There's a reason that people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. More and more studies are showing that beginning your day with a healthy breakfast has a large impact on your health and well-being. Eating this all-important meal gets your body going after a night's sleep and helps set the stage for your eating habits through the rest of the day.
What Counts as Healthy?
It doesn't take an expert to realize that driving through the doughnut shop on the way to work won't cut it as a healthy breakfast, but with so much information out there it can be difficult to know what's best to eat.
As a general rule healthy breakfasts include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lots of lean protein. Eggs and Canadian bacon are good sources of lean protein that work well at breakfast, but bacon and sausage lovers should go for leaner turkey products.
Veggie omelets, smoothies made with low-fat yogurt and fresh fruit, and whole-grain cereals and oatmeal are all good choices.
Weight Loss
One major benefit of starting your day with a healthy breakfast is weight loss. It has been proven that people who eat a healthy breakfast have lower body weights, but there are two schools of thought as to why.
The first school of thought is that a good-quality breakfast is filling enough so that people eat less at lunchtime and throughout the day. Lean proteins are essential to this theory because protein is more filling than carbohydrates.
The second view is that people who make healthy choices in the morning are simply more apt to make healthy eating decisions in general.
Nutrient Intake
We all know that there are benefits to consuming the proper amounts of vitamins and other nutrients, but we rarely think about how breakfast affects this.
The fact is that eating a healthy breakfast, even if it is no more than a bowl of whole-grain cereal and a banana, will help you get more of the nutrients your body needs through the day.
Many cereals are fortified with extra vitamins and minerals, and fruits and veggies have them packed in naturally.
Improved Concetration
While most studies in this area have concentrated on kids, it has been shown that people of all ages have improved cognitive functioning throughout the day when they eat breakfast.
This includes increases in concentration levels, alertness and creativity. Many of the studies done with children focus on test scores and have shown that test scores among children who eat breakfast are higher than those who are allowed to skip this meal.
The Time Factor
Unfortunately, many Americans know that a healthy breakfast is important to good health but feel that they simply do not have the time. This is especially true for parents of young children and people who have to be at work bright and early.
Organization is the best way to beat the time issue. This means to think ahead and have quick items available in the morning.
Keep a good stock of fresh fruits, like apples and bananas, so that you can grab and go, and pair them with a good whole-grain bagel or low-sugar granola bar.
Topping whole-grain bagels or toast with peanut butter is a good way to add protein without firing up the stove. Breakfast sandwiches, another great source of protein, can also be made ahead of time and frozen for the week.
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