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Although everyone probably knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, breakfast is also neglected by most of us. When we get up and need to fly out the door in a hurry, a cup of coffee may stand in for breakfast on four out of five workdays! So what’s a busy person to do? Here’s a do-ahead, nutritious solution: all you need do is whip up a batch of cranberry muffins tonight and you’ve got a good start on a nutritious and healthy breakfast. There are some easy tricks to boost the nutritional value of a cranberry muffin, too. First, let’s take a look at what the cranberry has to offer to your better health.

Cranberries are rich sources of vitamins C and E, both known as important antioxidants. They also contain resveratol, another antioxidant with anti-aging properties. Antioxidants protect your brain cells and are believed to help prevent cancer. The cranberry is a good source of Vitamin K, which helps maintain a good balance of the right bacteria in your intestines, promotes good digestion and heads off yeast infections in women. These little berries are low in both sodium and cholesterol, but high in fiber. When consumed regularly, cranberries help prevent urinary tract infections. Some studies have shown this fruit aids in lowering bad cholesterol levels as well. One cup of fresh cranberries provides 20% of the RDA for manganese, a mineral you require for healthy bones and cartilage. As if that’s not enough, cranberries also help maintain glucose tolerance, which is good news for diabetics.

You’ll surely agree that a cranberry muffin makes for a good on-the-run breakfast for you and the kids.

Now for some ways to make the power version of cranberry muffins: happily, oranges and cranberries go together like two peas in a pod when they hit your taste buds. Substitute some orange juice for the liquid called for in your cranberry muffin recipe and you’ll double the antioxidant content. Add some orange zest if you like. A half teaspoon of wheat germ adds extra vitamin E. Now that’s a cranberry muffin with nutritional punch!

Commercially prepared cranberry juices, sauces and relishes contain a lot of added sugar, so it’s best to use fresh chopped cranberries, particularly if you’re diabetic. You can also substitute Splenda™ for the sugar called for in the muffin recipe. It’s easy to find recipes online, which use Splenda™.

Any way you cut it, a cranberry muffin makes a good breakfast. If you make up a big batch, just freeze them for an instant add-on to kid’s lunches, posing as desserts.

Say, by the way, did you know that cranberries and oranges make a great smoothie? Another easy breakfast on the fly!