If turkey sausage is perceived as being more healthy than pork sausage, someone should offer turkey sausage, Paul says. “Use more wheat versus white bread, and fruit makes sense to consumers. Egg Beaters are an option, or plain egg whites.” Paul also believes there’s a place for cottage cheese on the breakfast menu and more opportunity for oatmeal and granola.

To make it easier for foodservice operators to offer more healthy cereals, the foodservice division of General Mills recently introduced its Goodness Pack, a case of 60 assorted single-serving cup cereals that publicize their connection to good health on the packages. The Goodness Pack brands include Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios that boost healthy hearts; the high-fiber Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters; Curves Honey Crunch to offer a weight management solution; and energy-boosting Nature Valley Low Fat Fruit Granola. The bright graphics and health messages on each cereal cup serve as a billboard addressing consumers’ health needs, says Sandy Choi, associate marketing manager.

Kellogg Company sells meatless sausage patties and links to foodservice from its Morning Star Farms line. “They are 72 percent less fat than cooked pork and are a lean source of protein,” says Thuy-An Wilkins, manager of media relations. The protein source is egg whites and soy.

With a slightly more sophisticated menu than the average quick-serve or fast-casual outlet, Boston-based Au Bon Pain makes its own muesli cereal fresh each day in its bakeries. “We sold about a half million dollars worth of muesli in 2006,” says Ed Frechette, senior vice president of marketing. Au Bon Pain’s version of the cereal that is a healthful breakfast staple in Europe contains oats, milk, diced apples, bananas, cranberries, and almonds.

Fruitful Ideas

Sandelman suggests that cereal and fruit are the best options for starting the day out on a healthy note. “Fruit is easy to eat on the go, but if consumers wanted fruit, they could grab an apple or banana and eat it on the way,” he says.

But maybe not. Fruit, whole and cut, is the best-selling healthy category offered at Au Bon Pain, Frechette says. “And of that, bananas are the most popular. We blow through bananas,” at 79 cents per banana. Yes, customers can buy bananas for less at the store, but it’s a convenience thing, he adds.

Fruit smoothies have become the most fashionable way to get fruit for breakfast for many customers.

Jamba Juice has awoken to the breakfast daypart, and through March in New York and Los Angeles, is testing a line of Healthy Blended Breakfasts, which differ from the chain’s plethora of standard fruit smoothies.

“These are a little more dense and meal-like,” says Brian Lee, vice president of product innovation. “These are a meal you might want to eat with a spoon,” he says, adding that the fruit isn’t blended to be completely smooth in order to maintain some of its fruit integrity.

On the new lineup are Granola Toppers with blended fruit, low-fat yogurt, and soymilk topped with organic granola. The Granola Toppers come in Rise & Berry and Mango Peach Paradiso flavors.

The breakfast test also includes Chunky Smoothies, which blend soymilk and nonfat yogurt with fruit chunks and organic granola in two flavors: Morning Glory with strawberry, banana, and peanut butter; and Jungle Jumpstart with acai, blueberries, and bananas.

The menuboard at Jamba Juice never has featured a breakfast section before, Lee says. So to build it out, in addition to the Granola Toppers and Chunky Smoothies, the breakfast section also includes two fruit and yogurt blends (Sunrise Strawberry and Bright Eyed & Blueberry), three new juice blends, and two freshly squeezed juices.

“Most of our research says people want healthy all the time. Certainly, breakfast is no exception to that,” Lee says.