Previous studies have shown that eating breakfast, as compared with skipping it, makes for smaller rises in blood sugar and insulin after all of the day's meals and snacks.

Also, smoothing out the blood sugar and insulin can help diminish harmful LDL cholesterol levels and triglycerides. It can also curb the appetite.

While writing in The Harvard Heart Letter the experts recommended that a bowl of steel-cut oatmeal topped with fruit and walnuts can be a healthy breakfast.

Also a bowl of high-fiber, whole-grain cereal such as Fibre One, Shredded Wheat, or Cheerios with milk and sliced banana, strawberries, blueberries or other fruit can also reduce health risks.

Six or eight ounces of 1% yoghurt with blueberries and sunflower seeds or a whole-grain English muffin with peanut butter can keep you hale and hearty.

A diet including omelette made with one egg and one egg white, or egg substitute, served with whole-grain toast and orange slices can be a rich source of proteins.

A smoothie made with milk, yoghurt, orange or pineapple juice, strawberries or blueberries, and banana, plus some oat bran, ground flax seeds, or wheat germ for extra fiber and healthful oils can offer enormous health benefits.

From the April 28, 2008, Prepared Foods e-Flash