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Breakfast
 
Get the day going right with a hearty breakfast. This does not mean having a high-protein ham and egg breakfast every day, or conversely, having a bowl of oatmeal every day. Both types of breakfast can be healthy and fit the SUGAR BUSTERS! lifestyle. The obvious benefit of a ham, egg, and a single slice of whole-grain toast breakfast is that it will maximize the rate of weight loss (other than starvation) you can achieve. On the other hand, eating large amounts of saturated fat contained in many ham, bacon, or sausage products every day can put you at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Also, those with genetic tendencies toward high cholesterol should probably reduce foods containing high levels of dietary cholesterol.
 
Eating oatmeal every day, while a great way to get a good serving of carbohydrate to get the day started, may make it difficult for those with a somewhat lower metabolism to lose weight at an acceptable rate. So, enjoy your breakfasts and vary your choices from time to time. Also, skew your choices in the direction in which your particular needs demand; more protein during your weight loss stage and more high-fiber carbohydrates during your weight maintenance stage.
 
Eat plenty of fruit. Do not let yourself get too busy to consume an ample amount of this food that was a staple for all of your ancestors who lived below the Arctic Circle. If you do not eat fruit at breakfast, eat it as a midmorning or midafternoon snack. Alternatively, eat a selection of fruits for breakfast from time to time. Eating a breakfast of only fruit is healthy and will certainly not cause you to gain weight.
 
Breakfast Recipes
 
Bagel and Cream Cheese
Cereals
Cheese and Green Onion Omelet
Eggs Benedict
Eggs Sardou
Florentine (Spinach) Omelet
Fresh Fruit and Yogurt
Hearty Oatmeal
Tidbit Omelet
“Meatless” Egg Breakfast
Savory Spanish Omelet
Spicy Huevos (Eggs)
Fabulous French Toast
Tasty Toast
Western Omelet
 
Bagel and Cream Cheese—Whole-grain bagels are coming soon!
 
stone-ground whole-wheat bagel, halved
tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese
Toast the bagel to desired darkness. Top each bagel half with a tablespoon of the cream cheese.
Serves 1.
 
Note: This tasty breakfast combination is not a high-glycemic one, so you can enjoy it often with a clear conscience. Take the cream cheese out of the fridge a little ahead of time and toast or at least warm the bagel. Room temperature cream cheese spread on a warm bagel is much more flavorful than cold cream cheese atop a cold bagel.
 
Cereals
 
There are few breakfast cereals without significant amounts of the various refined sugars. These sugars are listed in the ingredient list on the packages and include sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, sucrose, glucose, dextrose, maltose, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, honey, and molasses. Other common additives which do not have to be listed in the sugar column on the products' labels but which still cause a significant glycemic or blood sugar–elevating response are maltodextrin (which causes a very high response), malted barley, and some of the sugar alcohols like sorbitol, and maltitol.
While the following cereals still deliver a moderate glycemic response, they are currently believed to be the most acceptable of the lot.
 
Fiber One
Fiber Wise
Oatmeal
Pearled Barley
Shredded Wheat 'N Bran
 
Note: If you can't find acceptable cereals in your supermarket, try a natural or health foods store.
 
Cheese and Green Onion Omelet—A can't miss basic!
 
2 teaspoons olive or canola oil
2 green onions, trimmed and chopped, plus about 2 inches of green tops, chopped
⅛ teaspoon Lawry's or other seasoned salt
2 large eggs
Ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup grated mild cheddar cheese
Combine the oil, green onions, and seasoned salt in a small nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat until the onions have softened, about 3 minutes. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the black pepper. Add the mixture to the skillet and stir briefly to lightly scramble the eggs. Without stirring, continue to cook until the eggs are softly set, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Tilt the pan away from you and, using a spatula, fold half of the omelet over to enclose the filling. Cook for 1 minute more to melt the cheese. Slide the omelet onto a plate and serve.
 
Serves 1.
 
Note: You can't miss with this basic all-time favorite. We use Lawry's salt in this recipe, but substitute any seasoned salt of your preference. You can also vary the formula by using sharp cheddar cheese for a little more kick.
 
Eggs Benedict—World renowned dish, and for a reason!
 
