Eating a healthy breakfast can help you make better nutrition choices all day long. People who eat breakfast tend to be of a healthier weight than breakfast skippers. Breakfast provides fuel for a busy morning and can help children perform better in school. A healthy breakfast can be easy to prepare, so vow to never skip this important part of your morning.
Features
A healthy breakfast includes enough calories to fuel your morning. Go for between 300 and 700 calories, depending on your daily needs. Make these calories come from quality carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, along with some protein, such as ground turkey, eggs or even beans. Your breakfast could also include a dairy, as the protein or in addition to the protein, such as skim milk, lowfat yogurt or cheese. Include a small serving of unsaturated fats, such as flaxseeds, walnuts, almonds, olive oil or avocado as well.
Nutrition
Whole grains, fruits and vegetables provide fiber to start your digestive system running smoothly first thing, preventing bloating and discomfort that can ruin your day. Fibrous foods also help you feel full, so you are not distracted by hunger pains all morning long. These foods also provide vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to support a healthy body and reduce your risk of disease. Protein is a major nutrient found in every cell in the body. It supports lean muscle mass retention and development, while also helping to give you a sense of fullness. Dairy is essential because it provides you with calcium to support strong bones. Many people have trouble fitting in the recommended 3 cups daily, so including it at breakfast gives you a jump on your intake. Unsaturated fats further contribute to a sense of fullness and can help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
What to Avoid
A good and healthy breakfast is also low in saturated fat, sodium and added sugars. Avoid refined carbohydrates, which simply spike your blood sugar without providing a lot of nutrition and can leave you feeling hungrier come lunchtime. Skip the sugary cereals, toaster pastries, white toast with butter and drive-through meals.
Meal Ideas
A good and healthy breakfast might include a bowl of oatmeal with dried cranberries, pecans and skim milk. Other options include one egg mixed with two egg whites and scrambled with black beans, salsa and avocado wrapped in corn tortillas; a toasted whole wheat bagel topped with peanut butter and banana slices; and broiled ground turkey alongside a bowl of high-fiber cereal, berries and low-fat, plain yogurt. If you have very little time in the morning, plan ahead by boiling several eggs earlier in the week and grabbing a couple to eat with whole wheat crackers and an apple on your way to work. Other quick options include a single serving container of cottage cheese mixed with frozen berries and almonds, or even just a slice of string cheese with 40 pistachios and a fresh peach. If you are turned off by traditional breakfast foods, have leftover whole wheat pasta with spinach and mozzarella cheese or a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread for breakfast.
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