Are you one of those who skip your first meal in the morning? If yes, do you know how harmful that can be to your body? During the morning hours between 4 am and 6.30 am your body secretes hormones like cortisol, which give you the energy to wake up and get moving. So, if you are skipping your breakfast, your blood sugar level will drop. This is when you will crave food and end up eating more during your next meal.
Here we will talk about the necessity of the first meal of the day – A HEALTHY BREAKFAST.
There are studies that show you that if you eat a healthy breakfast regularly, you are less likely to overeat throughout the day. The study also found that middle aged men who skip breakfast are more likely to have heart attacks or die of heart diseases.
So still No time for a healthy breakfast?
At least you can be prepared with a few nutritious quick easy snack recipes to get you through your busy day and keep you away from hitting the vending machine or fast food temptations.
What is the trend in your home?
Let me guess it, are you stressed in the morning as you have to rush around with household chores, get your kids ready for school or get ready for work. The morning rush hits you and you don’t get time for a decent breakfast. So, you just grab a quick cup of coffee before rushing out.
When you skip your breakfast, your body starts to attack the muscles so that it can be utilised for fuel. Consequently, hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol will kick in as your body’s natural coping mechanism. Since your muscles are metabolically active, they will help you burn fat. Obviously, you don’t want to put your muscles in a fat burning mode. So, you should ensure that you feed them.
Start the day right with Quick easy healthy recipes
If you are not a morning person, plan out your breakfast menu the previous night itself so that you will not waste your time in the morning deciding on what to prepare for your quick breakfast family snack. Do you know that people who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight? and do you know that women who regularly skip breakfast have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes?
Do you still need more reasons to have a healthy breakfast? Breakfast contains vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. So, jump start your day by feeding your body with the right food. Eating breakfast will also suppress concentrations of insulin, which is a hormone in our body that encourages fat cells to take up fatty acids and store them. It will also give you better short-term memory, besides boosting your mood.
Do you remember your mom or grandma telling you every day to have breakfast in the morning? now it is me who is telling the exactly the same words to my own children.
More and more often we all realise about the great impact of having a healthy breakfast. But still many of us sacrifice this crucial morning meal, in a hurry to get out of the house.
Again Breakfast is the most critical meal of an entire day. As the time between dinner and the next morning’s meal is the longest, your body goes without any food for hours at end. Healthy breakfast consumed at the right time helps to provide sufficient nutrients for a power-packed day.
If you consume breakfast within 2 hours of waking up, it can benefit the whole day in controlling the glucose and sugar level. All you need to do is, make a healthy snack platter for your breakfast that serves good protein and carbs with fiber.
But what to eat for breakfast?
You can be overwhelmed with so many kinds of food. But choosing a healthy breakfast is essential. Some healthy as well as time saving breakfast ideas include oatmeal, eggs, pancakes, avocado and toast, homemade peanut butter, nut balls, whole grain toasts, fruits and breakfast burrito among others. The key is to get a good source of protein coupled with healthy carbohydrates. Here is the list of quick easy healthy recipes that can be part of your morning snack to give you the nutrients that your body requires.
Watch the above video about a normal healthy breakfast and the amount of sugar it may contain.
10 Healthy breakfast foods to power up your day.
Oatmeal – Oats are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain micronutrients, potassium and folate. It also helps in lowering cholesterol levels. Avoid having sweetened oatmeal, they contain too much plain sugar. Choose natural sugars, add milk and fruits or honey to enhance its flavour.
Greek Yogurt- Greek yogurt contains calcium and double the protein content. Prepare some plain Greek yogurt and add your own preferences according to the taste. Add fruits and make it sweet with honey or add salt and pepper if you like it salty.
Bananas- They are my favourite. The presence of healthy carbs in banana gives you the feeling of fullness. The high content of potassium, an electrolyte in them helps to lower the blood pressure, naturally. Slice it in your cereal bowl or have it with a glass of milk, bananas are awesome as a morning fruit.
Eggs- They are embraced with the healthy source of protein and nutrients like Vitamin D. Recent studies have shown that eggs no more effect the cholesterol level. This healthy bite in the morning can be prepared in various ways – either have a platter of poached egg with olives, tomato or make an omelette, half fry for different texture and taste. Garnish with pepper, oregano for added flavour and nutrient count.
Energy Bar- An energy bar with at least 3-5 grams of fibre and minimum 10 grams of protein can be a good substitute for a meal. If you are really in a hurry just grab a protein bar to reach the requirements.
Watermelons-Watermelon contains more of the antioxidant lycopene than fresh tomatoes; one cup of watermelon has 1.5 times the lycopene as a raw tomato.Watermelon can be a perfect bite in the morning. The rich content of water, nutrients, and antioxidants present in watermelon helps to hydrate the body.
Cereal and nuts- A bowl of morning cereal with some added nuts and fruits can be very healthy and satisfying for the satiety. Corn flakes or muesli can be eaten. Cereal with at least 5 grams of fibre and less than 5 gram of sugar is considered best in the breakfast. The addition of strawberries, raspberries or grapes can work as natural sugar and flavours.
Whole wheat bread- Consuming carbohydrate is the main protocol for the breakfast, But the type of crab you are adding plays a major role. Always remember, whole wheat or whole grains are good for health. There is a variety of whole grain bread, toast, muffins available in the market, try to opt for such healthy products over refined ones. Whole grain products contain ample of fibre and they are loaded with nutrients.
Sprouts-Sprouted Mung bean or Bengal gram can be the best morning munch. The addition of chopped onion, coriander, and tomato with a garnish of lemon and pepper helps to add the flavour in this fibre rich protein filled bowl. This bowl not only satisfies the taste buds but also helps in boosting your metabolism for the entire day. The process of germinating sprouts in legumes and pulses increases the quality of protein nearly 100 times more.
Flaxseed meal pancakes- I personally made this pancake this morning. I just wanted to add a bit of fiber to our breakfast so I simply changed the recipe with flaxseed flour instead of plain flour. You can also mix half plain half flaxseed or buckwheat flour for better results. Add blueberries, fresh cheese or bananas as you prefer.
Anotherquick easy breakfast recipe you can try at home:
Nutty pistachios Balls:
Chop and blend all the dry ingredients and mix them. Make small nutty balls and place it for 30 minutes in the refrigerator to set. Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients:
40 g unsalted pistachios· 130 g unsalted cashews· 55 g unsalted peanuts· 20 g coconut oil· 20 g desiccated coconut· 1 tbsp honey· 3 tbsp cocoa powder· 20 g water· 1⁄2 tsp natural vanilla extract. Add some pitted dates, they are extremely sweet and delicious.
If you don’t eat anything for breakfast, it’s not late – start off now. Avoid having big breakfast, keep a check on the portion size and try to include foods from the above list to fuel your day.
