Breakfast

No, it's not "Breakfast for Dinner" -- although I do find this one to be a satisfying meal at any hour of the day.

The Real Breakfast of Champions/Breakfast For Breakfast

I am, deep down, a creature of habit.

I like routine. Once in a while, I let my hair down and tell tin to “surprise me” when she asks if I’d rather have this or that -- but honestly, I only like those surprises because the outcome won’t actually take me by surprise. And so, true to the ritualized creature I am, I like to start every morning the same way: with a bowl of cereal.

If cereal for you means merely opening up a box, dumping its content into a bowl and pouring some milk over it, I pity you. If you think that cereal is soggy and tastes either too sugary or too bland, I’m also about to rock your world.

First off, breakfast for me is about starting my day with the energy I need to get through it (well, at least until lunch time). If you have found a way to derive all of your morning energy needs from one box, I applaud you. I haven’t.

When I make my morning cereal, I start by getting out three different types of grains. While I like to swap out two of them, depending upon my mood and what’s on sale at the grocery store that week – but no matter what, I pick up a bag of good quality oats. For the record, there was a time when I believed that raw oats were inedible. Fortunately, a fellow (vegan) cereal-lover was wiser than I, and I’ve been eating them raw ever since. Oats have been a staple in my diet since I became aware of their heart-healthy benefits: a good source of mono- and polyunsaturated fats and TONS of fiber, oats help to reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure, and they keep your digestive system in good working order. Oats are high in minerals (calcium, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium); they can also help to regulate blood sugar, and even protect against cancer.

To accompany my oats, I like to choose a flake and a granola. Both of those should be a different grain. Currently, I have a spelt granola, and something resembling a bran flake – bran flakes have a bad reputation for being tasteless, or worse, for tasting like cardboard, and for finding their way only into the bowls and bellies of the elderly. The fact that my box of bran flakes proudly proclaims them to be “Wellness Flakes” probably isn’t exactly helping to reverse the stereotype. But those old people are on to something: I like (wheat -- as opposed to oat)bran because it provides me with B vitamins, plenty of minerals, and even more fiber.

On a normal breakfast day, say, before going to work, I get out a 1.5 cup bowl. I add about two tablespoons of bran flakes, two tablespoons of granola, and three tablespoons of oats.

To fill the rest of the bowl, I turn to fresh fruit. At the moment, I’m topping off my bowl with a small apple from nearby Brandenburg. Other likely suspects include bananas, berries (strawberries & blueberries in summer), mango, grapes… Use your imagination. I like to leave my fruit unpeeled, but cut into small pieces so that I get a little bit of fruit in every bite. Don't forget dried fruit -- adding dried cranberries or raisins can round out a less-than-thrilling winter fruit selection (but watch out for added sugar!).

To top off my cereal, I add a couple tablespoons of natural soy yoghurt, two teaspoons of ground flaxseed, and rice milk.

I find that breakfast is best enjoyed with the radio, the newspaper, coffee, and my favorite person.