Killer cereals

Because they're filled with vitamins and minerals -- in addition to having very figure-friendly names that include words like "Fit," "Natural," and "Body" -- cereals seem like a healthy way to start your day. I'm not saying they're not, I'm just saying that it's easy to get tricked into thinking a particular cereal is good for you when, in reality, it's not much better than a bowl of Fruity Pebbles.

Ideally, you should try to find a cereal that has fewer than 170 calories and less than 10g of sugar per serving. It should also contain at least 4g of fiber per cup. While the aforesaid Fruity Pebbles definitely do not meet this criteria, some that do are Kellog's Unfrosted Mini-Wheats (4.8g fiber, 0.8g sugar); Kashi Vive (9.6g fiber, 136 cal, plus probiotics); Quaker Simple Harvest Vanilla Almond and Honey (160 cal, 4g fiber, 9g sugar).

A totally different option is to start your day with steel cut oatmeal, an ultra healthy (but admittedly unpalatable) bowl of oats that will digest very slowly, leaving you feeling nice and full well into mid-morning. I'm sure there are ways to improve the taste of steel cut oats, but I unfortunately am not a person who knows any. So, please feel free to leave suggestions in the comments section below if you happen to have any recipes or tips.