Having a healthy breakfast after waking up might be the most crucial food decision of your day.
Eating breakfast – a healthy breakfast – provides your body and brain with the fuel it needs after you’ve slept. Your body is in a state of fast as you sleep. Hence the name “breakfast,” breaking the fast.
When you skip breakfast, you are effectively running on empty. Skipping breakfast is analogous to trying to start your car with no gas in the tank!
If you are a typical American, you probably let breakfast fall low in your list of priorities in the morning. When, in fact, breakfast needs to be your top priority.
By taking a few minutes to stop and eat a healthy breakfast, you can give your body the fuel it needs for the day.
Importance of Breakfast
The period between your last meal and hearing your alarm go off in the morning is, hopefully, the most extended length of time that your body goes without food.
Making breakfast a priority – eating within two hours of waking up – can have a significant impact on your blood sugar levels, the measure of the amount of insulin moving glucose to your body’s cells for energy.
When you skip breakfast, it isn’t just your body running on empty. It’s also your brain. Plus, skipping breakfast tends to lead to overeating. And, skipping breakfast leads to making poor food choices when you do sit down to eat.
Making unhealthy, poor food choices, and overindulging to satiate your hunger, causes your glucose to fluctuate up and down. Rising and falling glucose levels result in unstable energy levels and the urge to overeat.
A healthy breakfast daily, on the other hand, gives your body the nutrients that it needs like, nutrients like calcium, iron, B vitamins, protein, and fiber. Our bodies require essential nutrients to function properly. Research studies show, if not consumed at breakfast, people typically don’t consume essential nutrients later in the day.
Let’s discuss some healthy choices to include in your breakfast.
Eat Breakfast and Include…
Protein, Protein, Protein!
It is vital to include protein in your breakfast diet. Protein not only helps curb cravings later in the day by keeping you fuller longer, but protein also helps you feed and build stronger muscles. Good sources of protein include:
- Eggs
- Egg whites
- Low sodium turkey bacon
- Whey protein (the best tasting protein that tastes like Vanilla Cake is LadyBoss LEAN)
- No-sodium breakfast turkey sausage
- Low sugar greek yogurt
- Vegetarian/Vegan protein options: Tofu, Tempeh, Nuts, Nut Butter, Beans, Legumes, Quinoa
Include Fruit & Veggies when You Eat Breakfast
Fruit and vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals. Try to include them at breakfast. Good breakfast fruits and veggies include:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Berries
- Spinach
- Kale
- Tomatoes
Of course, the list goes on and on. The USDA recommends 1-2 pieces of fruit a day, as well as 1-2 veggies. Load up on your fruits and veggies. The more, the better! And, another tip, eat the rainbow. The more colorful a vegetable is, the more nutritional value it has for your body.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I know that I struggle to get the recommended daily serving (RDA) of veggies. So, I want to share my secret weapon – LadyBoss Greens. Just one scoop of Greens is the antioxidant equivalent to eight servings of fruit and veggies.
And best of all, LadyBoss Greens tastes like Apple Pie!
Whole Grains
Whole grains are another source of valuable nutrients, including fiber, B vitamins, and minerals.
Eating whole grains at breakfast – or any other time of day – can: support healthy digestion, help lower cholesterol, help reduce blood pressure, help prevent weight gain, and make you full.
Good sources of whole grains for breakfast can include:
- Oatmeal
- Whole grain bread
- Buckwheat
Dairy
Consuming dairy also gives our bodies many essential nutrients. Good sources of dairy for breakfast:
- Greek yogurt
- Cottage cheese
- Low Fat Cheese
- Kefir
Change the Breakfasts You Eat
Starting your day with a healthy balanced breakfast will give you a jump start on the nutrients for the day and give you an all-natural energy boost. I want to share a few of my healthy breakfast favorites that may give you some ideas on how to switch up your breakfast choices:
Plan Your Breakfast in Advance
One of the best tips for working breakfast into your daily regimen is preparation.
Especially if you are like me and have busy mornings, meal prepping your breakfasts can be a real time-saver. A great option that is a staple in my breakfast meal prep is banana protein pancakes. They are easy to make, and you can prepare them 2-3 days in advance. Just heat and eat!
Equally important is finding the time to sit down and eat. So, plan your meals, do your grocery shopping, and put some time into meal prepping.
Sit Down to Eat Breakfast
After you’ve made your breakfast, sit down and enjoy it.
During breakfast is a great time to slow down, sit, enjoy your breakfast, and focus on positive intentions for your day.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I know you’re busy, especially in the morning, but taking about 10-15 minutes to sit down can help you stay focused and more energetic to ensure an awesome day!
Eat Breakfast. Make It Habit
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!
Give your body what it needs and wants first thing in the morning. I’m telling you, you will see and notice a difference for the better.
When you make it a habit to eat a healthy balanced breakfast within an hour or two of waking up, this helps jumpstart your metabolism and, thus, helps you burn more calories throughout the day.
So there you go! Breakfast doesn’t have to be laborious or time-consuming. Get your day started the right way.
