Dear Kimberly-From-Yesterday,

Thank you for taking the time to prepare some sugar-free strawberry banana jello for me! It was particularly thoughtful since you knew you wouldn’t be able to enjoy it yourself. That just proves that you were thinking of me, your Later Self.

You even put in the extra effort add a sliced banana before it set completely! You know how much I like sliced bananas in jello (and in cereal), and I appreciate the work you put into it.

The jello was a delicious and refreshing snack this evening that kept me from indulging in an ice cream novelty, which – even though low-calorie – definitely did not fit within my calorie budget for the day. (Damn you, delicious burger from Piper’s for dinner! – I’m so weak.)

Anyway, I appreciate that you thought about me and took time out of your day to prepare a healthy snack, just for me. You’re the best.

Sincerely,

The Here-And-Now-Kimberly

At about 4 this afternoon, I required a snack, as is typical of late afternoons. Today, I was in the mood for some fresh fruit.

After heading to the kitchen (have I mentioned that I work from home?), I surveyed my fruit stash and was overwhelmed with the choices. It was a veritable smorgasboard of fruit: Cherries! Bananas! Apples! Watermelon! Peaches! Strawberries!

I had a hard time deciding, but it’s far better to have too many choices than not enough. The same goes for fruit. In fact, go buy some fruit. You. Now. Go. And then eat it.

Editor’s Note: In case you’re curious, I went with the cherries, and it was the correct decision. I really enjoy cherries, even though I think I’m allergic to them. My throat always hurts for a few days after eating them, but it’s worth it.

For a long time, I was eating a bowl of Total Cranberry Crunch for breakfast. It’s delicious and nutritious! I know that it basically has a multi-vitamin sprinkled over it, which isn’t technically getting your vitamins from food which is preferable, but a vitamin is a vitamin, right?

After close to two years of Cranberry Crunch for breakfast about 6 days a week, I was ready to switch it up. I’ve tried a few things – Special K Red Berries, cinnamon raisin English muffin, whole wheat toast with PB2 (more on PB2 later!)  – and while they were all good, I hadn’t found anything that really kept me going until lunch time.

Until now, when I’ve settled on my new breakfast habit, ironically an old classic: Honey Nut Cheerios with sliced banana (in skim milk). Like the Cranberry Crunch, it’s both delicious and nutritious. It doesn’t have a multi-vitamin sprinkled over it, but that’s ok. It naturally has a lot of vitamins and minerals, what with all those oats, and I’m pretty good about get my share of vitamins throughout the day anyway.

There’s just something about the combination of this cereal with the banana that tastes so good. Maybe part of it is that I remember eating – and loving – it as a kid. Maybe it’s an effect of advertising (I do love that bee!). Whatever the reason, I can’t seem to get enough of it. And it definitely tides me over for the three hours between breakfast and lunch. (Those of you who have a bigger gap between breakfast and lunch may need a little snack in there.)

The thing that used to hold me back on this breakfast is the bananas: They’re so fickle, and I’m so picky. I believe there is a very limited window of banana-goodness: I don’t like them at all green, and I don’t like them if there’s any brown on them. Just perfectly yellow. Also, a whole banana seriously ups the calories of the cereal (a medium banana has about 110 calories) so I would never eat the entire thing, and then I’m throwing away half right off the bat.

I’ve come up with a solution that avoids these issues and allows me to have my bowl of cereal with half of a perfectly ripened banana each day. It starts with shopping often, which is essential for healthy eating in general. I only buy 3 bananas at a time (if I’m the only one eating them), and I try to get them just on the verge of prime yellowness. When I prepare my cereal in the morning, I slice half of a banana into the bowl, and put the other half in a Ziploc bag or container and refrigerate it. The next morning, that banana is still just right, if a little cold.

The next day, I restart the process with the second banana, and then the third, which is usually right at the end of the banana-goodness cycle. It works like a charm! Now I’m not wasting bananas… or force feeding them to my husband.

If you’re looking for a healthy, satisfying, delicious breakfast, give this a try. I think you’ll bee glad you did!