Start with Breakfast

A quick cup of coffee and out the door you go. What is missing? According to many health studies, probably the most important part of the day. If losing weight is on your list, skipping breakfast is doing more harm than good.

Why should you eat a healthy breakfast? For starters, breakfast provides you with the energy and nutrients to fuel your day and is important to maintaining a healthy weight. Research also shows there are some very significant health benefits.

Diabetes: According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who ate breakfast an average of zero to six times per week were at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than women who ate breakfast every day.

Heart Disease: Studies have shown that skipping breakfast can be associated with hypertension, insulin resistance, elevated blood sugar levels and heart disease.

Memory: Eating breakfast can improve cognitive function related to memory. Eating breakfast is a SMART move!

Weight Loss: In a recent study, people who ate breakfast as their largest meal of the day lost an average of 17.8 pounds over 3 months. Contrarily, another group ate the same number of calories but consumed the largest meal and most calories at dinner. The large dinner group lost only 7.3 pounds in the same time frame.

The basics of a healthy breakfast

Whole grains.  whole-grain rolls, bagels, hot or cold whole-grain cereals, low-fat bran muffins, crackers, and Melba toast.

Lean protein.  peanut butter, lean meat, poultry or fish, and hard-boiled eggs.

Low-fat dairy.  milk, plain or lower sugar yogurts, and low-fat cheeses, such as cottage and natural cheeses.

Fruits and vegetables.  fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, 100 percent juice drinks without added sugar, and fruit and vegetable smoothies. Choose low-sodium versions of beverages, though.

Here are some examples of healthy breakfast options:

• Cooked oatmeal topped with almonds or dried cranberries
• A whole-wheat pita stuffed with hard-boiled eggs
• Leftover vegetable pizza
• Tortilla filled with vegetables, salsa and low-fat shredded cheese
• A smoothie of fruits, plain yogurt and a spoonful of wheat germ
• Whole-wheat crackers with low-fat cheese or peanut butter
• A whole-wheat sandwich with lean meat and low-fat cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and sweet peppers
• Multigrain pancakes with fruit and yogurt
• A whole-grain waffle with peanut butter
• Egg omelet with vegetables (use more egg whites than yolk)

Try these tips for fitting in breakfast on a tight schedule:

Cook ahead. Make breakfast the night before. Just reheat as necessary in the morning.

Set the stage. Figure out what you'll eat for breakfast the night before. Then, set out dry ingredients and any bowls, equipment or pans. They'll be ready for use in the morning.

Pack it up. Make a to-go breakfast the night before. In the morning, you can grab it and go.

If you skip breakfast because you want to save calories, reconsider that plan. Chances are you'll be ravenous by lunchtime. That may lead you to overeat or choose fast but unhealthy options — perhaps doughnuts or cookies a co-worker brings to the office.

 

For more healthy tips visit www.mayersmemorial.com