Breakfast: Don’t Leave Home Without It!

By Carol Dombrow, Heart and Stroke Foundation registered dietitian, Health Check

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A healthy breakfast refuels your body and gives you a good start to the day and provides important nutrients that you might otherwise miss out on. A healthy breakfast includes at least three of the four food groups.

For an adult, when you eat a healthy breakfast you are more likely to:

• Eat more vitamins and minerals
• Eat less fat and cholesterol
• Have better concentration and productivity throughout the morning
• Control your weight

And for children who eat a healthy breakfast, they are more likely to:

• Meet daily nutrient requirements
• Concentrate better
• Have better problem-solving skills
• Have better hand-eye coordination
• Be more alert
• Be more creative
• Miss fewer days of school

And the best news is that it is not hard to eat a healthy breakfast.  You want to include whole grains, lower fat dairy products or a meat or meat alternative and fruits and vegetables.

Here are some examples:

• whole grain cereal with milk or yogurt and frozen blueberries,
• cooked oatmeal in milk and topped with raisins and sliced almonds
• yogurt with low fat granola and berries,
• whole grain pita pocket with peanut butter and banana slices,
• soft boiled egg on whole wheat toast with a cut up orange,
• whole grain English muffin with melted cheese and an apple,
• scrambled egg with red peppers and salsa wrapped in a tortilla,
• cheese with whole grain crackers and sliced tomatoes, or
• homemade raisin bran muffin with a frozen fruit yogurt smoothie

Short on time in the morning? Plan ahead. The night before decide what you want for breakfast.  Set the table and prepare anything you can ahead of time so you are ready for a quick breakfast.  If you really have no time, plan on a ‘to-go’ breakfast to take with you.

Remember if you don’t start the day with a healthy breakfast there is a good chance that your children will follow your example.  Starting with a healthy breakfast sets you up for a healthy day!

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