Think fast: What is your morning routine like? Do you frequently miss out on a healthy breakfast because you’re running late for work or busy getting the kids off to school? Too often, the pace of everyday life leaves us with little time to cook and prepare healthy meals — especially breakfast. It may seem easier to grab a bagel or doughnut on the way to the office or skip breakfast altogether, but these habits won’t help you reach your weight-loss goal. Fortunately, there are a number of delicious South Beach Diet-recommended breakfast options that are easy to make on the run or prepare ahead of time and grab as you’re heading out the door. Try some of these healthy Phase-specific choices:

Phase 1

• Precooked deviled or hard-boiled eggs (hard-boiled eggs will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week)
• Celery sticks with natural peanut butter
• Single-serving nonfat or one-percent cottage-cheese cups
• Precooked turkey bacon
• Individual low-fat cheese slices or reduced-fat cheese sticks
• Sliced turkey or other reduced-fat meats
• Tomato or vegetable-juice cocktail in single-serving cans
• Reduced-fat or nonfat plain yogurt

Phases 2 and 3 All of the above, plus:

• Reduced-fat or nonfat artificially sweetened, flavored yogurt (limit to six ounces daily and make sure to avoid yogurts with added sugars)
• Whole-grain sliced bread or whole-grain English muffin topped with low-fat cheese or part-skim ricotta cheese
• Fresh berries or other seasonal fruit

See all South Beach Diet Tips