Are you a morning person? Do you find yourself rushing out the door 5 minutes late, or do you take your time with a daily morning ritual to help you get ready for the day? Whatever your current habits are, you should definitely make sure that breakfast is a part of your day.
There have been countless studies about why you should eat a healthy breakfast. A few of my favorite reasons include: 1) Having more energy throughout the day, 2) Contributing to overall health, and 3) Improving focus and brain function.
“Breakfast Takes Too Much Time…”
When I get up late, I find myself rushing to get ready and run out the door. I start cutting corners, shedding less essential steps to get myself out the door faster. One of the things that usually gets cut is eating breakfast. But you’ll feel much better when you find time in the morning to eat a little something.
When I don’t eat breakfast, I’m more sluggish for the first half of the day because I didn’t give my body the fuel it needs to get up and go. I’m also more hungry throughout the morning, and hunger pangs are very distracting when I’m supposed to be getting work done. So I would usually end up eating something less healthy (e.g., donuts at the office or cheez-its from the cubicle stash). I end up making it through the day, but it’s a more dreary existence.
When I do eat breakfast, I’m more awake and I have more energy. I’m able to focus on my work and be more productive. I don’t end up snacking on things I shouldn’t be eating, since my stomach already has food. I don’t feel as sluggish or miserable, and I’m able to enjoy the day rather than having to tough it out. Breakfast makes my day much brighter.
“Okay, I’ll Eat Breakfast. Mmm, Bacon…”
Whole grain cereal with berries? Good choice.
Instead, try to keep eat the types of foods you see in cereal commercials on TV. Things like whole grain foods (toast or cereal), fruit, and small amounts of protein (low-fat milk, egg whites, nuts).
In college, my breakfast routine included a bowl of granola with yogurt and a banana mixed in. As I write this, my normal breakfast consists of a bowl of regular Cheerios with low-fat milk, along with a banana (cut up over the Cheerios, of course). This is enough to give me energy for the day and help wake me up.
“But I’m not Hungry in the Morning…”
If you find that you aren’t hungry in the morning, it probably means you are eating too much for dinner. Scaling back the size of your dinners will be better for your digestion, help you sleep better, and make it easier to start the habit of eating breakfast. Even if your total number of daily calories doesn’t change, redistributing some of them to the morning will help you manage your weight. Your body will be healthier when you eat three meals instead of two. Believe it or not, people who don’t eat breakfast are 4.5 times as likely to be obese than people who do eat something in the morning.
Hopefully I’ve been able to convince you to try eating breakfast in the morning. It’s a simple way to improve your health, and there are many healthy breakfast options that are quick, and won’t make you late for work. It’s worth starting a new habit. Try committing to eating breakfast every morning for a week — you can do this with a roommate or with your spouse to keep you accountable. I’m confident that you’ll feel the difference!
Do you have other healthy breakfast ideas? Leave them in the comments below!
I really enjoy reading your posts. Luckily I love breakfast. Do you have any more healthy breakfast options that are quick? I used to start my day with yoghurt with almonds and raisins. No idea if it is really good but most of the time it worked for me. Some fruit next to it always helps but most of the time I leave the apple for around 10 o’clock so I eat something healthy instead of a chocolate bar. Thanks for your educative posts! Greetings!
Hi Milene, thanks for your comment!
That sounds like a great breakfast! Almonds and raisins are almost like a simple granola mix, and I’m sure that tastes great when mixed with yogurt. If it doesn’t give you enough energy, you can always switch to actual granola (there are mixes that include both almonds and raisins) so that you get more complex carbs. That should boost your energy a bit and hopefully fill you up more as well. You can get granola by the scoop at stores like Sprouts, or by the bag at Costco (which is usually cheaper than a regular grocery store). You can also try adding some cottage cheese to your almond and raisin mix as well.
The apple is a great morning snack, and you could also swap it with a banana or orange if you want to mix things up (though oranges can be messier if you don’t cut them up first). The nice thing about apples is that they can suppress your appetite, so that’s probably pretty effective in helping you make it to lunch without chocolate.
If you are ever in a rush and don’t have time for the yogurt/granola mix, then I suggest grabbing a banana. I always refer to bananas as “nature’s energy bar” because it gives you energy and is actually rather filling.
Sounds like you are already making healthy breakfast choices — keep it up!