To many, miso soup is strictly the precursor to sushi at your favourite Japanese restaurants, but health experts say this simple, salty dish may be better for you than standard, heavy Canadian breakfasts.

If you are willing to give this Japanese go-to a try in the morning, it's even easier to make than oatmeal! All you do is add miso paste to hot water and a few toppings such as tofu, fresh chopped scallions, and root vegetables, like radishes, carrots, and turnips.

Miso has tons of nutritional benefits. It's made from fermented beans and sometimes grains, like barley or brown rice, which gives you healthy proteins and fibre to kick-start your digestion, reduce bloating, and fight cancer-causing carcinogens, according to Cancer Action.

Bon Appetit recommends that "as a fermented paste, miso is teeming with live, active cultures, kind of like yogurt, so you'll want to stir a tablespoon into your mug only after the water has boiled and cooled down a touch. Add the miso when it's too hot, and you'll kill the cultures."

So, when the alarm clock sounds, try taking a page from traditional Japanese culture and start your morning with miso!