Eating a nutritious breakfast is an important way to improve and protect your health, reports Chris Downie, author of "The Spark: The 28-Day Breakthrough Plan for Losing Weight, Getting Fit, and Transforming Your Life." Starting with a well-balanced morning meal may motivate you to eat healthy throughout the rest of the day, adds Downie, and will give you plenty of energy until your next meal. You can increase the healthfulness of your breakfast without eating the same foods every morning.
Eggs
Eggs are filled with protein, which will fill you up and give you energy to face your day. Eggs are a versatile breakfast food that can be prepared in a variety of healthy ways. Scramble an egg and wrap it in a whole-wheat tortilla with tomatoes, peppers and low-fat cheese for a breakfast burrito. Downie suggests making an omelet packed with vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, celery, onions or peppers. Ellie Krieger, author of "The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life," adds that a hard-boiled egg paired with a piece of fruit can also be a healthy breakfast.
Breakfast Sandwiches
You may think of deli meats and cheeses when you think of sandwiches, but Krieger suggests toasting a whole wheat English muffin and topping it with peanut butter, sliced bananas and a small amount of honey to make a protein filled breakfast. Downie recommends eating a whole-grain bagel with peanut butter and raisins as another healthy breakfast sandwich. Make a sandwich with two whole-grain waffles filled with peanut butter and applesauce. Krieger adds that whole wheat pitas are another sandwich option that you can fill with cottage cheese, fruit or low-fat cheese.
Fruit Smoothie
Fruit smoothies can be a healthy addition to your morning because you can add so many different ingredients, notes Downie. The majority of your smoothie should consist of fresh or frozen fruit, such as berries, peaches, bananas or mango. Toss chunks of your favorite fruits into a blender, add a small amount of 100 hundred percent fruit juice and low-fat plain yogurt and blend until smooth. Mix in other ingredients, such as honey, peanut butter or milk, to change the taste and add additional nutrients. Experiment with different combinations of fruit to find one that you can look forward to drinking every morning.
References
- "The Spark: The 28-Day Breakthrough Plan for Losing Weight, Getting Fit, and Transforming Your Life"; Chris Downie; 2009
- "The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life"; Ellie Krieger; 2008
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