Jump-start your healthy eating plan with breakfast

Part 1

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MEDITERRANEAN STYLE

jump-start your day with breakfast

Rise and shine! It's the first stop on your delicious journey to better health (and longer life) with the eating plan experts have ranked No. 1 five years in a row.

Breakfast is an easy way to start the Mediterranean style of eating because it's so simple. Leftovers from dinner or a bowl of hummus or labneh, a tangy, creamy cheese made from Greek yogurt, may show up on the breakfast table along with veggies, olives and whole-grain bread or pita.

Don't forget the fresh fruit! Orange, lemon and fig trees grow in many Greek backyards, easy to pick and eat when ripe. Or try sweet strawberries, peaches or apricots sprinkled with a spice like sumac.

Feast your eyes on this appetizing breakfast: sliced peaches -- or any other fresh fruit that fits your fancy -- on top of whole-grain bread toasted with a bit of heart-healthy extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt that's schmeared with fluffy, whipped goat cheese and a drizzle of honey. What could be easier?

Want something warm and filling? Try an ancient grain -- they nourished our ancestors for centuries. Cooked with milk, honey, nuts and fruits, ancient grains such as quinoa, sorghum or wheat berries are staples of nourishing Mediterranean breakfasts.

Start by adding different grains to your oatmeal for extra taste and texture, then branch out with recipes such as belila, an Egyptian wheat berry porridge sweetened with manuka honey and perfumed with rose water and spices. You can prep meals like this the night before to save time.

Another easy Mediterranean breakfast choice is a small bowl of plain Greek yogurt, made unique each day by various combinations of berries, pomegranate seeds or other fresh fruit, a little honey and a sprinkle of nuts.

Registered dietitian nutritionist Rahaf Al Bochi, who specializes in Mediterranean food in her practice at Olive Tree Nutrition, has created this CNN original recipe -- a unique combination of whipped Greek yogurt with cardamom, vanilla, medjool dates and pistachios.

Why nuts? Packed with heart-healthy omega 3s, they are a key component of many Mediterranean meals -- and sorely lacking in most Western diets.

cook, plate, post

We'd love for you to make Al Bochi's yogurt recipe (or any other in this newsletter) and let us know how you liked it. Snapshot your creation, then send it to us along with your feedback at eatbetter@cnn.com or share with #plateitpostit. You might be featured in an upcoming story! Thank you!

shop this way

Excited by all the new tastes and textures? We've created this shopping list of Mediterranean staples you can print and use to stock your pantry.

add to cart

Organizing your kitchen will make meal prep go faster. Our partners at CNN Underscored, a product reviews and recommendations guide owned by CNN, have picked out an expandable rack for your growing collection of spices in this list of 20 under $20 kitchen organizers.

spice rack

The taste of the bright red spice sumac resembles that of a tart lemon. Sprinkle sumac over hummus, yogurt and fresh fruits like strawberries, or make a dressing for salads.

food for thought

Did you know that plain Greek yogurt has double the protein and half the sugar for the same calories as regular yogurt?

living the good life

Begin a healthy habit of stepping outside first thing in the morning. Exposing your eyes to daylight regulates your internal body clock, improving sleep. Breathe in that fresh air, and if possible, take a walk in nature. Not all of us have the temperate sunny climate of the Mediterranean, but we can be grateful for the beauty of the nature we do have.

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