There are several starch-based thickeners available to cooks and bakers, including arrowroot, potato starch, rice starch, tapioca, cornstarch and flour. The latter two are the most widely used in America, and both are versatile thickeners.

When it comes to picking out a bagel, you have several choices. Bagels come in many different varieties, with some -- such as whole wheat -- healthier than others. Bagels come frozen, refrigerated or fresh, and whether you prefer your bagel toasted or soft will determine how to warm your bagel.

Resembling a doughnut in shape, bagels are a dense and chewy baked treat originating from Europe. These tasty round breads can be topped with your choice of cream cheese, salmon or jam for a high-carbohydrate, low-calorie breakfast. Bagels are undeniably best when they’re fresh.

Any substance can cause an allergic reaction in a baby. Doctors often recommend rice cereal as a perfect first food because wheat makes the list of the eight top allergenic foods, according to MayoClinic.com. But rice can trigger allergic reactions in susceptible infants.

Tortillas are a staple in Mexican cooking and over the last 10 years have become more common in American diets. Traditional Mexican tortillas are made of ground corn that have been soaked in lime-water; however, today tortillas are available in white or whole wheat flour along with the corn varieties.

Bread crumbs provide a crispy coating for baked chicken and fish and they bind ingredients together in meatballs. But packaged bread crumbs often contain high levels of corn syrup and sodium as well as potential allergens, such as wheat and sunflower seeds.

Smothering your pancakes in syrup and butter adds excessive calories and sugar to your breakfast. Healthier pancake options add nutritional value to the meal without overloading your meal with fat, calories and sugar.

Muffins are an excellent way to increase the amount of whole grains in your family's diet. When you add some nuts and fruit, you increase the nutritional benefits as well. Muffins are portable and can provide a quick on-the-road breakfast source or be part of a paper bag lunch.

Tortillas come in two versions: flour and corn. The roots of both formats began in the Spanish-speaking countries such as Mexico. Modern day Mexican foods still rely on tortillas as a base ingredient. For example, the classic burrito is a flour tortilla wrap with assorted fillings.

Cooking eggs for the next day saves you time in the morning and while still providing home-cooked breakfast. Pre-cooked eggs also work as a healthy lunch option, especially if you do not have access to a way to heat up your lunch.

Part of what makes whole wheat flour nutritious also makes it difficult to store. Within this whole grain product is wheat germ, which contains a healthy but perishable oil that time, temperature and exposure to air will eventually cause to become rancid.

Eating a nutritious breakfast each morning can help regulate your blood sugar levels and get your metabolism going after a long night's fast.