Best Breakfast Awards

A few weeks ago, a newsletter came out asking for breakfast ideas. There were so many people seeking new, healthy suggestions that we decided to share iVillagers' "award winning" breakfasts. This was not easy, considering the hundreds of wonderful ideas!

All-Time Favorite

Kashi "Good Friends" cereal is our best bet for breakfast (or a between-meal snack) -- lots of fiber, low, low fat, and few calories! I usually have a cup and a half of Kashi and a cup of skim milk with some fruit and water for breakfast and I'm never hungry before lunch (I eat less at lunch too). --Shelly and Kyle

Most Healthy

I have low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese, and top it with pineapple or another favorite fruit; plain vanilla yogurt with fresh strawberries or other fruit; a low-fat granola bar or cereal with skim milk. --Jule

Denise Austin, my diet guru, has lots of good breakfast suggestions in her latest book, "Lost Those Last Ten Pounds": whole wheat English muffin with preserves, yogurt and Grape Nuts cereal parfait, low-fat muffins, etc. She always includes fruit with breakfast. --iVillager

Two soy sausage patties (with extra fat dabbed off with paper towels) eaten as a sandwich between one slice of whole wheat bread cut in half. --meachum

Cube about a cup of cantaloupe or honeydew melon. Top with about 1/4 cup (or more) nonfat plain yogurt and a tablespoon or two of all-bran cereal. It's filling, low in fat and good for you. --Patty

I have a small bowl of prunes (about five) stewed in unfiltered apple juice and topped with nonfat plain yogurt and a handful of low-fat granola, which I make myself. Sometimes I add a bit of banana of other fruit to the prunes. I find this very satisfying and filling enough to get me to lunch. --Mary

Pour a bowl of Grape Nuts with vanilla soymilk. Heat it up, then add peaches, pears or apples, along with some raisins, dates or figs and a dash of cinnamon. --iVillager

Best in a Blender

Have a soy protein shake. It's loaded with all the daily requirements and then some! It is available in several flavors. My favorite is cappuccino. It has 180 calories when mixed with a cup of skim milk. All you need is a shaker, a cup of milk and a minute to shake it up. --Angela

Blend the following: 1/2 cup frozen raspberries, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 1/2 cup plain yogurt and enough orange juice to cover ingredients. --Sunshine

For a smoothie, I combine a handful of clean strawberries (more or less to taste), one banana, a cup of vanilla yogurt and if I have wheat germ I add a couple of tablespoons of that. To save time, clean the strawberries the night before, and peel and freeze the banana for a more frosty taste! --Christine

Most Delightful

My breakfast includes orange juice with a serving of fruit -- usually a quarter of a melon or half a cup of fruit salad -- followed by a bowl of cereal (sometimes with fruit) and a cup of coffee. I love my morning ritual and I get up early to indulge in a leisurely breakfast before facing the tasks of the day. --Magan

Quickest and Easiest

Quick oatmeal made with 1% milk, a scoop of raisins and a teaspoon of oat bran. That and a cup of tea get me to the office with my stomach lining intact and ready for my first of the two cups of coffee I allow myself each day. --S Brock

Grape Nuts with skim milk, topped with one packet Equal and microwaved for 30 seconds. --Mary Ann

I make a fruit shake. In a blender add one banana and half a cup each of plain yogurt and skim milk. It only takes five minutes and tastes great. --Evelyn

Most Creative

I eat turkey ham (deli-sliced) on Heiners' 35 toast with fat-free cheese and a glass of orange or apple juice, depending on my mood. Sometimes I skip the cheese, add slices of tomatoes and drink a glass of milk. --iVillager

Great for breakfast is a turkey sandwich -- lean protein on some type of high-fiber bread with mustard to taste! --iVillager

Most Elaborate

On the weekends, I make a double batch of whole wheat pancakes from scratch (all whole wheat flour, not just a little) and add chopped apples, applesauce, blueberries or raisins. Then I drizzle honey or warmed all-fruit jam over the pancakes. You can add chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter if you like. Skip the butter -- these pancakes are so flavorful that you won't miss it! --Gail

Most Delicious

I like Belgian waffles for breakfast with blueberries and a tad of low-fat whipped cream. One waffle has 60 calories. --iVillager

Toast one slice of high-fiber, low-carbohydrate bread. Cover with 1/4 cup cottage cheese and a light dusting of cinnamon. Pop it back in the toaster oven until the cheese is bubbly. --iVillager

Scrambled eggs with fresh red bell pepper, mushroom slices and chives or green onions are good when I have time. --Anne

Most Unhealthy

I eat two pastry strudels, four powdered sugar donuts or two scrambled eggs with cheese. --iVillager

After eating a bagel with cream cheese and peanut butter every morning at work, I was falling asleep at my desk by 10am. I was ballooning up, as you can probably imagine. When I finally put all the pieces of the picture together, I switched to a banana with either peanut or almond butter for breakfast and a boiled egg at my morning break. --Vicky

I eat a sticky bun with two sides of home fries and bacon. --iVillager