4 cups water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 large eggs
2 slices whole-grain bread
2 slices Canadian bacon, or ham slices trimmed and cut into 3-inch circles
3 tablespoons hollandaise sauce
Bring the water and vinegar to a simmer in a 2-quart saucepan. Crack each egg into a small bowl, slide into the water, and cook at a bare simmer for about 4 minutes, until the eggs are set. While the eggs poach, toast the bread and cut each slice into a 3-inch circle. Warm the Canadian bacon or ham for about 1 minute per side in a nonstick skillet. On each toast round, layer a slice of bacon or ham, and a poached egg. Drizzle each with 1½ tablespoons hollandaise sauce. Serve immediately.
 
Serves 1 or 2.
 
Note: This healthy rendition substitutes whole-grain toast for the typical English muffins, which have a considerably higher glycemic index. If you use ham instead of Canadian bacon, be sure to buy a variety that has not been sugar-cured. Homemade hollandaise sauce is the best (try one of the recipes), but using commercial hollandaise makes this elegant breakfast very quick to prepare. For variety, you could also top the dish with warmed salsa or even drizzle with a little steak sauce, such as A.1. or Heinz.
 
Eggs Sardou—For artichoke lovers and no bread to boot!
 
4 cups water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 large eggs
4 canned artichoke bottoms, drained (or 4 artichoke hearts, drained and halved)
½ tablespoon butter
One 10-ounce package frozen creamed spinach, cooked according to package directions
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons hollandaise sauce
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Bring the water and vinegar to a simmer in a 2-quart saucepan. Crack each egg into a small bowl, slide into the water, and cook at a bare simmer for about 4 minutes, until the eggs are set. Meanwhile, combine the artichoke bottoms and butter in a small skillet and warm over medium-low heat. Reheat the creamed spinach, if necessary. Spoon creamed spinach into 4 mounds and top each with an artichoke bottom. Set a poached egg in each artichoke bottom. Drizzle hollandaise sauce over each egg. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
 
Serves 2 or 4
 
Note: No bread in this one, since the eggs are served atop artichoke bottoms. Fresh artichoke can be quite tender, but since it takes up to 45 minutes to steam and prepare, canned bottoms are suggested. (Use canned artichoke hearts if canned artichoke bottoms are not readily available in your area.) A rich New Orleans invention, this dish is usually served with creamed spinach and hollandaise sauce. If you prefer a slightly less filling rendition, omit the hollandaise.
 
Florentine (Spinach) Omelet—Almost anything with spinach is nutritious.
 
1 teaspoon butter
⅓ cup chopped yellow onion
3 large eggs
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup cooked fresh or frozen spinach, well drained and squeezed dry
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Combine the butter and onion in a medium nonstick skillet. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until the onion has softened, 3 to 4 minutes. In a bowl, beat the eggs with the salt, pepper, and mustard. Add the egg mixture to the skillet and stir briefly to lightly scramble. Without stirring, continue to cook until the eggs are softly set, about 2 minutes. Scatter the spinach over the eggs and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Cover the pan and cook for 1 minute to heat through. Uncover, tilt the pan away from you, and fold half of the omelet over with a spatula to enclose the filling. Cook for an additional 30 seconds before sliding the omelet onto a plate. Cut it in half before serving.
 
Serves 2.
 
Note: Eggs are an excellent and inexpensive protein source. In addition, the spinach provides significant amounts of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate, as well as the minerals calcium and magnesium. If you prefer to use frozen spinach, know that a 10-ounce package will yield 1 cup cooked.
 
Fresh Fruit and Yogurt—A sweet way to start the day!
 
½ cup plain low-fat or nonfat yogurt (no sugar added)
1½ cups any combination of 3 fresh fruits (such as apricot, kiwi, and nectarine), cubed if large
¼ small lemon or lime
4 whole-grain crackers
1 ounce Philadelphia Light or other reduced-fat cream cheese
Combine the yogurt and fruit in a bowl. Squeeze the lemon or lime over the mixture and stir well to blend. Spoon into 2 serving bowls and accompany with crackers spread with cream cheese.
 
Serves 2.
 
Note: For a quick but nutritious breakfast, prepare and mix the fruit the evening before and store overnight in the refrigerator. As long as you avoid such high-glycemic choices as banana, raisins, and pineapple, your options are unlimited—try different combinations of apple, berries, cherries, grapes, melon, orange, peach, plum, and tangerine.