Food: Give the most important meal of the day its due

Four experts give their takes on the most important meal of the day

Your main: DARK COCOA ALMOND OATS TOPPED WITH ESPRESSO YOGURT

For a quick, make-ahead breakfast that’ll get you through the work week, mix 2½ cups rolled oats with 2½ cups unsweetened almond milk, 5 tablespoons cocoa powder, 5 tbsp. maple syrup, 1¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ tsp. vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt in a Tupperware or other covered container. Stick it in the fridge, and in the morning you’ll have a creamy, no-cook oatmeal. For the topping, stir 1 cup Greek yogurt, 1 shot espresso (about 2 ounces), and 1 tbsp. maple syrup in a separate container until no lumps remain.

“The richness of the dark cocoa is brought out by the espresso yogurt,” says chef Nicole Votano, who serves a version of the recipe at her new restaurant Dirt in Miami Beach. The fiber and healthy fats will keep you full and productive all morning.

Your booster: BLUEBERRIES

“My breakfast of champions is yogurt and blueberries,” says Lee Schrager, co-author of the forthcoming America’s Best Breakfasts. Blueberries add vitamin C and other antioxidants to whatever you’re planning to eat. And don’t be skimpy: They contain fewer than 100 calories per cup.

Your side: A PERFECTLY POACHED EGG

Eggs deliver protein, vitamin D, and assorted essential minerals.

Chef César Vega at Chicago’s new Café Integral gives his eggs a 60-minute bath in a sous vide cooker (such as the Anova precision cooker, $199; anovaculinary.com) for thick, runny yolks and yielding, quivering whites. To get similar results the old-fashioned way, bring a pot of water to a simmer, then turn the heat to low. Break an egg into a small bowl and carefully tip it into the water. Cook, swirling water occasionally, for about 4 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and serve.

Your indulgence:

BLOOD ORANGE OLIVE OIL AND TARRAGON BREAD

Typical pound cake is too dense and sweet for breakfast, says Los Angeles pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith. Her alternative? Lighten up the old standard with fresh tarragon, which she calls “the new basil,” local blood oranges (bought at Southern California’s fabulous farmers markets and “picked this morning”), and peppery olive oil. Order a loaf online ($28; sweethedy.com) and have it shipped overnight—the oil keeps the bread from drying out.