Food News, with Amanda Killelea

EVERYONE knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day -- but how many of us make the time for a delicious and nutritious start to the day?

New research shows that 24 per cent of the population miss out on breakfast but next week's National Breakfast Week is aiming to buck that trend.

An EU report showed that 25 per cent of people cited irregular working hours and 24 per cent a busy lifestyle as their reasons not to eat healthily.

Morning hunger means that your body chemistry is functioning naturally and nobody should go to work on an empty stomach.

A five minute investment in your day is all it takes to prepare and eat a bowl of cereal or fruit and yoghurt to provide essential nutrients for the day ahead.

Eating fruit at breakfast time gives you an energy boost which lasts throughout the morning because fruits contain a mixture of vitamins and natural sugars which are slowly released into the bloodstream.

But on your days off, or if you have more time in the morning, why not try some more adventurous breakfast recipes? If you fancy a little bit of luxury why not treat youself to smoked salmon with scrambled eggs?

Piping hot porridge sprinkled with sugar or cinnamon can be the perfect start to a cold winter's day.

And, believe it or not, a good English breakfast can be healthy if the ingredients are grilled rather than fried. Try cooking up grilled, lean bacon rashers, with a poached egg, grilled mushrooms and tomatoes and toast.

Kedgeree is a popular breakfast dish in other countries. For a different twist, try cooking it with tinned salmon instead of haddock.

Salmon Kedgeree

Serves four

418g can pink or red salmon

175g mixed long grain and wild rice

156 butter

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp flour

150ml fish stock

2 tbsp dry sherry

2 hard boiled eggs

1 tbsp chopped parsley or dill

2 spring onions, sliced diagonally

DRAIN the salmon, remove the skin and bones and break into large flakes. In a large pan cook the rice in boiling, salted water until tender, then drain well and return to the pan. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the curry powder and flour and cook for one minute, stirring.

Add the fish stock and simmer to thicken, stirring all the time then add the sherry.

Stir into the rice, fold in the salmon, and reheat gently.

Just before serving add the eggs and parsley or dill and season if needed.

Serve garnished with the sliced spring onions.

Wholemeal Pancakes

A delicious breakfast dish that children love served with bananas and a drizzle of maple syrup.

50g wholemeal flour

50g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

tsp salt

2 tsp soft brown sugar

1 egg lightly beaten

tsp pure vanilla extract

15g unsalted butter, melted 250ml milk

Vegetable oil

SIFT together the flours, baking powder and salt, and stir in the sugar. Make a hollow in the centre and add the beaten egg, vanilla and melted butter. Gradually mix in the milk to make a smooth batter. Cover the bowl and set aside for an hour, or overnight in the fridge.

Heat a little oil in an 18cm frying pan, tilting the pan gently to coat the base and sides. Pour off any excess oil and use a ladle to pour in just enough batter to coat the base of the pan thinly. Cook for one-two minutes or until the underside is golden, then turn or toss and cook the other side.

Six reasons to eat a healthy breakfast

BREAKFAST is the ideal stress-buster. Research has shown that people who eat cereal every day are less depressed, less emotionally distressed and have lower levels of perceived stress than those who consume it less frequently.

Breakfast eaters tend to be slimmer than those who don't eat breakfast. Eating a healthy brekfast also provides us with one quarter of the daily requirements of the important vitamins and minerals that we need.

Breakfast improves mood and mental performance. Eating a high carbohydrate/low fat breakfast can improve your mood and improve your overall mental performance during the morning. Breakfast eaters smell better. Research shows that people who don't eat breakfast are prone to halitosis.

Breakfast provides essential energy. When breakfast is missed the overnight fast continues during the morning and the body's supply of energy remains low. The body needs the boost provided by breakfast to produce the energy necessary to perform both mentally and physically until lunchtime.

Breakfast eaters have healthier diets. Eating breakfast is linked with lower fat and higher carbohydrate intakes -- recommended for a healthy diet.

Breakfast is particularly important for children. Scientific research has shown that, in the short-term children, who ate breakfast were less likely to suffer from lapses in concentration. In the long-term, school attendance was improved among breakfast eaters.