We all know the importance of breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day, after all, to get your metabolism going and getting your body and mind the fuel that it needs for the rest of the day. What is often overlooked, however, is the equally important art of balancing your breakfast.
What does a balanced breakfast mean? Well, for starters, it means something other than just a donut (or worse, donuts) and coffee. Our lives have become so hurried that even when we do make the effort to include breakfast as a meal, we resort to ‘take and go’ options that usually do not provide any meaningful nutrient benefit.
On the contrary, these empty calories hurt our weight loss or maintenance plans. Just like every other meal, breakfast should also have a balance between proteins, carbohydrates and fat.
On the contrary, these empty calories hurt our weight loss or maintenance plans. Just like every other meal, breakfast should also have a balance between proteins, carbohydrates and fat.
A balanced breakfast may sound intimidating, but can be pretty easy to put together with just a little bit of forethought. Instant oatmeal with milk, eggs, a banana and a glass of orange juice takes less than five minutes to put together. Need other options? Pick items from each of the categories listed below:
Protein and Fat – Usually, these go together either because the protein options are cooked in fat or contain some fat themselves. For this category, pick in moderation from sausage, bacon, eggs. You can also pick nuts or peanut butter for a change.
Carbohydrates – We tend to associate carbohydrates with breads but they can also come from fruits like bananas. Fruits and fruit juices also give you a vitamin and mineral boost that most breads do not. If you do want to stick with breads, choose whole grains for extra fiber.
Dairy – Get a calcium boost, some protein, and a secret weight loss tool with some milk. Research shows that dieters who consume dairy products every day lose more weight than their non-dairy consuming counterparts.
