If you’ve watched enough Filipino films, you’ll notice one thing: there are always hot dogs at the breakfast table. That’s why many Filipino families-probably including yours-are serving hot dogs in the morning, although they’re about as nutritious as a bag of potato chips. Many of us have lost our sense of what makes a good breakfast. If your idea of a healthy start is a plate of fried processed meat, you’re missing out on a lot.

Of course, that doesn’t mean your breakfasts have to be bland and boring. It’s quite the opposite, in fact-there are lots of healthy options that will make your kids want breakfast all day. Here are some tips and Filipino food recipes to help you start your day right.

Bring out the casserole

Breakfast casseroles are a one-dish meal-they pack all the nutrients you need in a single bite. A typical casserole combines meat and vegetables with a carb base such as rice, bread or pasta. It’s a great option for people who don’t have time for a sit-down meal. You can choose what you want to put in, and the rich, diverse flavors will fit right in with Filipino cuisine.
In Filipino food, a casserole typically consists of sausage, rice or bread, and mushroom or chicken broth. For breakfast, you can give it a healthier twist by adding meats and fresh vegetables of your choice. Look into your leftovers to see if there’s something you can throw in. Don’t go overboard with the ingredients, though-too many flavors in one dish can be hard to pull off. Here’s a quick breakfast casserole recipe you can try out.

Breakfast Casserole (serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

6-8 slices torn or cubed bread
½ kg bacon, ham or sausage
5 eggs
½ cup sliced mushrooms
¾ cup cheddar cheese
1 ¾ cup milk

Procedure:

Arrange the cubed bread on a deep pan or casserole dish to create a base. Layer with meat, cheese and mushrooms. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and milk and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the casserole mixture and let it soak for about 5 minutes. Bake for about 35 minutes at 350oF.

Load up on fruits

A lot of people say sugar is good for breakfast because it gives you an energy boost. But that energy goes down as fast as it goes up, leaving you slow and lethargic by lunchtime. Fresh fruits can satisfy your sweet tooth without the energy spike, unlike most breakfast cereals. Besides, most cereals are already sugar-coated. Instead of stirring sugar into your bowl, try mixing in some fruits to sweeten it up. Mangoes, bananas and strawberries all make excellent natural sweeteners. They also balance out the carbs in your cereal, so you get a more complete start.

You can pre-slice your fruits over the weekend so you can just throw them in when it’s breakfast time. Have a wide selection of fruits for the whole week to give it a little variety. Experiment with fruit combinations-most of them go well together, but you’re sure to find a few personal favorites. Look up Filipino desserts recipes on the internet to get some ideas. Some fruits that work well together are mango-papaya and strawberry-banana.

Get creative

Being creative with your food doesn’t mean spending hours in the kitchen every morning. Simple dishes like toast and omelets can turn into gourmet food with a few simple ingredients. Besides , Filipino cuisine is all about improvisation.

You can start by playing around with your omelets. Although plain old omelet is healthy on its own, you can always give it a unique twist whenever time allows. There’s a lot you can do with eggs and a frying pan. Make a ham and cheese omelet, throw in some herbs and mushrooms, or make it extra creamy for your kids. There are also several Filipino recipes you can try to get that homey flavor.

If you’re more of a toast person, you can experiment with French toast recipes. You can give your toasts a fruity flavor by adding fresh fruit juice or nuts to the dip. If you have kids, child-friendly flavors like chocolate and banana can do the trick. You can even let your kids help out so they can choose their own flavors.

Many of our favorite breakfast foods are fried, but most of them can be cooked without all that fat. Try grilling some of your favorite foods instead of frying them. Sausage, fish, and meats all taste just as good grilled as they do deep fried. Just add a nice glaze and you can turn last night’s tapa into a breakfast dish you’ll want to eat all day.

Eggs can be hard-boiled, soft-boiled, poached, or steam-basted. When poaching or steam-basting, you’re free to add in any flavors you like, from salt and pepper to herbs and curry. You can’t be as creative when you fry because the oil will burn out much of the flavoring. You can also use leftover meats and veggies in a hot breakfast soup.

Have dessert

Most people are too hurried in the morning to grab a piece of toast, let alone sit down for a full meal. But as you’ve probably been told a million times, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Even people on a diet will skip any meal but breakfast. To make breakfast more appetizing, try serving breakfast desserts-light, sweet dishes that wash down your meal without making you feel too full. It can be as simple as your favorite fruit or some fancy Filipino recipes.

If a full course meal is too heavy for you, try a breakfast smoothie instead. They’re not that hard to make-all you need is a blender and a stock of fresh fruits. You can try this healthy breakfast smoothie with a distinctly tropical taste.

Pineapple Coconut Smoothie (serves 3)

Ingredients:

½ cup pineapple chunks
2 cups blueberries, frozen
cup coconut/pineapple juice
½ cup vanilla yogurt (preferably nonfat)
¾ cup vanilla milk

Procedure:

Blend all ingredients together until you get a smooth, creamy mixture.

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