Morning Glories

It ain’t easy being green. Eating healthily is a challenge, especially when you’re rushing to get to work on time. But there are alternatives to a coffee and pastry to go. Here are the places that offer nutritional breakfasts. They do the thinking; you do the ordering.

Central

Whether you’ve just completed your morning workout or are on your way to work, the juice bar at Pure Fitness (Kinwick Center) has a range of healthy smoothies. General manager Todd Darling recommends the Breakfast or Refueler smoothie ($45 small, $58 large). “The Breakfast smoothie contains wheatgerm and oats for essential carbs after a workout,” he says. “The Refueler contains healthy fats, such as cashew nuts and avocado, that will help to keep you satisfied longer. Each contains 50g of protein, enough to constitute a meal.” And if you can’t start the day without a caffeine kick, he recommends adding a shot of espresso to your smoothie. “It may not sound tasty, but the amount is too small to tell. You will just get the effects,” he says. There is a nice area for relaxing with your smoothie and reading a magazine or checking email. Or simply grab and go. Open daily Mon-Sat 7am-11pm, Sun & PH 8:30am-9pm. 1/F-3/F Kinwick Center, 32 Hollywood Rd., Central, 2970-3366.

Life Café has a new menu featuring many healthy breakfasts. Order the organic granola or muesli bowl to-go for $45 ($50 if you eat in), which comes with homemade soy yogurt, fresh fruit and soy milk. Assistant manager Lilian Au says, “The grains and fruit are healthy carbs and the yogurt provides protein to keep you feeling full until lunch. The yogurt also aids digestion.” The bowls take two or three minutes to prepare, so if you are really strapped for time, grab a wheat-free muffin for $25. The muffin is made with amaranth, a grain that has three times as much fiber as wheat, which will help to keep you full until lunch. Open daily 8am-10:30pm, 10 Shelley St., SoHo, 2810-9777.

Café O is a European-style café that serves healthy food made to order. Marketing manager Navedita Shergill recommends the breakfast trifle ($68) or the Schoolbus smoothie (reg $29, large $36) for a healthy breakfast on-the-go, “The trifle is made with organic muesli, fresh fruit and yogurt, with honey if you choose. It’s full of protein and carbs, and will keep you full. The smoothie is made with strawberries, frozen yogurt, bananas, muesli, honey and milk. It will keep you going until lunch and tastes great.” Open Sun-Thu 7am-midnight, Fri-Sat 24 hours. 2 Arbuthnot Rd., Central, 2868-0450. Also at 284 Queen’s Rd. West, Sheung Wan, 2851-0890 (open daily 7am-11pm).

Kosmo, near the bottom of Lan Kwai Fong, specializes in healthy food on-the-go. The cafe's Lena Tsang says her favorite power beverages are the way to go, "The Kosmo Power smoothie and the Soy Aman are the best choices. The Power smoothie has whey protein and muesli for protein and fiber and the Soy Aman will warm you up on a cold day." Also gourmet muffins made with wholewheat flour are up for grabs. Yip Fung Building, Central, 2868-2002.

Multiple Locations