Q: I keep hearing that eating breakfast will help me lose weight, but it doesn’t make sense to me. Wouldn’t it be better to avoid those calories? Besides, I’m not that hungry first thing in the morning.

A: It may seem counterintuitive, but numerous studies link eating breakfast regularly with lower body mass index (BMI) and with success at keeping lost weight off. The National Weight Control Registry is a scientific study that tracks adults who have maintained a weight loss of at least 30 pounds for at least a year. One study of participants in the registry found that 78% of successful losers regularly ate breakfast. One possible effect of breakfast eating on weight control is that it might prevent you from becoming overhungry and therefore overeating later in the day.

I know what you mean about not being hungry. I’m often not very hungry first thing in the morning, either. So on many days I have a small breakfast, almost more of a snack (see Breakfast Snacks) and then I have another healthy snack midmorning or I have an early lunch. Because I know that even though I may not be very hungry, I’ll have more energy and more focus at work if I first give myself some fuel.

In an ideal world we’d all sit down to an unhurried, well balanced, home cooked breakfast in our sun dappled kitchens every morning (and if you do indeed have time for this, I envy you and I say go for it!). But for most of us, the morning means getting kids off to school and ourselves off to work, often in the dark, predawn hours. So while I don’t prescribe a perfect breakfast every day, I do prescribe stocking your kitchen with quick and healthful options that will fuel your body with important nutrients and energy. After all, you wouldn’t expect your car to function at peak performance if it was running on fumes—why would you expect your body to do the same?


A little bit of advance planning can mean having a quick yet healthful breakfast every day of the week. Here are some ideas:

Bake and freeze muffins. High-fiber, low-fat bran muffins (see Recipe) are a great way to start the day, and the fiber will keep you fuller longer than a sugary muffin. Bake a batch on the weekend and freeze them. Then pop one in the microwave on high for 30 seconds and you have a hot, steaming muffin.

Make eggs ahead of time. Make a batch of scrambled eggs with diced onions, peppers and mushrooms and store in the fridge. For a quick and savory breakfast wrap sandwich, reheat a single portion of the egg mixture and put it in a whole-wheat wrap. Add salsa for extra zing.

Keep frozen fruit on hand. A refreshing, healthy smoothie is just minutes away when you have frozen fruit like strawberries, blueberries and mangos in the freezer. Combine frozen fruit with low-fat yogurt and orange juice in the blender and enjoy.

Make slow-cooker oatmeal. Cook hearty, high-fiber steel-cut oats overnight in the slow cooker and wake to a delicious, hearty, hot breakfast. Add dried fruits, nuts and cinnamon for a flavor and nutrient boost.

Keep a bowl of washed fruit on prominent display in the refrigerator. If it’s washed and ready to go, you’ll reach for it. Combine fruit such as grapes, sliced bananas or sliced apples with nonfat Greek yogurt and sprinkle with wheat germ or granola.

Make whole-grain pancakes ahead of time. You can either keep a batch of prepared pancake mix in the fridge, or, for even faster results, make the pancakes ahead of time and freeze them. Pop them in the microwave and top with yogurt and fruit. Kids will love a pancake treat on a weekday morning!

Some days when I’m really rushed I have what I call a breakfast snack. These aren’t fully balanced breakfasts, but they’ll get you started on those days when you truly have to grab and go. On these days you’ll need another snack midmorning or you might want to eat an earlier lunch.

• Granola or cereal bars. Look for bars that are higher in fiber and lower in added sugars. (I like Kashi’s Tasty Little Chewy bars).
• Low-fat chocolate milk. This is full of calcium and protein and it’s a delicious treat.
• A hard-boiled egg. A hard-boiled egg is full of protein. (I usually boil a dozen at a time and keep them in a bowl in the fridge for easy grabbing).
• A piece of fruit. Mother nature made many fruits, like bananas, apples, oranges and pears, perfectly portable. You’ll get fiber, vitamins and energy to start the day.

1. Top a toasted whole-grain waffle with ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese, ½ cup fresh berries and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

2. In a blender, blend 1 cup frozen strawberries or mango with half a banana, ½ cup low-fat plain yogurt and ½ cup orange juice.

3. Cook ½ cup rolled oats in a cup of water. Add 2 tablespoons dried cherries and 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts and sprinkle with cinnamon. Top with ½ cup low-fat milk.

4. Spread ½ cup hummus on a whole-wheat wrap. Add 1 sliced hard-boiled egg and a handful of prewashed baby lettuce or spinach greens.

5. Top 1 cup whole-grain cereal with ½ sliced banana, 1 tablespoon chopped nuts and 1 cup low-fat milk.

Adapted from the Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook (Wiley Publishing, 2006)

Makes 12 muffins

2 tablespoon plus ¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, cut in small pieces
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 ½ cups unprocessed wheat bran
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
2 egg whites
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 cup fat-free buttermilk
2/3 cup golden raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick spray or line with paper liners.

To make the crumb topping, in a medium bowl combine 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and the brown sugar. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in walnuts.

In a large bowl, combine the bran, whole-wheat flour, the remaining ¼ cup all-purpose flour, the baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the egg, egg whites, sugar and molasses until blended. Gradually beat in the buttermilk. Gradually add the bran mixture, mixing on low speed until just blended. Stir in the raisins.

Spoon the batter into the cups, filling each about half full. Sprinkle with the crumb topping. Bake until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely on the rack.

Per serving: 165 calories, 3 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 21 mg cholesterol, 241 mg sodium, 4 g fiber.