HOW TO START YOUR DAY WITH A HEALTHY BREAKFAST?

Breakfast is an important meal of the day. We have been hearing this since we were kids, in school, at home etc. However, we always find an excuse or reason to skip or miss our breakfast.

Time constraints, busy schedules, erratic work hours, work pressures, absence of healthier breakfast option, frequent travelling etc are few reasons breakfast end up being sacrificed. Before we dwell unto how you can give yourself a healthy breakfast boost let’s see why it is important to have breakfast. We revealing benefits of the healthiest options like energy bars, trail mix and protein cookies.

IMPORTANCE OF BREAKFAST

Human body like any machine needs fuel or power source to work.  We never forget to charge our phones or fuel our bikes and cars before we set-off; similarly breakfast is way to fuel your body for the day. Other than energizing you for the day breakfast is helpful in many other ways,

  1. Breakfast jumpstarts your metabolism and helps burn calories throughout the day. Now this is quite motivating to reform your breakfast habits, right?
  2. Breakfast improves your focus and concentration helping you yield better results and excel at work or school.
  3. Having breakfast regularly wards of lifestyle diseases like diabetes, obesity, hypertension and heart disease.
  4. It has been found that people who skip breakfast are more likely to experience sugar craving, binge eat and fall for unhealthy snacks.

A HEALTHY BREAKFAST

As essential it is to have breakfast, having a healthy breakfast is also crucial. Eating junk, sugary or high fat foods at breakfast can do one more ill. So, what does a healthy breakfast look like?

A healthy breakfast should:

  • Provide 20-35% of your daily caloric requirement.
  • Contain good source of protein preferable egg, nuts, nut butters or dairy
  • Be high in Fiber with good carbohydrates like whole grain cereals, fruits and vegetables etc.

HEALTHY AND QUICK BREAKFAST OPTIONS

We understand that mornings can be tough and other things take priority over a eating your breakfast. Therefore we have compiled a list of breakfast option you can enjoy on a busy morning.

  1. Cereals or oatmeal with low-fat dairy, topped with nuts and fruits is quick to assemble and gulp.
  2. A smoothie with your favourite fruit or vegetable with a tablespoon of nut butters is just a blend away.
  3. Boiled eggs, hard or soft, do not take more than a minute to chew.
  4. Greek yoghurt with a fruit and handful of nuts is good to keep you sated for the day
  5. The Indian porridges are never out of style when it comes to quick breakfast ideas.
  6. Multigrain or whole wheat bread with hummus or nut butters also keep you sorted for the day.

In addition to these healthy options the following few options can be kept handy to avoid skipping your breakfast.  

1.Energy bars– we are not talking about the protein bars made especially for the athletes or sportsman. Nowadays we have several varieties of energy bars that can work as a meal replacer or breakfast bar giving you all the necessary nourishment without taking much of your time.

Look for a nutrition bars made from natural ingredients and sweetened with fruits, dried fruits or honey instead of sugar.

2. Trail mixes– are a nice assortment of nuts, seeds, fruits and dried fruits to keep you going for the day. when talking about on-the-go snacks then trail mix need a special mention. A mix of flavours and textures makes trail mixes a favourite snacks amongst the health geeks.

3. Protein cookies– biscuits, Indian toast, rusks etc are commonly consumed in breakfast. But they are mostly made from refined flour and contain lot of added sugar. However the new range of protein cookies available in the market is healthier option to look for.

You may have a tough day or long way to go but a taking time to sit for a nutritious breakfast can equip you better for the hurdles and challenges. Living well begins with eating well.