Food & Drink 

Advertisement

10 fast fruit breakfasts

Make getting out of bed worth the effort with these 10 healthy ways to start the day

1. Smoothies

Nothing tastes better, first thing in the morning, than a fresh fruit smoothie. All you need is a blender, fruit juice, fresh fruit and some optional ingredients like yoghurt, protein powder or dried fruit. First, pour 350ml orange, apple or pineapple juice into the blender. Add 115g roughly chopped fresh fruit (bananas, peaches, pineapple, mango, berries and apricots work well). Add 3 tbsp yoghurt, a few dates, a spoonful of raisins or your favourite protein powder to the mix. Blend until thoroughly mixed, and drink. Once you have the technique mastered you can prepare your smoothie in about five minutes.

2. Fresh fruit salad

This variation on the standard fruit salad is tasty and filling. Assemble a few of your favourite fruits, such as pineapple, mango, banana, berries or apple. Cut them up into bite size pieces and toss with some fresh mint or coconut. Top with fresh yoghurt, and enjoy. You can make the salad the night before you eat it, but if you use apples, be sure to coat with lemon or orange juice, to prevent browning.

3. Hot cereal

Liven up your porridge or oatmeal with a sprinkling of brown sugar, chopped dates, raisins or almonds. Oat-based cereals have a low glycemic index, which means they are gradually absorbed and digested by the body. So, having a bowl of your favourite oatmeal or porridge in the morning will keep you energised, and stave off hunger until lunchtime.

4. Stewed fruit

This is great for a quick breakfast, during the week, because you can prepare it over the weekend and keep it in the fridge. Cut up three apples and a pear, and add some dried fruit, like raisins, sultanas or apricots. Add 115ml apple juice or water and simmer on low heat until tender. Flavour with a tablespoon of sugar or honey to taste, and add a pinch of cinnamon or powdered ginger. Eat with yoghurt or cottage cheese, or spoon over hot or cold cereal.

5. Frozen berries

Keep frozen berries in the freezer, and defrost the night before you want to use them, by setting a portion out in a bowl. You can use them in yoghurt, sprinkled on muesli or in smoothies. Sweeten with honey or sugar to taste.

Delicious     Digg     reddit     Facebook     StumbleUpon

  Get the latest iVillage news on your desktop    Sign up for more iVillage RSS feeds

© iVillage Limited 2000-2008. All rights reserved. | © iVillage inc. 1995-2008. All rights reserved.
iVillage Ltd is a UK company registered in England & Wales (3837269) at 80-110 New Oxford Street, London WC1 1HB