Breakfast of Champions

This time of year, the blog world is infiltrated with post about exercise plans, diets, and New Year’s Resolutions.  Since diets and I can not co-exist I simply do  not do them.  I have found that as soon as I deny myself of anything, even something I don’t even care for all that much, I crave it all the more.  I am really jealous of those people who can be on one and be successful, but I can’t.  With house full of girls, we have made a conscious decision to go as far as making the “D” word a swear word.  That word can not be used in this house.  I also try to never talk about frustrations with my own body flaws (and let me tell you, there are plenty of them) and we try very hard to not compare or even talk about body type, shape, size.  However, we do talk openly about healthy food choices.  We also talk about portion control and everything in moderation.  We also talk about only eating when you are hungry and never out of boredom.  I have never done any research and have no facts to base my opinion on, only experience, but I wonder if a huge contributor to childhood obesity is a result of kids eating out of boredom.  One of the things we talk about most, is eating a good breakfast.  There is plenty of research done in this area, and I remind them of it all.the.time!  All my kids are not huge breakfast eaters, but this is a non-negotiable at our house.  Even if they have to choke it down.  They vary in their breakfast choices, but the one thing that they all love is oatmeal.  I make a pot of oatmeal at least two of three times a week.  Some eat it with a little white sugar and milk.  A couple of them eat it with a sprinkle of brown sugar.  Those options are both really good, but in my option, this is the BEST way to eat oatmeal.  A little brown sugar, a small pat of butter, and plenty of craisins!  The sweetness of the brown sugar and the tang of the craisin is irresistible.  It also sticks with you and doesn’t leave you starving at noon.  So, if you are on a “D word”, I would recommend adding it to your plan.