If you wake up in the morning, roll out of bed, brush your teeth, hop in the shower, get dressed, and then rush out of your front door and head to work without eating breakfast, just think about the following: By skipping breakfast, not only are you slowing your metabolism down, which in turn will leave you lacking energy and finding it much harder to lose weight, but you’re also setting yourself up for over-eating later in the day, because you’ll be so hungry when you get home. They don’t call breakfast the most important meal of the day just to be catchy, they call it that because that’s exactly what it is. However, another risky scenario, that can not only lead to weight gain, but also damage to your health as well, is to consume unhealthy breakfast foods on a regular basis instead. You know what we mean: Waffles, pancakes, syrup, fried bacon and sausages, hash browns, white bread, sugary preserves, croissants etc. Whilst those foods may indeed fuel your body and provide you with a little energy, they’re also rich in calories and unhealthy fats, as well as sugar and they contain very little nutrients. By consuming a vast stack of stodgy pancakes drenched in butter and syrup and served with fried crispy bacon, your metabolism can quickly become bogged down due to having to process too much food at once, and any excess calories will quickly be stored as body fat, which is not what you want. To help you get your day off to a winning start, take a look at the following breakfast foods that are healthy, tasty, nutritious, wholesome, and are ideal for starting your morning off right.
Eggs
Not too long ago, eggs were public enemy number one as people were convinced that they contained more cholesterol than a barrel full of pork fat and beef dripping combined. The reason or this is that the yolks in eggs do indeed contain cholesterol, but they contain a combination of healthy, and unhealthy cholesterol. There are two types of cholesterol: LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol, and HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol. LDL is the dangerous cholesterol that clogs the arteries and can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, strokes, and heart attacks, whereas HDL is a healthy cholesterol that actually promotes a number of beneficial processes within the human body, and helps to reduce the amount of LDL in our systems as well. Eggs contain both LDL and HDL cholesterol and whilst they don’t quite balance each other out, the HDL cholesterol certainly means that as long as you don’t consume a silly amount of whole eggs each day, the amount of bad cholesterol in your body will be negligible at best. Eggs contain protein, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, and are even available with added Omega 3 fatty acids as well. If cholesterol is a concern to you, as the healthy fats and cholesterol are found in the yolk, why not consume just one or two whole eggs per day, and one or two egg whites, minus the yolks?
Oatmeal
Oatmeal is one of the healthiest sources of carbohydrates you could ever wish for. It is low in fat, it’s a great source of slow-release energy, it’s rich in minerals including zinc and iron, it contains B vitamins, as well as beneficial dietary fiber as well. One source of fiber found naturally in oatmeal is one known as beta-glucan, which is especially beneficial because it helps to lower harmful cholesterol that has been found to be responsible for heart disease and even heart attacks. Still not sure whether oats are the right way to start your day, how about the fact that they’re rich in folate, potassium, and Omega 3 fatty acids as well? Oats are a perfect breakfast food because they keep you feeling full for longer, they release a steady stream of energy into your body, they’re versatile, and they taste great as well.
Natural Greek Yoghurt
If you’re in a hurry and don’t have much time to spend on making foods for breakfast, a serving of natural Greek yoghurt will provide you with more than enough nutrients to keep you ticking over for the next few hours. Natural Greek yoghurt is rich in protein so it helps keep you feeling full for longer because protein takes longer to digest than other macronutrients. It’s also a great source of calcium. For a balanced and nutrient-rich breakfast, why not grab a few pieces of fruit and some natural seeds or nuts and serve them with the yoghurt?
Grapefruit
For those of you looking to lose weight, grapefruit is absolutely ideal as has been found to contain ingredients that actually help to communicate with fat-burning enzymes within the body which means they burn body fat and convert it into energy. It also helps to regulate blood sugar levels and helps to improve insulin sensitivity. It’s also a great source of vitamins and antioxidants. For a balanced and fat-burning breakfast, try combining grapefruit with natural Greek yoghurt.
Almond butter
When it comes to nut butters, people tend to focus on peanut butter as the number one choice. Whilst natural peanut butter is indeed very healthy and beneficial, so too are other nut butters, including almond butter. Almond butter is a great source of protein and amino acids, and on top of that it’s also rich in very healthy fats as well. One tablespoon contains around 100 calories, but as the fat comes from monounsaturated fats, it’s actually healthy and beneficial. For a balanced and simple breakfast, try spreading natural almond butter on wholemeal toast.
Wheat cereals
Breakfast cereals can be tricky because there are so many different varieties out there, with many of them being loaded up with sugar and sweeteners for added flavour. These ones are not healthy so steer clear and look for natural wheat-based cereals instead. Shredded wheat is a great example of a healthy breakfast cereal because it contains B vitamins, Riboflavin, fiber, folic acid, and other beneficial nutrients. To help keep your calorie consumption low, opt for a low fat milk or even almond milk perhaps?
