MOTHER'S KITCHEN BREAKING THE FAST

Image Gallery STAAN SHOLICK

NATURAL HEALTH

Stop making excuses for skipping breakfast; learn to make easy recipes the whole family will love.

By Anne Vassal

“I just don't have any time." "I'm never hungry in the morning." "I'll grab something on the road." We've all heard, if not employed, these boycotting techniques to avoid breakfast. In fact, in one-half of all U.S. families, one or more members (including children) regularly skip breakfast. Perhaps we can blame it on childhood memories of runny eggs, lumpy oatmeal, and sticking bread crusts under our plate rims. So when we finally hit grown-up status, it was "Down with oatmeal!" and onto mid-morning coffee/donut breaks.

Still, Mom's "Breakfast is vital!" speech lives deep within all of us. And, of course, she is right. Without breakfast, our blood-sugar level drops by mid-morning, causing us to crave sugar and caffeine. We grab a quick fix, only to crash into irritable weariness a few hours later. Studies from the University of California show that breakfast can be a life-changing event. Researchers found that those who ate breakfast every day (or almost every day) lived longer. In the control group, death rates were 40 percent higher among male breakfast skippers and 28 percent higher among female skippers. Another study showed a connection between eating a nutritious breakfast and improved physical and mental performance. The benefits include: faster reaction time, higher productivity during later morning hours, and less muscle fatigue.

The best foods to "break fast" contain small amounts of protein, high fiber, and complex carbohydrates. If you're starting to get a little tired of cereal and toast, the breakfast recipes below will spruce up your morning.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Pancakes can be ready in five minutes if you measure the dry ingredients the night before. All you have to do is throw ingredients in the blender the next morning or prepare the batter ahead of time, waiting to add the baking powder just before frying. Unfortunately, pancakes have the reputation for being too heavy for many folks in the morning. They don't have to be high-fat if you barely coat a non-stick skillet with oil or vegetable cooking spray. Top them with fresh-fruit yogurt, fruit or fruit syrup, so they won't be swimming in maple syrup. Use whole-wheat pastry flour instead of whole-wheat flour to produce a lighter mixture, and you can also add some oat bran for fiber. Leftover pancakes can be frozen in baggies and reheated in a skillet another day.

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons oat bran (or wheat germ, buckwheat, or cornmeal)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tablespoon oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda