Is there anything new for breakfast? Yes! When my family visited First Watch, we were excited to find new nutritious twists on breakfast fare.

What’s on the menu: While most restaurants designate a small menu section for those seeking “health-conscious” selections, the entire First Watch menu has a huge selection of healthy choices. We were happy to see multi-grain breads and griddle options, fat-free and cholesterol-free choices and many veggies and superfoods we don’t usually see on a brunch menu. It was easy to have a guilt-free meal. Everything is freshly prepared daily, from slicing whole fruits and vegetables to from-scratch bread.

The “Jump Start” menu offers dishes containing seasonal superfoods like kale, mushrooms and almonds. The rest of the menu features skillets, salads, sandwiches and omelets. All items are available at all times, so you can have a soup, a sandwich or salad for breakfast, brunch or lunch. My husband chose the Acapulco Express omelet, which included chorizo sausage, avocado, green chilies and roasted onions with cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. I tweaked the traditional breakfast by having eggs, ham, multigrain toast and fruit (instead of potatoes). Nothing on the menu is more than $10, and portion sizes are generous.

Why kids will like it: The kids enjoyed choosing from the kids’ menu. One of my boys got a kick out of ordering a perfectly prepared grilled cheese sandwich at 8 a.m., while the others selected oversized multigrain chocolate chip pancakes and turkey sausage. The kids also loved that you could see into the kitchen from where we were sitting. Although the food is made to order, it arrived quickly.

Why parents will like it: First Watch caters to everyone – we noticed people having breakfast meetings, families and single diners reading the free newspapers. Parents will especially like the emphasis on healthy ingredients that you may not have tried at home, like quinoa and wheat germ. There is also no upcharge for substitutions like egg whites. Since the portion sizes are great for sharing, First Watch provides an extra plate at no charge.

There are so many possible healthy options, we may become regulars so that we can try them all.

– Felicia Barman