn over when top is covered with bubbles and edges appear cooked. Makes about 14 pancakes. Spinach Omelet with Parmesan 10 ounces frozen spinach (or you can use other frozen vegetables or even leftover ) 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided 1 onion, chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped 4 eggs 3 tbsp. parmesan cheese ½ tsp pepper ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional) 1. Press water out of spinach and drain thoroughly in a colander. 2. Heat 1 tbsp. of the olive oil and cook onion until soft. 3. Add tomatoes and mint (if using) and cook about 15 minutes. 4. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cheese, pepper and nutmeg (if using). 5. Add the spinach mixture to the eggs and mix well. 6. Set oven rack about 6 inches from broiler element, preheat broiler. In a large oven-proof skillet, heat the remaining 1Tbsp of olive oil over low heat. 7. Cook until bottom has set, about 10 minutes. Then put the skillet under the broiler and cook until top is brown. Cut into 8 wedges. Per wedge: 98 calories 73% fat, 0g carbohydrate, 5g protein, 8g fat, 107mg cholesterol. Diabetes exchanges: 0 carbohydrate, 1 protein, 2 fat.

5 Smoothies are an easy way to consume extra fruits and vegetables throughout the day. It is recommended that most adults get about two cups of fruit (or 2 whole fruits) and three cups of vegetables daily. Smoothies can help you reach these goals! In adolescents, the addition of smoothies at schools increased the percentage of students eating at least one whole fruit serving by 40%. Smoothies are delicious and nutritious! In addition to the nutrients provided by the fruits and vegetables, smoothies often provide protein and healthy fats for a balanced meal or snack. Making smoothies at home will benefit your wallet and your waistline compared to restaurant-made ones. Restaurants often use a smoothie mix, which can be loaded with extra sugar. At home, you can control the portions of ingredients and know exactly what is being added. Start adding a smoothie to your morning routine! How to Build A Smoothie: Choose a Base (about 1 cup): Water, low-fat or skim milk, almond or soy milk, coconut water, juice Pick Some Healthy Protein/Fat: ½ cup plain yogurt, cottage cheese or tofu ¼ cup seeds such as chia, hemp, flax or pumpkin ¼ cup avocado 1 tablespoon nut butter such as peanut, almond or sunflower 1 scoop protein powder Flavor With Fruit (Fresh or Frozen, about cups): Banana, Strawberries, Raspberries, Peach, Apple, Orange, Pineapple, Mango, Coconut or any seasonal fruit Quick Tip! Finish with a nutrient booster! Optional add-ins can increase the nutrients and flavor in your smoothie Fresh ginger or turmeric Greens such as spinach, kale or sprouts Espresso or coffee Whole oats Cocoa powder Fresh lemon or lime juice Herbs and Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg or mint Green Monster Spinach Smoothie Perfect Peach Smoothie 1 frozen banana 1 T peanut butter 1/2 cup 0% Plain (or vanilla) yogurt 1 cup unsweetened almond milk 1 frozen ripe bananas 1 peaches Half a dozen strawberries 1 cup unsweetened almond milk a few ice cubes 1 tbsp. ground flaxseeds and chia seeds each

6 Choosing quality products is always a challenge, especially with so many options. Here is some information to help you make your decision. (Yoplait, Dannon, Chobani, Great Value and other store label brands) How s It Produced? The milk that is used for these yogurt brands are from cows that are often unable to graze and are fed genetically modified grains like soy or corn. Once the milk is received, it is allowed to ferment while also being processed with additives like high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners like aspartame, artificial colorings like FD&C Yellow No. 5 and thickeners like carrageenan. How is it displayed? Products in this category are frequently labeled with bright and visible titles to highlight nutritional benefits (i.e. Less fat than leading competition ) knowing that is what consumers are tempted to buy. Live and Active Cultures is a popular claim that is used. While it is true that you are eating live and active cultures, you also are taking in potentially harmful ingredients that have been found to be possible carcinogens (aspartame/carrageenan) and linked to ADHD in children (artificial coloring). (Wallaby Organic, Nancy s, Organic Valley, Stonyfield Organic ) How s It Produced? The milk comes from cows that are able to graze and feed on grass and are usually free of antibiotics and other hormones. From there, the milk is taken to ferment with minimal additions. On occasion, there may be added sugars, flavorings (i.e. French vanilla) and fortification of vitamins. How s It Displayed? These yogurts can be found in the same cultured foods section of the grocery store and health food stores. The most important thing to consider is the presence of the USDA Organic label. According to a recent study, many organic yogurts contained more probiotics and active cultures than conventional brands. It s good to buy it plain as you can just add your own unique toppings. Despite being organic, it is still just as important to read the Nutrition Facts Panel to make an informed decision on what it is that you are buying. So What Should I Go For? Organic Plain Yogurt