Eating a good breakfast every day helps to ensure good health, better concentration and more energy for daily tasks. Children need a nutritious breakfast for the same reasons you do, but also to help them grow into healthy adults. Choose a variety of healthy foods from all or most food groups to give yourself and your family the maximum benefit from the first meal of the day.
Calories
Breakfast should supply one-quarter to one-third of your total calorie requirements for the day, according to the University of Kentucky Extension Service. Depending on age and activity level, adult men need between 2,000 and 3,000 calories per day; women need between 1,600 and 2,400. Eating a portion of your daily caloric total at regular intervals ensures that your metabolic rate stays up. This keeps your energy level up and aids in weight loss and maintenance.
Eat Cereal, Not Sugar
Eat whole grains at every meal, including breakfast. Cold cereal is a time saver, but choose carefully. Many boxed cereals are loaded with sugar, including in the form of healthy-sounding "organic honey" or "cane juice." Cereals marketed at children are the worst offenders, yet results from a study done at Yale University showed that children who were offered only low-sugar cereals had no difficulty finding one they liked. They also chose fruit to accompany it more often than children who were offered highly sweetened cereals. When serving hot cereal, the plain version can be just as quick and easy as the instant packets, which often contains sweeteners. For example, quick-cooking plain oats takes only two minutes in the microwave. Make it with skim milk or soy milk instead of water for added nutrition and taste; also add fruit, cinnamon and chopped nuts.
Avoid Traditional Breakfast Meats
Processed meat -- such as sausage, bacon and ham -- is high in saturated fat and sodium. It has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and colon cancer, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Instead, try the vegetarian substitutes for bacon and sausage. The taste is so similar to real meat, especially when added to scrambled eggs or a breakfast pizza, that your family may not notice the difference. Another good replacement for unhealthy breakfast meat is lean meat and fish usually served at dinner. For example, a piece of baked fish or chicken breast on whole-grain toast with sliced tomatoes makes a healthy and quick breakfast sandwich.
Fruits and Vegetables
Like whole grains, fruit and vegetables should be a part of every meal. Fruit is a traditional breakfast food, but vegetables -- other than fried potatoes -- also have a place at the breakfast table. Serve vegetable or tomato juice instead of fruit juice. For a quick breakfast, make a scrambled-egg-and-veggie pizza the night before. Or get really creative and blend cooked vegetables, such as black beans, with fruit, low-fat yogurt and ice for a delicious smoothie and serve with a whole-grain zucchini or carrot muffin.
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