Breakfast like a king …

Do you eat breakfast?  In the UK, one in five adults miss out on breakfast (not to mention children).  Reasons given for skipping breakfast vary from – not enough time; to cut down on calories or I’m not hungry first thing in the morning.

How important is breakfast?

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  As you sleep your sugar levels start to fall and by the time you wake up they’re pretty low.  In order for your body to function properly, you need to fuel up on foods which are low in “free” sugar.

Research shows that breakfast not only gives you the energy you need to start the day, it also

• helps you control your weight
• improves concentration levels
• helps lower cholesterol levels.

 

What makes a good breakfast?

You can choose from a number of foods to start your day in a healthy way. My all-time favourite is good old porridge; but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

Some suggested options are:

• ready-made cereals (low in sugar and sodium);
• home-made muesli
• one slice of wholegrain toast spread with avocado and 20g of crumbled Feta cheese
• baked beans on wholegrain toast
• one poached egg with grilled mushrooms and tomatoes
• plain Greek yogurt served with a few fresh berries
• a bowl of fresh fruit salad.

Avoid jams, marmalade, chocolate spreads or butter. An overdose of too much “free” sugar puts your body under stress.  When your sugar levels are on a roller-coaster ride, you feel crappy all day.  You are also more likely to reach out for the biscuit tin at eleven and eat even more sugary carbohydrates as the day goes on.

If you decide to go for an English breakfast, grill your bacon and sausages; avoid fried food.

Breakfast on the go

Unless you go for the full Monty every day, breakfast shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes.  Make the effort, wake up 10 minutes earlier and eat a decent breakfast before you leave the house.

With a little bit of planning, you can prepare some oat breakfasts from the night before.

Here are some ideas I came across

Maple Pecan Overnight Oats – by Pamela

Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bowls by Kath

Mocha Overnight Oats by Davida

These recipes are so quick and easy to make.  You can get them ready the night before, or prepare ahead for a few days.  If you are running late, grab a jar on your way out and eat it  on the hoof [don’t forget your teaspoon :-)].

I hope you like these few ideas I shared with you today.  Here are some more overnight oat recipes, brought to you courtesy of Honest Cooking.

If you have any quick breakfast recipes you’d like to share, please drop me a line and I’d be happy to post them on my blog.

Until next time… it’s goodbye.

My thanks go to

WebMD
The British Heart Foundation
Kath Eates Real Food
My Man’s Belly
The Healthy Maven