The 12 Best Supermarket Breakfasts

Food and Nutrition

 

The 12 Best Supermarket Breakfasts

 

If you had a dime in your pocket for every time someone told you breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then you'd have, well, extremely heavy pants. But like most clichés, the one about eating breakfast is pretty right on. Studies have shown that regularly skipping breakfast increases your risk of obesity by 450 percent. In an ideal world, an average American would eat between 400 and 600 calories every morning. But it's not just the number of calories that matters. You want to usher in only "the right kind" of calories, meaning those that come from protein, fiber, and complex carbs. Here are 12 supermarket breakfasts that fit the bill

12. Best Bagel : Thomas' Hearty Grains 100% Whole Wheat Bagel

240 calories, 2 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 400 mg sodium, 49 g carbohydrates

Standard bagels like the one below from Sara Lee­—and the oversized atrocities found at your local cafe or coffee shop—are made with refined flour, which is why the whole grain Thomas’ version has more than five times the protein and six times the fiber. Skip the cream cheese in favor of creating a seriously filling breakfast sandwich, in this case, with the help of a fried egg, slices of ham, and a swipe of creamy hummus.

11. Best Cereal: Post Spoon-Size Original Shredded Wheat (1 1/2 cups)

255 calories, 1.5 g fat (0 g saturated), 0 mg sodium, 60 g carbohydrates

What, no cartoon characters on the box? No bold, in-your-face health claims? Nope. Post Shredded Wheat is cereal at its gimmick-free finest. Each biscuit is built entirely from one ingredient: whole wheat. That fills your bowl with fiber and protein numbers that other cereals can’t match, and with just a couple of additions, you can convert this age-old grain into a powerful weapon in your battle against belly fat.

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10. Best English Muffin: Thomas' Light Multi-Grain English Muffin

100 calories, 1 g fat (0 g saturated), 180 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrates

Start with the best English muffin in the supermarket and you’re well on your way to the healthiest breakfast sandwich on the planet. Each of these English muffins packs an astounding 8 grams of fiber, and ham and eggs deliver the protein. Then swap out the usual cheese for avocado, the healthy-fat hero of the produce kingdom, and add a couple cracks of black pepper on top. You’ll never miss your old drive-thru morning routine.

9. Best Toaster Pastry: Amy's Apple Toaster Pops (2)

320 calories, 7 g fat (0 g saturated), 220 mg sodium, 58 g carbohydrates

Toaster pastries aren’t known for nutrition merit, and indeed, even this one requires a side cup of milk to achieve an adequate protein score. But that’s forgivable. What’s not forgivable is the slime that Pop-Tarts calls fruit filling, which is essentially a blend of artificial coloring, oil, and multiple sugars. And sure, Amy’s has a touch of sugar too, but it’s secondary to real, organic apples. That’s rare for any pastry, toaster-type or not.

8. Best Pancakes: Bob’s Red Mill 10 Grain Pancake & Waffle Whole Grain Mix

(three 4" pancakes, prepared with egg and canola oil), 280 calories, 10 g fat (2 g saturated), 680 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrates

Typical pancake mixes rely on refined carbohydrates, the favored fuel for the biological machinery that builds new fat cells. Bob’s is a better breed, a slow-digesting flapjack fashioned from protein- and fiber-loaded whole grains. Maximize the nutritional impact by swapping butter for peanut butter and spooning Greek yogurt on top. Then limit the syrup to 1 tablespoon—a slow, methodical drizzle will make it seem like more than it is.

7. Best Waffles: Van’s 8 Whole Grains Waffles, multigrain (2)

180 calories, 7 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 320 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrates

Sure, lighter waffles exist, but you won’t find any others with Van’s dedication to whole grains. This quick-prep breakfast is made with whole wheat, barley, quinoa, oats, rye, and other grains you probably don’t eat enough of. That’s how each serving manages to rope in 20 percent of your day’s fiber needs. Bolster the protein with cheese, chicken sausage, and milk, and you’ve just built the foundation for a nutritionally successful day.

6. Best Yogurt: Fage Total 2% Greek Yogurt, plain (7 oz)

150 calories, 4 g fat (3 g saturated), 65 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrates

You’ll see Greek yogurt recommended frequently here,
and that’s because the Greek stuff is so vastly superior to traditional varieties. Unlike American yogurt, Greek-style yogurt has had the liquids strained out, leaving it with fewer sugars and about three times as much protein. Use it to build a fruit parfait for a nutritionally charged breakfast.

5. Best Breakfast Bowl: Jimmy Dean D-lights Turkey Sausage Bowl

230 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated), 700 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrates

Essentially, this bowl is a breakfast sandwich minus the bread, which is how it manages to earn 40 percent of its calories from pure protein. With no roll or biscuit to drive up the carb count, egg whites and lean turkey sausage end up contributing a disproportionate number of calories—and that’s a good thing. Add a glass of milk and a full grapefruit for a complete breakfast that rivals any you could prepare from scratch.

4. Best Hot Cereal: Arrowhead Mills Organic Steel Cut Oats Hot Cereal (1/4 cup)

160 calories, 3 g fat (0 g saturated), 0 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrates

Unlike rolled oats, the steel-cut variety retains the natural density of the grain,
forcing your body to burn more calories during digestion. Don’t have the time to cook steel cut oats? Fine—thankfully, rolled oats are nearly as robust; both versions are
rich in protein, fiber, and minerals. Sweeten modestly if you must, but one chopped banana, with its 14 grams of sugar, might be just enough to satisfy your palate.

3. Best Breakfast Burrito: Amy's Breakfast Burrito

270 calories, 8 g fat (1 g saturated), 540 mg sodium, 38 g carbohydrates

The typical breakfast burrito delivers a heavy blow of refined carbohydrates, but Amy’s deflates the problem by using a whole wheat tortilla and stuffing it with an A-list of produce and legumes. Among them are potatoes, black beans, onions, broccoli, corn, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Add big flavor with salsa and fruit, and for protein, add a sidecar of Greek yogurt. It’s creamy and thick like sour cream, so it goes well with the burrito.

2. Best Organic Breakfast : Amy's Tofu Scramble

320 calories, 19 g fat (3 g saturated), 580 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrates

To those unfamiliar with tofu’s soft, cheeselike curds, you’ll find it to be a perfect low-calorie stand-in for scrambled eggs. Especially when sautéed, as Amy’s is, in garlic and olive oil alongside a bed of spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, and tomatoes. The meal could easily stand on its own, but stack a glass of milk next to it for the extra protein you need to muscle through the morning without feeling hungry.

1. Best Breakfast Sandwich: Jimmy Dean D-lights Canadian Bacon Honey Wheat Muffin

230 calories, 4.5 g fat (3 g saturated), 760 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrates

Done correctly, the breakfast sandwich is a simple delivery system for the fiber and protein you need to ignite your metabolism and keep your belly full through the morning. With this sandwich, Jimmy has achieved that ideal. Canadian bacon eliminates the need for fattier meats like regular bacon and sausage, and as an alternative to a biscuit or croissant, the English muffin slices off a substantial load of superfluous carbohydrates.

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