Staying fueled throughout the work day–without blowing it in the calorie department–presents an ongoing challenge that I’ve approached in different ways over the years. As a “Carnation Instant Breakfast” girl when I was in high school, I’ve never been a big breakfast eater. I know all the arguments for eating the all-important first meal of the day, but it has never worked for me: it stokes my metabolism and makes me hungrier than I should be.

Currently, I start the day at about 6:30 a.m. with a cup and a half of Ocean Spray “Diet” Cranberry juice. You really have to read labels, as some of the diet-sounding cranberry juices are loaded with calories or, worse, they are relatively low in calories but are completely devoid of nutrition. This bottle has a “5” on the label and is literally 5 calories per cup, but retains its high concentration of vitamins. (Yes, it contains Splenda, but I haven’t eliminated it from my diet yet.) While I drink it, I heat two cups of Lite Chocolate Soy Milk in the microwave and take it to school in my insulated mug. I sip on this “hot chocolate” between 7 and 9 a.m. (It’s especially good heated with a broken cinnamon stick.) By then, after my first class, I’m ready for a snack. This gets tricky because it needs to be fairly quick, neat and portable. Plus it needs some protein and a bit of “bulk” without being high in calories.

What’s working for me currently is a cup of hot tea and a 100-calorie whole wheat mini-bagel straight out of the fridge (I can only eat the larger ones toasted, as they’re too doughy otherwise). I spread each half with 1 tablespoon of Kroger’s natural peanut butter and top that with a huge mound of Clover sprouts. This concoction has earned me the nickname “Rabbit” from one of our security guards and more than a few questions from coworkers. But I love the combination of the chewy bagel, the creamy-crunchy peanut butter, and the juicy-crispy sprouts. I won’t pretend that the sprouts are terribly healthy, as you have to eat one cup (a whole carton) in order to get small percentages of vitamins A and C plus calcium and iron, and I don’t begin to eat that quantity in one sitting. But at least they aren’t unhealthy in addition to being filling and adding that wonderful freshness to my morning repast.

Note: Did you know that decaffeinating tea removes many of the antioxidants (or so I’ve been told)?

Please share your breakfast solutions and stay-tuned for a warm-weather breakfast drink and some fantastic weekend breakfast/brunch options.