The Most Nutritious Breakfasts
Breakfast literally means‘breaking the fast’, as you have had no food or ‘fasted’ since the day before
Researchers at the University of Nottingham have found that skipping breakfast leads to increased food intake later in the day. It gives you energy for your morning activities, whether at work, school, home or out and about. While it is often quoted as ‘the most important meal of the day’, this may not be strictly true. It’s more helpful to say that no meal should be categorised as more important than another, and daily food intake should be considered as a whole. Skipping meals, whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner, is not advised.
1. A breakfast of just a slice of toast and a bananais going to be lacking in that key macronutrient: protein.
HOW TO PIMP: Simply sprinkle your toast with seeds and crushed nuts, or spread a small amount of nut butter on the toast before placing the banana on top; that way you get a boost of healthy fats and protein.
2. I love a tasty bowl of porridge with fruit and milk but again this is lacking in protein and healthy fats, especially if it’s eaten plain.
Although oats are a good source of protein, it is best to boost the levels further when adding fruit.
HOW TO PIMP: Add some seeds and nuts to your bowl. Seeds can contain up to 19g of protein per 100g and nuts have 20g per 100g (depending on the variety of seed and nut, of course). This will also give you a healthy boost of fatty acids.
If you have a nut allergy, or it’s just not your thing, then add a dollop of Greek yoghurt, which has roughly 10g of protein per 100g, again dependent upon the brand
Or savoury` with egg and avocado
The night before, place some porridge oats in a pot and cover with enough low fat milk or yoghurt to soak into the oats, add some fresh or dried fruit on top, sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon for added flavour and store in the fridge. Then, in the morning just grab from the fridge with a spoon before you leave the house.
3. Smoothie
With lots of fruit and veg and even healthy fats, like nuts or avocado this can be a fab option. Be mindful though that you don’t find yourself drinking lots of smoothies every day, as that’s far too much sugar.
4. Cereal
Cereals are a really good choice: as well as being quick and easy to prepare, they often are fortified with vitamins, iron and calcium to contribute to your daily nutritional requirements.
Choose wholegrain varieties whenever possible to ensure a good fibre intake, and try to avoid cereals coated in sugar. Evidence suggests that porridge oats may have a positive effect on total cholesterol concentration when compared to skipping breakfast, making porridge a winning choice.
Fruit and vegetables are good sources of vitamins and fibre. Breakfast is a perfect time to boost your 5-a-day intake. On your cereal, try chopped fresh fruit, like a banana, or some dried, stewed or canned (in juice rather than syrup) fruit, or add half a grapefruit or fruit salad.
Milk and dairy foods give you protein, calcium and B vitamins. Calcium is essential to keep your bones strong and healthy, whatever your age, and a serving of milk on your cereal can give you up to one third of your daily calcium needs.
Healthy swaps
Swap bagel for rye bread
Breakfast bars for homemade breakfast bars
Cereal for oats
Crossiant for wholemeal scone
Fruit yoghurt for natural yoghurt and berries
Granola for homemade granola
Summary
Eating a healthy breakfast every day will give you the best possible start, as well as enhancing the overall nutritional quality of your daily food intake. Planning ahead or grabbing something easy can help if you are short of time, but remember to include at least three of the four main food groups on a regular basis: starchy foods, fruit and vegetables, milk and dairy foods and meat, fish, eggs and non-dairy sources of protein. Avoid food and drink that is high in fat and sugar as these are often low in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Remember to include a drink, as being well hydrated will help you to concentrate throughout the day
