I believe in breakfast. I mean a good, healthy breakfast–not the sweet, sugary, syrupy kind you get at Bob Evans. And whether you’re a breakfast-eater or not, the facts are it gets your metabolism going so you start burning calories earlier in your day, and it gives you the energy you need to be active.

I’ve been making a single-serving breakfast smoothie for the past six or seven years. For me, it’s a perfect, refreshing, healthy way to start my day, and it keeps me full for at least three hours. (Yes, I’m a firm believer in five or six small meals a day instead of three big ones.)

It all starts with a few staples.

Tip: Keep staple ingredients in your cupboard, your refrigerator, and your freezer. Many of these ingredients will vary depending on your own tastes. For me they include, among other items, plain and vanilla low fat yogurt (I prefer Stoneyfield Farms or any other organic brand), bananas (both fresh and frozen in slices), soy or low fat milk (again, organic), pure vanilla extract, honey, and wheat germ. Ta-Da! I have everything I need to make a delicious breakfast smoothie.

Recipe: Banana breakfast smoothie
Serves one

1 small banana, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces and frozen
1/3 cup plain low fat yogurt* (half a 6-oz container)
1/2 cup soy or low fat milk
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp wheat germ or Grape Nuts cereal

Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and all banana pieces are blended. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

*Experiment by adding other frozen fruits, such as strawberries and/or blueberries. You could use flavored low fat yogurt instead, but be aware that they contain more sugar and calories than plain. You might get more of a sugar spike–and crash–if you use those varieties. You can just as easily purchase a bag of frozen fruit and save yourself the cals.

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