A high-quality breakfast can start your day off right providing you with lasting energy to fuel your day, curb your cravings and help lower your risk for some chronic conditions.

Worst Breakfast 1: No Breakfast at All

In the largest sample of successful dieters, 78 percent reported eating breakfast every day.  What’s more, a Harvard study reported that men who skipped breakfast were 27 percent more likely to develop heart disease and that female breakfast skippers had a 28 percent higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Eating breakfast may also give you more energy: One study found that breakfast eaters burned 400 more calories during a day through increased daily activity.

Worst Breakfast 2: Smoothies

Smoothies have a health halo, but unless you make it yourself, your smoothie may have more calories than a Big Mac and fries. Even grocery-store smoothies can have a natural sugar content similar to soda. And, despite the flavor, they’re usually just dressed-up apple juice.

Top Picks: Enjoy DIY smoothies with a base of Greek yogurt, frozen fruit (no added sugars) and milk.

Worst Breakfast 3: Juices or Juicing

Despite being lower in calories than smoothies and rich in myriad vitamins and antioxidants, juices aren’t the best way to start your day because most lack filling fiber and often pack in more natural sugar than a cola. Liquid sources of natural sugars cause a more rapid rise in blood sugar and insulin levels, compared with eating solid foods of similar nutritional value.

Top Picks: Stop juicing and start eating! Opt for breakfasts with whole fruit and lean proteins like a bowl of Greek yogurt with fresh berries or sliced banana.

Worst Breakfast 4: Waffles, Pancakes, Bagels and Muffins

Waffles, pancakes, bagels and muffins are common breakfast choices, but they are rich in one thing you don’t want to start your day with: refined flour. They also lack filling fiber or protein. In fact, one study of dieters found those who ate a egg-based breakfast lost 65 percent more weight and lost more belly fat.

Top Picks: If you’re craving carbohydrates, make a pancake, waffle or mini muffin using whole grain flour as a side dish to your eggs.

Worst Breakfast 5: Egg Sandwiches

One of the most popular breakfast choices is a classic egg sandwich a fried egg, ham and cheese on a toasted bagel or English muffin. Breakfast sandwiches have about 300 to 400 calories, but most have up to four times as much low-quality carbs as protein. Because they generally are made with one egg, they fall short of the recommended 25 to 30 grams of protein needed for increased satiety and muscle protein synthesis.

Top Picks: Make your own sandwich using two eggs and one slice of lean bacon served in a whole-grain English muffin, bread or tortilla. When eating out always ask for your egg sandwich on a skinnier English muffin and check to see if the option of a breakfast “bowl” is available.

Worst Breakfast 6: Specialty Coffee Drinks

More than one third of coffee drinkers enjoy specialty coffee drinks every day. But many of these beverages have more than 300 calories and can pack in more sugar than a bowl of Froot Loops, making them more like liquid candy. A sugary start to your day may lead to increased hunger and cravings for sweets once the blood sugar levels plummet.

Top Picks: Opt for cappuccino or lattes and downsize to a small (12 ounce). Skip the added whipped cream and syrups. And if you like almond or soy milk, ask if it’s unsweetened.

Worst Breakfast 7: “Whole Grain” or “High Fiber” Cold Cereals

Don’t let claims like “made with whole grains” or “high fiber” fool you. Research from Harvard published in Public Health Nutrition suggests whole-grain claims may indicate that the food is rich in sugar, sodium and higher in calories. The best bets they suggest are grains with one gram of fiber for every 10 grams of carbs.

Top Picks: Some of the healthiest options : Post Shredded Wheat Original, with 40 grams of carb and six grams of fiber, and Quaker Old Fashioned oats, with 27 grams of carbs and four grams fiber.

Worst Breakfast 8: Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is heralded as a super food because it contains twice the protein and about half the natural sugars of regular yogurt if it’s made using the traditional straining process. A plain Greek yogurt has about one gram of natural milk sugar per ounce, or eight grams (two teaspoons) per cup. But some flavored varieties have three to four times that.

Top Picks: Opt for low-sugar, protein-packed plain Greek yogurt and flavor with fresh or dried fruit.

Chute Juice

Delicious Apples, Lemon and Pear, With Ice

This fantastic Kids’ Chute Juice is designed for all your ingredients to fit into that blender/juicer, for a quick and easy juicing result! This gorgeous tasting fruit smoothie packs more nutrients than you could ever imagine. Just take a look to see the incredible quantity of vitamins and minerals your kids will be getting by having a small glass.

What you will need:

• 2 Apples
• 1/3 Lemon with rind on (unwaxed if possible)
• 1 Pear
• ICE

Begin by putting in the chopped apple, followed by the lemon and pear. Throw in the other apple and juice! Don’t forget your Ice.

Blend until completely smooth.

• What’s in it: Vitamins A, B and C, potassium, folic acid, boron, ellagic acid, carotenes, amino acids, natural sugars and anti-oxidants.

The pear juice is exceptionally good for protecting the colon. Giving that colon cancer is now one of the biggest killers in the UK, the earlier you can get some protection into your kids the better. The mineral boron is needed in trace amounts for healthy bones and muscle growth. It is also necessary for the metabolism of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Additionally, it enhances brain function as well as playing a role in how the body utilizes energy from fats and sugars. Both apples and pears contain boron.

 Tropical Special

Freshly extracted Orange, Apple and Kiwi Juice, blended with Banana and Ice

Sadly very few know exactly the quantity of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants that nature provides in every fruit on Earth. Just imagine how fresh the live ingredients planted into the smoothie you yourself have taken the time to make compared to the one you quickly hand your kid(s) in a carton from the fridge. So why not give it a go, make a smoothie for your little munchkins and you will not only be giving them a delicious drink they’ll love, but also a great deal of what they need to grow both mentally and physically.

What you will need:

•  1 Juicy Orange (peeled)
• 1 Apple
• 1/4 Banana
• 1 Kiwi Fruit
• ICE

Begin by juicing the orange, apple and kiwi. Ensure you peel the kiwi fruit as it can often have a harsh taste. Place the banana in the blender, along with the juice and ice.

Blend until completely smooth.

• What’s in it: Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C and E, beta – carotene, fibre, magnesium, potassium, folic acid, boron, ellagic acid, amino acids and natural sugars.

The scrumptious kiwi fruit is rich in beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A, this vitamin is essential for the development and growth of cells and helps maintain healthy skin and eyes. Apples contain vitamin B1 which assists in the blood formation and the production of hydrochloric acid needed for proper digestion. Last but not least the fibre is there to keep kids moving!

A little tip or two: If you’ve mastered keeping your young delights interested with different fruits and smoothies be sure to engage a teenager too. A possible trick is to mention how good they are to ‘help keep a good healthy weight’ and ‘are great for clear skin’. I’m more than certain after a while they’ll be making their own smoothies without you needing to push them.