Why we should not skip breakfast?
A healthy breakfast helps us to get the most out of our first meal of the day. It is important to choose the right types of foods for breakfast.
Benefits of a healthy breakfast:
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It sets you up for the day;
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Reduces snacking throughout the morning;
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Improves concentration at work.
One of my favourite breakfast meals includes cereals.
What to look for when choosing cereals for breakfast:
The fibres help us feel full for longer time and keeps our gut strong and regular.
Don’t forget to have enough to drink at breakfast and through the day.
Some healthy drinks are water or a cup of tea.
Low sugar (choose fruits instead of sugar)
Sweeten your cereals with whole fruits instead of sugar. Fruits like berries are rich in antioxidants and can add taste and colour when sprinkled on top of your bowl of cereals. Try chopping up some bananas and apples to add extra nutrients and fibre to your cereal. When chopping apples you can also add some cinnamon on top, if you like the taste.
My recommendation is to choose wholegrain oatmeal. If you don’t like them, try to go for fortified foods; these are the ones that have extra nutrients added to them. Many breakfast cereals are fortified. Look out for breakfast cereals with B Vitamins, extra Folic acid, Vitamin D and Iron to help meet your daily nutrient needs.
Breakfast options
Easy and quick options to prepare:
- High fibres cereals with fruits and yogurt (you can add chia seeds and nuts if you like)
- Wholegrain toast with low fat butter yogurt and sliced banana
- Yogurt and fresh fruits
If you have 10 minutes to prepare your breakfast, here are some other options:
- Scrambled/boiled/poached egg on whole grain toast
- 2 eggs omelette; yogurt and fruits
- Wholegrain toast with mozzarella and tomato
- Feta cheese omelette with onions (prepared with a tsp of coconut oil).
Healthy Swaps Suggestions
Instead of sugar coated or chocolate rice cereals you can prepare yourself a wholegrain oatmeal or a porridge. Optional: add some chia seeds on top.
Replace the white toast with butter and jam with a wholegrain toast with low fat butter yogurt and banana.
Instead of a fried omelette prepare some poached eggs and grilled tomatoes/ zuchetti.
Enjoy your breakfast!