Make Healthy Breakfasts -- for a Buck

(CBS)  Several fast food chains will be expanding their dollar value menus to include breakfast items as the new year begins.

But "Early Show" financial contributor Vera Gibbons points out there are healthier ways to start your day -- for that same greenback.

Fast food chains seem to be benefitting from the financial meltdown, as people look for value, Gibbons notes. However, the number of fast food customers overall is down. People don't have jobs, there are fewer commuters, and McDonald's and other fast food giants are losing consumers.

With those factors in the background, McDonald's is rolling out a national dollar breakfast menu for the first time, starting in January.

McDonald's has been pushing breakfast value for awhile now with various offerings, and in what has now become a very competitive landscape, is rolling out more breakfast offerings, enhancing others, and playing up value more because our dollars matter more.

Even though McDonald's is the leader in the fast food arena, it's up against increasing price competition, and Burger King, Wendy's and Dunkin' Donuts are playing up their value offerings.

Burger King, for instance, has offered a $1 breakfast value menu since 2007, recently upped the ante on its marketing, and is trying new items. One is The Little Enormous Sandwich, made with egg, sausage, cheese, hash browns and bacon.

Dunkin' Donuts is rolling out its $1 breakfast menu in January, as well.

What's on the menu?

For McDonald's, Gibbons observes, it seems to be the sausage showdown!

The sausage burrito on its $1 menu is a sausage, scrambled egg mix with American cheese in a flour tortilla. It has 300 calories (140 from fat), 16 grams of fat and 830 mg of sodium.

The sausage biscuit, which by the way is getting better reviews online than the other sausage items on the dollar menu, is a sausage patty on a flaky buttermilk biscuit. It has 430 calories (240 from fat), 27 grams of fat and 930mg of sodium.

The Sausage McMuffin is a sausage patty, a slice of American cheese on a toasted English Muffin. It has 370 calories (190 from fat), 21 grams of fat, and 790 mg of sodium.

A 12-ounce coffee and 2-ounce Hash Browns have 150 calories (80 from fat), 9 grams of fat, and 310 mg of sodium.

"Early Show" recipes galore!

$1 sounds like a great deal, but is it the best way to start your day?

As we have all heard, breakfast is an important meal to fuel us throughout the day and, says the Department of Agriculture, 80 percent of us eat breakfast). Fast food is convenient. But it's not necessarily the best, or healthiest way to begin your day. Plus, if you load up on fast food, you'll likely be hungry in two hours, and probably refueling.

So, Gibbons put together some better options at the same price point.

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page »

[xinfinityx]

Genetically Modified Food reason for cancer obesity and allergies.We are first country all three because of them.We are still sleeping we are dying slowly.

[north1949]

1/3 cup plain 1% yoghurt,m 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/2 banana, and 1/2 cup fruit (berries, a pear, apple, pineapple, whatever) 1 tbsp ground flax seed, and 1 tsp honey. Place in blender and process until smooth. 200 calories, filling, low fat and sodium, high in vitamins, calcium, etc.
Best breakfast on the planet, and under a dollar.

[aprilbefort]

It seems the Alternatives section has some missing information as to how much or many for certain breakfasts.