Breakfast has to be the greatest meal of the day by far! I might be biased because it includes coffee – in my opinion the greatest beverage in the world - but that’s a subject for another day.
There are so many benefits to breakfast. The options of what to eat are endless - plus breakfast wakes you up and gets you energized for your day! It makes me sad that most people won’t take the time to fall in love with breakfast.
The usual excuses are always present:
- “I’m on a diet, so I’m skipping breakfast!”
- “I don’t have time.”
- “I’ll grab something at insert fast food/coffee house chain here it’s easier.”
- “I can’t eat breakfast, it upsets my stomach.”
Come on people wake up and smell the oatmeal and eggs!
Breakfast can be the most elaborate meal to make OR the easiest and fastest. Here are some tips to help beat the excuses and rediscover breakfast for the health of you and your family!
Skipping a meal will help you lose weight—true or false? FALSE! Breakfast literally means to “break-the-fast,” after sleeping all night. It’s important to eat to get your metabolism going for the day! Watching your weight? Try taking the time to create these meals that contain all 5 MyPlate food groups:
- Make an omelet or scrambled eggs and toss in your favorite chopped veggies. Cut the fat by using just the egg whites. Add some low-fat cheese, and eat with whole wheat toast and a sliced apple.
- Make your own power smoothie: blend an apple, banana, some berries, a carrot and zucchini with low-fat yogurt and some orange juice. Serve with half of a whole wheat bagel topped with peanut butter.
- Make a breakfast burrito! Warm a whole wheat tortilla, cook up your favorite meat, scrambled eggs, and toss in some black beans. Add veggies, salsa, and low-fat cheese.
Breakfast takes too long to make-true or false? FALSE! So you would rather sleep in an extra 15 minutes than take the time to make a hot breakfast?
DO get that beauty rest!
DON’T skip breakfast or spend the money on a less healthy fast food breakfast.
Try these tips to have a healthy breakfast on the go:
- Take a whole wheat tortilla and spread with peanut butter; add granola and your favorite fruit! Roll it up and go. Take a glass of low-fat milk with you to get some dairy.
- Broil half of a whole wheat bagel with low-fat cheese; eat on the go with a hardboiled egg, and a banana.
- Prep your breakfast burrito the night before, so it’s ready to grab on your way out the door.
Breakfast isn’t for everyone-true or false? FALSE! So you tend to have a bit of a queasy stomach in the morning? Here are some tips to overcome the queasy and still eat breakfast:
- Take your time, don’t rush to eat breakfast. Set aside time to relax and enjoy your meal.
- Take your food with you to work or school, wait until your stomach calms down and then eat!
- Queasiness tends to be the effect of an empty stomach, so it’s even more important to eat breakfast.
When you eat a healthy breakfast you are more likely to focus and pay better attention to work, school or home activities.
