The old saying that we should ‘eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper’ definitely applies to living a healthy life.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and careful planning should go into preparing it. It should consist of at least one-quarter protein, and the balance being healthy carbohydrates and fats.
You should have this meal every day of the week for good blood sugar control. Lunches and dinner should be lighter.
The first meal of the day should have enough protein to keep you feeling full until your next major meal (lunch). It’s ok to pack in the calories from proteins like eggs, bacon, sausages – carbs such as whole wheat bread or even whole wheat pancakes with healthy organic butter and avocado which are great sources of good fats.
These days I opt for a bowl of oat meal and a slice of whole wheat toast both which have lots fiber and bulk to keep me full all morning. I include a handful of blueberries or a banana with my oatmeal. I am also a fruit-a-holic. I have at least three to four different fruits each day. After breakfast I usually have a helping of yogurt which is also a source of protein.
The typical American breakfast is full of sugary ingredients that we must avoid at all cost. We find excess sugars in:
- Many breakfast cereals. They are loaded with too much sugar and this can set us up for a mid-morning crash and reaching for another sugar boosting snack.
- Fruit juices are be major source of sugar and should be kept to a half a glass. Be sure to drink only natural juices and not artificially flavored drinks. Although natural juices contain sugar it is more nutritious than sugar-laden artificial ones.
- I avoid pancakes because they are made with refined flour and are usually accompanied by syrups that are loaded with sugar.
- Yogurt can be good post-meal source of protein but be careful to not go for the artificially flavored ones. Have Greek yogurt which has less sugar. Add pieces of fruits and grounded nuts to your natural yogurt for added flavor.
- A cup of sweetened coffee and a pastry is what many people grab for a breakfast meal before leaving the house in the mornings. This will only set you up for a mid-morning crash.
- If you prefer a smoothie for breakfast be sure to use a low carb, high protein source as the base for you drink.
Become a label reader – there is more junk in breakfast foods than our bodies really need. Learn to decipher the misleading information food manufacturers put on their labels.
P.S. If you exercise in the mornings it’s even more important to have a good meal to include more protein than you would normally eat when not exercising. Your body is craving this type of food to feed your muscles.
