Not many people think of plain toast as a very fulfilling breakfast, so most of us dress up our toast with some kind of spread. Which spread you use - and how much - can have a dramatic impact on how many calories and how much nutrition you get out of your breakfast.

Peanut butter: Not many spreads can boast peanut butter's versatility. It provides a dose of carbohydrates for an energy boost, bundled with the full-feeling provided by protein and monounsaturated fat - a heart-healthy fat that lowers total cholesterol and LDL ("bad" cholesterol), while boosting HDL ("good" cholesterol). Peanut butter also contains Vitamin E, fiber, niacin, phosphorus, and magnesium. When you shop, look for natural peanut butter made without trans-fat laden hydrogenated oil.

For the bread, you can have anywhere from 60 to 180 calories for one slice. (The wide range is based on if you use white, wheat, whole-grain, ect. and the ingedients like floud, wheat, rye, flax, oat, and so on.) Peanut butter, for one serving, has about 190 calories in it. So the toast with peanut butter will probably have around 250 to 300 calories in it.

Spread is considered an "extra" on the food guide, so keep in mind that you don't really need them for nutrition. The most important thing is to watch the portion size. One tablespoon is the standard, and you can visually estimate it by imagining a serving about the size of the tip of a woman's thumb. One tablespoon of any of these spreads is an okay way to start your day, but piling on extra spoonfuls can pack on extra calories fast.

Hope this helps.Bye & take care.

(Rated by 3 Council Members)

(Rated by 3 Council Members)

(Rated by 3 Council Members)

(Rated by 2 Council Members)

(Rated by 2 Council Members)