Fuel up on breakfast
When it comes to starting the day off right, the best breakfast is the one that gets eaten.

“People who skip breakfast miss out on vitamins, minerals and fiber that they need,” said Kelly Bryant, a UGA Cooperative Extension nutrition education specialist. “Breakfast is an easy way to get nutrients such as calcium and vitamin C in your diet. Pick foods from three to five food groups. They don’t have to be traditional breakfast foods.”

For example, a turkey-and-cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread with a half-cup of 100 percent juice provides items from four food groups.

“Leftovers from the night before are fine. Even cold pizza is fine, although it would probably be good to have fruit or juice with it,” Bryant said.

Recent research has shown that eating breakfast may help prevent children from becoming overweight. Make sure to limit foods with added sugar and fats, such as donuts, pastries and soft drinks, and look for 100 percent juices, not products labled “fruit drink” or “fruit beverage,” which contain little to no juice and a lot of sugar.

To make breakfast easy, keep whole grain cereal, peanut butter, string cheese, bagels, 100 percent juice, English muffins, yogurt, fruit and low-fat milk on hand. Or try these quick and easy breakfasts:

• Waffle sandwich: Put peanut butter and honey or syrup between two waffles. Add fruit.
• Tortilla roll-ups: Spread peanut butter on a tortilla, top with banana and roll it up.

Other quick, healthy options are a bowl of instant oatmeal or some dry cereal paired with yogurt and fruit. If a drive-through restaurant provides breakfast, choose an egg-and-cheese English muffin over a fried chicken or sausage biscuit. Some places may offer a fruit and yogurt cup.