Breakfast Busters
Pancakes
Whether you get your pancakes from a mix, batter or a box out
of the freezer, you are likely to end up with the nutritional
equivalent of white bread. There is not much protein in pancakes,
but on a good note, there is very little saturated fat - unless
you smear butter on them or on your griddle when you cook them.
Regarding frozen pancakes, some are better than others are.
Most companies now add more calcium to their mixes (ten to 20-percent
of a day's worth) than to their batters or frozen pancakes (five
to ten percent). Many mixes also have less sugar -but try not
to blow it by dousing the pancakes in sweet maple syrup. Use
light, or try adding fresh fruit into the batter prior to cooking.
You could even make your own home made fresh fruit topping.
Most pancakes are loaded with sodium, largely because they
contain baking soda. Baking soda is not a bad type of sodium
because it does not contain the ingredient chloride, which
is the culprit in sodium thought to increase blood pressure.
In addition, the baking soda only adds about 100mg of sodium
per serving - which is pretty reasonable.
Aunt Jemima
Aunt Jemima is not 100 percent whole wheat as the label implies
but it does contain more whole-wheat than white flour. In
the pancake mix aisle that is difficult to find unless your
supermarket carries Arrowhead Mills or other (small) brand
name products that say "Whole Grain" and mean it.
If you have Arrowhead Mills available to you, that is the
best brand choice for pancakes. Krusteaz Low Fat Oat Bran
is an excellent choice as well. Aunt Jemima's frozen pancakes
have enough fibers but the source of the fiber is cellulose
and it is best to get your fiber from whole-grains.
Waffles
You are more likely to find whole-grain waffles than pancakes.
All of the flour in Van's 7-Grain Begian Waffles is whole-grain,
for example. Several other companies such as Van's, Lifestream
and Waffle Heaven make waffles with more whole-grain than
refined flour. Do not assume however, that whole-grain on
the front of the package means only whole grains inside. Eggo
Nutri-Grain Waffles may be "made with whole-grain"
but in truth, they are mostly made with refined grain. But
the entire Nutri-Grain line does beat the regular Eggs by
a long shot. Many companies have transformed their waffles
into vehicles that deliver everything from vitamins and minerals
to flax, soy and omega-3 fatty acids.
Flax
Flax is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, especially linoleic
acid, which may help prevent heart attacks and strokes. Look
for at least 1,000 milligrams - that is equal to one gram
- of omega-3 fats per serving. Skip brands that do not put
omega-3 numbers on the package.
Organic
Look for brands with organic ingredients if you wish to help
protect the planet.
Soy
Soy helps lower cholesterol if you eat roughly 25 grams of
soy protein daily. The government allows a heart disease claim
on foods that contain at least a quarter of a day's total
(6-1/4 grams) per serving. Keep in mind: It is too early to
say whether soy protein or isoflavones protects bones, lowers
the risk of breast or prostate cancer or curbs the symptoms
of menopause.
French Toast
Frozen French toast is somewhat fattier and sweeter than waffles
or pancakes and sticks have more fat and sugar than slices.
Whole grains and fiber are scarce and calcium levels are mediocre.
All in all, two slices of French toast are close to two slices
of white bread with a teaspoon of margarine and a tablespoon
of jam.
Breakfast Meals
A breakfast pizza, for those who have never had the pleasure,
is a small ordinary frozen pizza with scrambled eggs and bacon,
sausage or gravy on top. It is in the same class as Great
Starts frozen breakfasts - lots of saturated fat and sodium.
New on the scene are Uncle Ben's Breakfast Bowls. They are
essentially Great Starts, except your sausage, egg and biscuit
or your bacon, egg and potatoes (or whatever) are all mixed
together into a bowl. The only one that is not brimming with
saturated fat and sodium is Seven-Grain Cereal and Fruit.
It has seven grams of fiber to offset the added sugar.
Breakfast Sandwiches
Most breakfast sandwiches are not kind to your heat. With
eggs, cheese and sausage (or bacon or ham) on a biscuit or
croissant, it is not unusual to find 20 to 30 grams of fat,
four to 12 of them saturated, in each sandwich.
There are a few exceptions, however. Morningstar Farms makes
two meatless Breakfast Sandwiches that are low in saturated
fat and are good sources of protein, fiber, calcium and other
nutrients. Unfortunately, they contain a bit too much sodium
- 700 to 1000 milligrams each.
Amy's Breakfast Burrito, filled with beans, potatoes, tofu
and onions, has a mildly spiced kick. But it contains 540
milligrams of sodium, which is just above the "cut-off"
point considered reasonable for one item to contain.
Toaster Pastries
Pop-Tarts and other toaster pastries are very popular due
to their convenience and the supposed belief that added vitamins
make them a healthy breakfast. Unfortunately for many of us,
this is not true. Most toaster pastries have too much saturated
fat or too much sugar. Nearly all are low in the "good
stuff" such as fiber, protein and calcium. A good one:
The Pillsbury Toaster Bagel Shoppe line is fairly low in both
fat and sugar. |
