7 Perfect Breakfast Recipies in 5 Minutes- Part II

(Continued from Part I in the previous blog)

In the time you spend each morning calibrating your hair gel, you could be doing something more important, with a much better payoff: eating breakfast. Mom was right (and it's okay to admit it): Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Liz Ward reporting:

It keeps you slim: Breakfast eaters are less likely to be overweight than breakfast skippers, and successful dieters are also more likely to be breakfast eaters.

It keeps you healthy: Eating breakfast may reduce your risk of serious illnesses like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer, and it strengthens your immune system so you're more resistant to common ailments like colds and the flu.

It keeps you sharp: Memory and concentration get a boost from breakfast. A study on children found that kids who eat breakfast score higher on tests and are less likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and hyperactivity. It should help you at the office, too.

Here are 4 more perfect breakfast recipies:

(4) Two PB-and-Banana Wraps With Milk
Prep time: 2 minutes

2 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Eggo Special K waffles
1 medium banana
1/2 pint fat-free chocolate milk

Spread a tablespoon of peanut butter over each (briefly microwaved) waffle. Divide the banana between them and roll each to make wraps. Wash down with chocolate milk.

Benefits: Eggo's Special K waffles supply complex carbohydrates, which break down slowly in the body and stimulate the production of serotonin, a calming brain chemical. The banana is packed with potassium -- a heart protector.

Per meal: 570 calories, 23 g protein, 90 g carbohydrates, 16 g total fat, 7 g fiber

(5) The Santa Fe Burrito
Prep time: 4 minutes

2 eggs
1 c Santa Fe frozen mixed vegetables (black beans, peppers, and corn)
1 flour tortilla
1/2 c low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 c salsa

Mix the eggs and vegetables and spread the mixture on a plate coated with nonstick spray. Cook in the microwave for 1 minute, stir with a fork, and microwave again until the eggs are cooked and the vegetables warm. Pile onto a flour tortilla, top with shredded Cheddar cheese and salsa, fold, and eat.

Benefits: "Without protein, guys can lose muscle mass quickly," says William J. Evans, Ph.D., a professor of geriatrics, physiology, and nutrition at the University of Arkansas. This meal is packed with it.

Per meal: 530 calories, 36 g protein, 53 g carbohydrates, 18 g total fat, 6 g fiber

(6) Black-Cherry Smoothie and Peanut-Butter Oatmeal
Prep time: 4 minutes

1 c R.W. Knudsen black-cherry juice
1 c frozen strawberries
1 c frozen unsweetened cherries
2 Tbsp protein powder
2/3 c oatmeal
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1/2 c fat-free milk

Blend the cherry juice, frozen fruit, and protein powder until smooth. Microwave the oatmeal according to the directions on the package. Stir in the peanut butter and milk.

Benefits: Men who ate at least one serving of whole-grain cereal (like oatmeal) a day had the lowest risk of dying of any cause, including heart disease, according to a 5-year study of 86,000 doctors. Cherries and strawberries are natural sources of salicylates -- the active ingredient in aspirin -- making them ideal for relieving stress-induced morning headaches.

Per meal: 600 calories, 27 g protein, 100 g carbohydrates, 11 g total fat, 10 g fiber

(7) Almond-Butter-and-Raisin Sandwich With Smoothie
Prep time: 1 minute

2 Tbsp almond butter
2 Eggo Special K waffles
1 Tbsp raisins
1 Stonyfield Farm smoothie

Spread the almond butter on the waffles. Sprinkle the raisins over one waffle and top with the other. Wash down with the smoothie.

Benefits: Whole-grain waffles help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and improve your body's processing of insulin and glucose, a benefit that can reduce your risk of becoming diabetic.

Per meal: 600 calories, 21 g protein, 86 g carbohydrates, 22 g total fat, 7 g fiber