Fruit pizzas put a tempting new spin on breakfast

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - Got breakfast?

With school back in session, it's a familiar refrain as kids run out the door in the morning.

Countless studies have shown that eating a good breakfast is essential to good learning. But for my high school freshman, a few extra minutes of sleep is always more important than spending time upright at the breakfast table.

If I do manage to cajole him into slurping up a container of yogurt or scarfing down a handful of sugary cereal (hey, I'm desperate here!), he insists his stomach is growling louder at lunch than if he ate nothing at all.

The problem?

Either he's not eating enough food to meet his energy needs, or he's not choosing from enough food groups, says Shelly Summar, a registered dietitian and a weight management program coordinator at Children's Mercy Hospital.

"For breakfast, we try to encourage kids to choose from at least three food groups," Summar says. "Our No. 1 goal is to encourage them to eat some whole grains at breakfast."

The Star's Individual Breakfast Fruit Pizzas are a great platform from which to launch the day. "With this recipe you have whole grains, fresh fruit and a protein source in the nuts," Summar says. "That one recipe would meet our criteria."

Pizza, anyone?

Preparation tips: Choose a combination of fresh fruits in season. Some favorites might include blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, apples, pears, peaches or nectarines. Wash, peel and thinly slice or cut fruits as needed into bite-size pieces. Arrange a combination of fruits in a pattern to resemble a pizza.

To toast nuts: Place chopped nuts on a baking tray. Bake at 350 degrees about 7 minutes or until lightly toasted. Toasted nuts will keep in an airtight container, so make more than the recipe calls for and sprinkle on pizzas as needed throughout the week.

INDIVIDUAL BREAKFAST FRUIT PIZZAS

Makes 4 servings

1/3 cup reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon honey

2 whole-wheat English muffins, split and toasted

1 to 1 Ľ cups fresh fruit (see Preparation Tip at left)

2 tablespoons peach-flavored all-fruit spread

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts or almonds, toasted

Combine cream cheese and honey, stirring until blended and smooth. Spread over the cut surface of each toasted English muffin. Arrange fresh fruit over the cream cheese in a pattern to resemble a pizza.

Place all-fruit spread in a small glass bowl. Microwave on high (100 percent power) about 15 seconds or until melted, stirring midway through heating. Brush all-fruit spread evenly over the top of the fruit. (Cover the surfaces of each fruit that might darken, such as apples or peaches, with all-fruit spread to help prevent darkening.) Sprinkle walnuts or almonds over the top of each pizza.

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Per serving: 123 calories (22 percent from fat), 3 grams total fat (no saturated fat), no cholesterol, 21 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams protein, 95 milligrams sodium, 4 grams dietary fiber.

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Recipe developed for The Star by professional home economists Kathryn Moore and Roxanne Wyss

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© 2008, The Kansas City Star.