After gaining back a large portion of the weight I lost, I’m trying to get back into a healthier lifestyle again.
Part of that has been making sure breakfast is a good start, with a focus on whole grains. That generally means cereals — Special K, Cheerios, Bark and Nuts — you name it.
Then I stumbled across this article from The Minimalist in the New York Times. Mark Bittman writes about how his morning meals evolved from the bland to the bold without sacrificing the fibery health benefits he needs.
All of those were reasons for me when, a year or two ago, I started eating things at breakfast that you would more likely associate with dinner: black olives, quinoa, miso, dried tomatoes, sesame oil, bok choy, wheat berries, roasted carrots.
The foundation of most of these breakfasts has been whole grains, and making them a morning staple has done me nothing but good. I’m eating more of them, I’ve lost weight, the morning meal “lasts” longer before I’m hungry again.
The differences between the ways our bodies handle whole and highly processed grains may be arguable, but surely it would be foolhardy to pretend that a stack of doughnuts or a bowl of Sugar Pops is the nutritional equivalent of a bowl of bulgur or cooked oats.
But even putting aside the health argument, the narrow spectrum of highly sweetened morning food is limiting and ultimately boring.
There are some really interesting breakfast ideas in there. My problem will be having the time to make them. Two kids and early morning blogging demands make cereal easier.
Perhaps I’ll try something new two mornings a week, just as a start.
H/T: Michael McCracken via his blog
