6 easy breakfasts for better blood sugar

Maintaining a healthy blood sugar can be difficult for the modern person. These easy breakfast recipes can help you maintain your blood sugar, no matter where you are.

Most of us have more time on weekends, so take advantage of it by whipping up a tasty, vegetable-filled omelet.

• 2 egg omelette 125 g (1/2 c) sautéed vegetables (onions, green peppers, mushrooms)
• 25 g (1 oz) shredded fat-free sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 slice whole wheat toast with 5 ml (1 tsp) light tub margarine
• 175 ml (3/4 c) calcium-fortified orange juice
• Total calories: 350

Tips:

1. Use one egg and two egg whites to reduce calories.
2. No time to chop? Buy precut vegetables.
3. Add vegetables such as zucchini, broccoli or tomatoes.
4. Serve eggs with salsa in a flour tortilla (no toast) for a breakfast burrito.

You dash off to work without breakfast. No problem — if you have these emergency rations in your desk. Try to have this ready when you need it:

• 1 whole wheat bagel with 30 ml (2 tbsp) peanut butter
• 1 medium banana
• 250 ml (1 c) black or green tea
• Total calories: : 405

Tips:

1. Substitute two rice cakes, which contain fewer calories and come in a variety of flavours.
2. Buy light peanut butter. It's an easy way to cut fat and calories.

Here's a meal you can grab and eat on the go. Choose a small, low-fat muffin or bake your own.

• 1 hard-boiled egg
• 1 low-fat bran muffin
• 175 ml (3/4 c) cranberry juice
• Total calories: : 305

Tips:

1. Buy eggs fortified with omega-3 fatty acids — the same fat found in salmon.
2. Substitute whole fruit, such as a handful of seedless purple grapes.
3. Cut calories with light cranberry juice, lower in sugar and calories.

When you want something sweet, here's a meal that tastes like dessert. Top your waffles with fruit instead of syrup. Nuts add protein and heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.

• 2 toasted low-fat frozen waffles
• 125 g (1/2 c) fresh fruit
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped pecans
• 125 ml (1/2 c) fat-free milk
• Total calories: : 355

Tips:

1. Skip the milk and top waffles and fruit with fat-free, sugar-free yogurt.
2. Choose whole grain waffles for more fibre.
3. Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries are loaded with antioxidants for a nutrition bonus.

This is just like a drive-through breakfast, but with fewer calories and a vegetable serving.

• 1 fried egg on an English muffin with sliced tomato
• 30 g (1 oz) reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 175 ml (3/4 c) orange juice
• Total calories: 340

Tips:

1. Instead of frying, use a nonstick skillet with a little cooking spray.
2. For an egg sandwich "Florentine" style, add steamed spinach.
3. Choose whole wheat muffins for extra fibre.

Oatmeal is  loaded with fibre and clears out cholesterol. The cinnamon you add for flavour may naturally — and significantly — lower your blood sugar. And it gives the impression of sweetness without adding calories.

• 1 pkg unsweetened instant oatmeal
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) cinnamon
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) craisins or raisins
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped walnuts250 ml (1 c) fat-free milk

Tips:

1. Add milk before you cook the oatmeal. It's creamier.
2. Use old-fashioned oats rather than instant for more fibre and a heartier texture.
3. Substitute fresh banana or strawberries for dried fruit.

With the right preparation and recipes, you can start your day with your blood sugar at the right levels. Hopefully, these recipes will make your busy mornings a little healthier, and a lot easier.