3 "Magic" Breakfast Ingredients to Kick-Start Your Metabolism

A smaller cousin of the breakfast burrito, the breakfast taco made with reduced-fat Cheddar and egg substitute is a satisfying and healthy breakfast option.

This sophisticated take on Eggs Benedict swaps a full-flavored, chunky vegetable medley for Canadian bacon and hollandaise sauce. Add whole-wheat English muffins and poached eggs and this combo makes a lovely brunch or an elegant light supper when served with a salad.

This warming whole-grain hot cereal recipe pairs cooked wheat berries with rolled oats, fruit and nuts for a filling fiber-rich breakfast. Using a microwave makes preparation speedy, especially if you've thawed frozen cooked wheat berries overnight in the refrigerator.

Smoked salmon and egg whites on a toasted whole-wheat English muffin is the perfect power breakfast. For a more substantial meal, pair it with a piece of fruit or a glass of 100% juice.

Cornmeal adds appealing texture to these waffles and hot cherry sauce is a tasty, nutrient-rich alternative to maple syrup. Any fine cornmeal works in the recipe. If you want to use whole-grain cornmeal, look for finely ground cornmeal labeled “whole-grain” or “stone-ground” in the natural-foods section of the supermarket or at natural-foods stores.

Packed with a flavorful medley of chewy wild rice and three kinds of mushrooms, this satisfying frittata is perfect for Sunday brunch. Don't worry if you can only find one kind of mushroom--the richly aromatic top of baked Parmesan and crisp prosciutto will make up for it.

This baked apple-cinnamon French toast can be prepared in advance and then simply popped in the oven for a leisurely and luxurious weekend morning. By using nonfat instead of whole milk and eliminating the egg yolks, the calories are cut by half and the fat is reduced by nearly 80 percent in our griddle-free version.

Huevos rancheros or “ranch eggs” is a classic Mexican dish that is great for a quick dinner. Traditionally, it's made with a red tomato-based sauce. Here we use tart and tangy green salsa instead. Serve with: brown rice and slices of avocado.

This healthy update of a traditionally rich ham-and-cheese breakfast strata is made lighter primarily by losing a few egg yolks and using nonfat milk. Gruyère cheese has a delicious, nutty aroma and flavor, which means that with the relatively small amount in this recipe you still get a big impact. To finish the makeover use nutritious, fiber-rich, whole-grain bread instead of white. The results: plenty of flavor, half the calories and one-third the fat of the original.

Serve these light pancakes with our Chunky Blueberry Sauce, maple syrup or honey. Sprinkling the berries on top of the cooking pancakes ensures even distribution. Keep finished pancakes warm in a 200°F oven, if desired, while cooking the rest.

Bread pudding, an economical dish designed to use up stale bread, is most often associated with dessert. It's equally comforting turned savory, enriched with cheese and studded with vegetables.

This protein-packed Southwestern egg burrito recipe is always a hit, whether you're serving it for breakfast, brunch, lunch or a casual dinner. The homemade black bean salsa recipe adds a special touch and takes just 10 minutes, but you can also use your favorite prepared salsa to make this faster.

A little low fat dairy and some vitamin-rich fruit and you've just started your day right, nutritionally speaking.

Here's a streamlined version of Eggs Benedict: purchased polenta, boiled eggs and an easy, no-cook homage to hollandaise. It's a quick dinner any night of the week-or a great weekend brunch.

Chicken sausage comes in a variety of flavors these days. The flavor you pick will have a big impact, so make sure you pick one you like. We tried and liked sweet Italian, apple and Chardonnay sausage and sun-dried tomato and spinach sausage in this recipe.

The “strata” in this classic casserole are layers of bread, cheese and sausage baked in an egg-rich pudding.