Healthy breakfast: quick and flexible options
These uncommon healthy options will power you up without disrupting you.
The following quick and flexible options give you plenty of ways to put breakfast back on your daily menu.
Health benefits of breakfast
Breakfast allows you to start each day with a healthy and nutritious meal.
It is likely that adults who confirmed that they eat a healthy breakfast periodically regularly:
- Eating more vitamins and minerals
- They control their weight
- Eating less fat and cholesterol
- Children who have been confirmed to eat a healthy breakfast regularly are likely to:
- They meet daily nutritional requirements
- Have a healthy weight
- They have better concentration and are more attentive
- They miss fewer days of school
Healthy breakfast essentials
What exactly counts as a healthy breakfast? Here are the essential ingredients of a healthy breakfast:
- Whole-grain: Examples include whole-grain muffins, muffins, hot or cold whole-grain muffins, muffins made with low-fat bran cereal, crackers, and Melba toast.
- Lean protein: Examples include peanut butter, lean meat, poultry or fish, and hard-boiled eggs.
- Low-fat dairy: Examples include milk, whole or low-sugar yogurt, and low-fat cheeses, such as cottage cheese and natural cheese.
- Fruits and vegetables: Examples include fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, 100% juice drinks without added sugar, and fruit and vegetable juices. However, choose low-sodium drinks.
Together, these food groups provide complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and a small amount of fat. It is a set that provides you with health benefits and helps you feel full for hours.
Choose options from these basic combinations to suit your tastes and preferences. And try choosing one or two options from each category to complete healthy breakfast.
What to look for in a dry cereal
Cereals may be the ingredient for breakfast, whether you have a little time to eat them dry on the go or have time to sit down to a plate of them with milk and fruit. But God created grains varying in the amount of benefit. Read the Nutrition Facts label and ingredients list before you buy the pills. And remember that not all cereals are the same size as the meal. One cereal serving might equal 1/2 cup, while another might equal 1 cup.
The basic elements to keep in mind when choosing cereals are:
- Fiber: Choose cereals with 3 grams of fiber per serving, and if possible, try to get 5 grams or more per serving.
- Sugar: Once you've found the high-fiber cereal you want, look for the one with the least amount of sugar. Focus on pills that are marketed to adults. They are usually lower in sugar than cereals meant for children. To find out how much sugar the cereal contains, see the Nutrition Fact Sheet. It is also important to review the ingredient list. Avoid cereals that list sugar at the top or bottom of their ingredient list, or that list multiple types of added sugar, such as high-fructose corn syrup, honey, brown sugar, and dextrose.
- Calories: If you're counting calories, choose the lowest-calorie cereal, ideally under 160 calories per serving.
Remember to include pieces of fruit and low-fat or skimmed milk in your cereal bowl. Or if you're always busy, take a piece of fruit, a bottle of milk, or some yogurt with you.
A word about cutting grains
Cereal bars can be a good breakfast option. Just be sure to look for ones that meet the same guidelines as dry cereal. Also, don't forget some fruits and low-fat milk or yogurt to complete the meal. Even fruit or cereal bars with yogurt won't meet all of your nutritional requirements for breakfast.
Quick and flexible breakfast options
You have plenty of time to get a healthy breakfast every day, and it shouldn't always be a traditional breakfast menu.
Here are some examples of healthy breakfast options:
- Cooked oats topped with almonds and dried cranberries
- Whole-wheat flour pita bread stuffed with boiled eggs
- Pizza made with leftover vegetables
- Tortilla bread stuffed with vegetables, sauce, and low-fat shredded cheese
- Fruit juice, yogurt, and a full spoonful of wheat germ
- Whole-wheat chips with low-fat cheese or peanut butter
- A sandwich made of whole wheat flour, lean meat, low-fat cheese, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and bell pepper.
- Multigrain pancakes with fruit and yogurt
- Whole grain waffle with peanut butter
- Omelet with vegetables (use more egg whites than yolks)
Get back to a healthy breakfast
Try these tips for including breakfast on a tight schedule:
- Cook breakfast in advance: Prepare breakfast the night before. Simply reheat the meal as required by your morning conditions.
- Set the stage: Know what you'll have for breakfast the night before. Then lay out the dry ingredients and arrange any bowls, appliances, or pan. So it's ready to use right away in the morning.
- Prepare it: From the night before, prepare breakfast so that it is easy to take with you when you are out. And in the morning, you can take it and get off quickly.
If you don't eat breakfast because you want to save some calories, reconsider this plan. Chances are, you'll be gluttonous by lunchtime. This may lead you to overeat or to choose quick but unhealthy options, such as brownies or cookies that a colleague brings to the office.
This means that your morning meal should not be full of sugar and fat, nor should it be time-consuming to become healthy. Keep breakfast essentials in mind and get ready to eat healthy food all day long.