Power starts: two great-tasting breakfast options help you start the day right

Sunset, Jan, 2008 by Stephanie Dean, Amy Machnak

Cran-berry green-tea smoothie

Green tea and cranberries give this high-energy smoothie powerful antioxidants. For a tropical spin, substitute 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks for the blackberries and strawberries.

PREP TIME 10 minutes

MAKES 1 breakfast serving (2 cups; 1 cup for a snack)

NOTES Individually quick-frozen (IQF) technology has made high-quality frozen fruit possible, with a nutritional value on par with that of fresh fruit. Frozen fruit is ideal for using in smoothies, chilling the drink without diluting it as ice would.

1/2 cup frozen cranberries
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen blackberries
5 frozen whole strawberries
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup brewed green tea, cooled to room temperature
1/4 cup plain soy milk
2 tbsp. honey or packed light brown sugar

In a blender, whirl all ingredients until smooth.

PER 2-CUP SERVING 378 CAL., 5% (18 CAL.) FROM FAT; 5.2 G PROTEIN; 2 G FAT (0.2 G SAT.); 92 G CARBO (11 G FIBER); 38 MG SODIUM; O MG CHOL.

Fruit-and-nut breakfast bars

Easy to make and very tasty, these bars are pure fruit, nuts, and seeds--no pasty fillers.

PREP AND COOK TIME 30 minutes

MAKES 8 bars

1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup whole Medjool dates (about 5), halved and pitted 1 cup whole
  raw almonds with skins
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup dried plums (prunes)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1. Preheat oven to 300[degrees]. Pour orange juice over dates and let soak 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place almonds, dried apricots, and dried plums in a food processor and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped. Add salt and dates with orange juice and pulse until mixture starts to stick together. Add pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, pulsing a few times just to incorporate.

3. Using wet hands, scoop mixture onto a work surface and form into a log about 1 3/4 in. wide and 1/2 in. thick. Use your palms to flatten into a bar, and cut bar into 8 equal pieces.

4. Arrange pieces about 1 in. apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Using a heatproof spatula, turn bars over and bake another 8 minutes, or until nuts are toasted (but before fruit begins to burn). Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

PER BAR 210 CAL., 56% (117 CAL.) FROM FAT; 6 G PROTEIN; 13 G FAT (1.4 G SAT.); 22 G CARBO (3.5 G FIBER); 76 MG SODIUM; O MG CHOL.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

PHOTOGRAPHS BY IAIN BAGWELL

FOOD STYLING BY DAN BECKER

*GET THE SKINNY ON WHY THESE NUTRIENTS ARE GOOD FOR YOU: sunset.com/starts

RELATED ARTICLE: WHAT'S PACKED INSIDE ...

Cran-berry green-tea smoothie

With 4 1/2 servings of fruit plus antioxidants and fiber, this smoothie is a refreshing, satisfying, and healthy way to begin your day.

Cranberries = antioxidants fiber vitamins C and K

Blueberries = antioxidants fiber vitamin K

Blackberries = fiber folate vitamins C and K

Strawberries = antioxidants vitamin C fiber

Banana = potassium folate fiber vitamin C

Green tea = antioxidants

Soy milk = iron protein

Fruit-and-nut breakfast bars

The dried fruits will give you a quick boost, and the proteins and good fats will keep you from crashing midmorning.

Orange juice = vitamin C folate

Dates = fiber potassium

Almonds = monounsaturated fat protein vitamin E fiber

Apricots = vitamin A fiber potassium

Dried plums = antioxidants potassium fiber vitamin K

Pumpkin seeds = polyunsaturated fat protein iron vitamin K

Sunflower seeds = polyunsaturated fat protein vitamin E