Why eat breakfast everyday? One good reason is, research has shown that regularly eating a healthy breakfast reduces the risk of obesity by 450%! That's not a small improvement!
Even knowing this, many of us struggle to start the day off right. How would you like to get in the habit of regularly consuming protein and fiber packed meals first thing in your day?! Then this post is for you!
We're bringing you 6 choices for simple healthy breakfast ideas.
1. Oatmeal or Steel Cut Oats – Per half cup serving (dry) – there's FOUR grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein! Add stevia, a drizzle of maple syrup or honey if you need a sweet boost. Or try nutmeg or cinnamon sprinkled over it for a sugarless, though a naturally sweet taste.
Here's how to make Steel Cut Oats for a hearty, re-heatable breakfast recipe!
2. Whole wheat toast with banana slices and nut butter – Make sure to read the label, buy only whole wheat, whole ground, or whole grain flours (will be first item on label) – if it says “enriched,” it will have no nutritional value. This breakfast is simple to make and holds fiber, healthy fat and protein for a great start to your day!
3. Smoothies and shakes – These can become UNhealthy options if you aren't careful. Ordered commercially, they are full of preservatives, additives and sugar – try homemade instead for a much healthier option. My favorite smoothie recipe has greek yogurt, nut butter, ground flaxseed, frozen blueberries or strawberries, Non-GMO unsweetened almond milk, handful spinach, and half a banana all swirled into creamy deliciousness! Packed with energy, natural flavor, and smooth to the taste, you can’t beat it! Just make sure to add foods with protein, and little to no added sugar in your smoothies, but experiment with what makes you sip-happy!
4. FiberOne Honey Clusters Cereal – There are VERY few cereals I recommend at all, due to intense label-reading and discovering that most are packed with sugar and additives, and have very little nutrition in them at all. This gem is “my kids-approved,” has only 6g of sugar in a FULL cup serving, but manages to include 13g fiber and 3g protein! Pretty good, for a normally “less healthy” breakfast choice!
5. FRESH Fruit – Have a banana, bowl of berries or orange for breakfast and don’t worry about the sugar grams, IF you limit your morning sugar intake to natural sugar alone! Better for your body to ingest the natural, easily processed sugar along with fiber and the nutrients and vitamins that fruit nourishes your body with, then that muffin and commercial coffee!
6. Eggs – Scrambled, poached, over easy – we all have our preferences to the way our eggs are cooked. Poor eggs, they have been on again, off again as nutritional additions to our diets. Are they high in cholesterol? Yes, but it's the kind that is good for your body, and only a problem when overindulged in. We also have to remember that when we consume packaged foods, they oftentimes include eggs in the ingredients. As we cut down and eventually eliminate the consumption of these processed, prepackaged foods, we alleviate the problem of "too many eggs."
If a person has high cholesterol, they should only be consuming 1-3 eggs per week. If they have normal levels, the recommendation is 4 whole eggs per week. A good trick is to eat one whole egg with 1-2 eggs whites added in. More protein, less cholesterol.
It is easier to eat healthy (even at breakfast!) than we think - try any of these ideas and let me know - do you stay full longer when you eat one of these choices?