I know a lot of people who wake up and say they aren’t hungry. I too am one of those people. It takes me a couple of hours to start feeling hungry after I wake up. Problem is, if I don’t eat before I leave the house then I probably won’t eat anything until lunchtime, and its inevitable that one thing leads to the next and I haven’t eaten a bite.
Yesterday was one of those days. I started with my usual routine…lunches, kids to school, etc. I thought I smelled natural gas in my house, which led to the fire dept, gas company, and neighbors at my house. We had a couple of leaks, so the gas was shut off and locked until the leaks were repaired. This meant no stove top cooking, no hot water, lots of phone calls and me not eating until after 5pm. Thanks to wonderful a plumber we got our gas turned back on 😀
Today, I started off the morning with a healthy banana split 😀 Greek yogurt, fresh fruit and a little granola. It’s quick, easy and a great way to start the morning.
Why Eat Breakfast?
Breakfast…the term comes from “To Break the Fast”, because it has probably been 10-12 hours since you last ate dinner or your last snack of the day. Breakfast gives your body the energy it needs to start the day. If you went 10-12 hours during the day without eating you’d definitely have less energy, right? It is the same when you wake up in the morning. Breakfast gives you energy to sustain your body and keep your metabolism going strong.
- Nutrients missed at breakfast are rarely made up for during the day.
- People who eat breakfast are more alert than those who don’t.
- People who eat cereal for breakfast often have healthier body weights.
- Breakfast eaters get more calcium, fiber, iron and B vitamins – and they eat less fat and cholesterol during the day – than those who skip breakfast.
- Skipping breakfast often leads to overindulging on snacks or overeating at the next meal.
Life Long Implications:
- There is strong support that adolescents who eat breakfast are more likely to continue eating breakfast as adults.
- Individuals who regularly consume breakfast are less likely to be chronically obese compared to people who never eat breakfast, or only eat breakfast during one developmental period.
- Less frequent breakfast consumption is related to increased BMI.
SO…
Don’t let excuses stand in your way of a good breakfast:
- “I’m not hungry in the morning.”
- Start your day with a cup of 100% fruit juice or a piece of whole-wheat toast. Take a mid-morning snack such as a hard-boiled egg, low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt, low-fat string cheese or a whole-wheat bagel with you to eat when you are hungry.
- “I don’t have enough time in the morning.”
- Stock your kitchen with easy-to-prepare foods such as breakfast cereal, instant oatmeal, small bagels, whole-grain toaster waffles, yogurt, and fresh fruit.
- “I’ll gain weight.”
- There is no evidence to support the belief that eating breakfast will make you gain weight. In fact, skipping meals has been shown to lead to overeating at snack time or the next meal.
- “I don’t like breakfast foods.”
- Breakfast can be any food you like. A slice of pizza, a bowl of soup, a lean-meat sandwich or leftovers all make a fine breakfast.
Is Your Breakfast Healthy?
(From FoodPyramid.com. Visit site for more healthy eating tips.)
Sugar rich breakfast makes you tired
If you have breakfast rich in sugars you may also experience a loss of energy. A diet rich in sugar activates your insulin secretion. A breakfast with a high GI (Glycemic Index), will raise your blood sugar. It will go up for a short period and then fall again, leaving you tired and hungry. If you eat too much sugar, more sugar than the body needs, the sugar will be converted to fat for storage and this can lead to obesity.
What is a Healthy Breakfast?
A better start on your day is to have breakfast with a low GI (Glycemic Index). Here are examples of healthy breakfast alternatives:
A Fresh fruit salad is a healthy breakfast alternative. Cut up some apples, oranges, bananas, melons etc. Don’t forget the berries in your fruit salad. Blackberries, blueberries, and cranberries, are filled with healthy antioxidants.
A natural yogurt with nuts, sunflower seeds, fruit and berries is also a very healthy breakfast choice.
Oatmeal with flax seed, blueberries and almonds, is another healthy breakfast alternative. This tasty breakfast has a lot of fiber, nutrients, protein and healthy fats.
via Healthy Breakfast?.
- 1 small banana
- ¼ cup sliced strawberries
- ¼ cup blueberries
- 2 Tbsp granola
- ½ cup plain greek yogurt
- Cut banana lengthwise in half.
- Top with yogurt, berries and granola.
A Morning Banana Split is a great way to start your day. It is a great balance of protein and carbohydrates to get you through the morning.
Satisfying and delicious…this could also be a great healthy dessert 😀
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Sources:
Merten MJ, Williams AL, Shriver LH. Breakfast consumption in adolescence and young adulthood: Parental presence, community context, and obesity. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Aug; 109 (8): 1,384-1,391.
Affenito SG, Thompson DR, Barton BA, Franko DL, Daniels SR, Obarzanek E, Schreiber GB, Striegel-Moore RH. Breakfast consumption by African-American and white adolescent girls correlates positively with calcium and fiber intake and negatively with body mass index. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 Jun; 105(6): 938-945.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
http://www.foodpyramid.com/healthy-eating/healthy-breakfast-6061/
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