Best Foods to Eat for Breakfast

Skipping breakfast or making

poor food choices cause
crashes in energy, reduced
mental performance, low
mood and slow down
metabolism leading to weight
gain. Choosing the wrong
foods for breakfast can
drastically impact how you
feel mentally, physically and
even emotionally for the rest
of the day.
When you wake in the
morning your blood sugar levels are low and this leads to a lethargic feeling, mental confusion
and irritability.
What makes a good breakfast?
Breakfast has to ll many roles, including: meeting our nutritional needs; providing energy;
tasting good and ideally quick to prepare! Food high in rened carbohydrates, like processed
cereals or pancakes, will give an immediate hit of energy but this quickly fades as blood sugar
levels drop. This is due to the insulin released to cope with the sugar inux (which will also
make you hungrier later in the day and promote fat storage). Caeine has a similar eect with
an energy rush, followed by a drop as it also aects blood sugar. Low blood sugar levels impede
your concentration and mood dramatically and lead to impulsive food choices, made worse by
the limited healthy options found in oces and coee shops.
A good breakfast should include a balance of foods which provide energy, nutrients, protein,
ber and fat to get you going for the day. Below are some ideal breakfast choices which can be
combined to make tasty meals which keep you feeling full and focused for the day ahead.
1) Green Smoothies
One of the quickest and easiest breakfasts to make, just chuck a few ingredients in a blender,
and they are extremely nutritious. Smoothies are mixtures of dierent apples, pineapple, lemon
and vegetables blended with a liquid to produce a thick drink. There are endless possible
combinations, and a simple and tasty way to incorporate more raw fruit and vegetables into

your diet. Making a smoothie is dierent to juicing;the smoothie retains the brous parts of the
plants, which means you are kept fuller for longer.
The choice of ingredients depends on personal preference but a mixture of: green leaves(for
essential nutrients); ripe fruit (for texture, taste, energy and nutrients); and a liquid like
pineapple, apple, lemon (for consistency) is ideal. Extra goodies such as seeds, super-foods and
oats can also be added to add variation and increase nutritional content. Another alternative is
to make the texture thicker, by adding less liquid, and serve in a bowl, topped with yoghurt,
seeds and more. Packed full of nutrition, easy to prepare and with endless variations possible,
green smoothies are an excellent way to start the day.
2) Steel Cut Oats
Breakfast cereals are a traditional way to begin the day in many countries and they can be a
healthy way to consume carbohydrates, ber, and nutrients. Oats are an old-world cereal crop
and the oat itself is actually a seed. After harvesting the outer husk is removed and the oat is
cut into small pieces. Cutting the oat means it will cook quicker without increasing sugar
content unlike rolled oats which have a higher glycemic index (GI) due to sugars released in
the steam-rolling process. Steel cut oats, also known as Irish oats, are the key ingredient in
traditional porridge and oatcakes.
Oats contain a form of soluble ber which slows down the absorption of carbohydrates (keeping
blood sugar levels steady) and reduces cholesterol. They also contain signicant amounts of
magnesium which has been shown to protect against cardiovascular disease and
diabetes.Porridge is made by simply cooking up oats with water or milk (to create a thicker
texture). Adding nuts, fruit, yoghurt and a natural sweetener such as honey can elevate this
popular dish which warms up winter mornings.
3) Sprouted Grain Bread
This is bread made from grains which have been allowed to germinate, or sprout. Combinations
of wheat and other grains (millet, oat, barley etc.) are kept in a warm wet environment until
they have started to grow. Once sprouted they are dried, ground into our and made into
bread.
There are numerous health benets associated with sprouting, using a living grain to make
your bread. Sprouted bread contains: less gluten; more protein; a lot less fat; less carbohydrate
than either brown or white bread. The reduced carbohydrate content makes the bread lower GI
than normal breads and the sprouting process starts to breakdown the grain releasing key
nutrients and making it easier to digest. A reduction in phytic acid, normally found in bread,

also increases the amount of vitamins you are able to absorb. Warmed or toasted this bread
can add high quality nutrients, taste and texture to your breakfast.
4) Greek yoghurt
Yoghurt is full of protein and healthy bacteria making it an ideal breakfast choice. Greek
yoghurt is strained, or sieved, to remove liquid which gives it a thicker creamier texture and
removes almost half the sugar. The high protein content helps you feel full for longer and the
creamy taste of indulgence satises emotional needs for luxurious food. Since the straining
process also removes lactose, people with mild intolerance often nd Greek yoghurt
unproblematic. Mixed with fruit and topping with nuts provides a balanced and tasty way to
start the day with only minimal preparation required.
5) Quinoa porridge
The Inca considered this quinoa seed sacred, and due to its alkaline nature it has been quickly
increasing in popularity with health conscious consumers. It is gluten free and high in protein
including many essential amino acids the high protein content means it will keep you feeling
full for several hours and the low GI means you wont get an energy crash after eating it. It
contains riboavin which support brain function and saponins which lower cholesterol and
protect against various cancers.
Simply boil the quinoa in some water then add a few ingredients for taste. Fresh fruit, sweet
spices, nut or coconut milks all add extra goodness and avor to this versatile food.
6) Fruits
A classic breakfast food, fruit is easy to digest, provides quick energy and loads of key nutrients
and anti-oxidants. Known to protect us from cancers and other diseases fruit is naturally
sweet, tasty and full of goodness. Drinking fruit juice is NOT the same as eating fruit.
Without the plant bers the GI of fruit juice is quite high, and can lead to an energy dip a
short time after drinking it.
Combining fresh fruit with a protein and fat (for example a fruit salad with yoghurt and
seeds) will keep you feeling satised and energized for longer. Fruit is also a very convenient
snack food and can be eaten on the run. Keeping a selection of fruit with you, or at your
workplace, can also prevent emergency eating if your energy levels drop.
7) Nut and rice milks
Alternatives to cows milk are becoming more popular due to increases in lactose intolerance,
concerns about antibiotics and hormones fed to cows and the negative eects of pasteurization
and homogenization. Nut and rice milks are also highly nutritious and some, like hazelnut,
are naturally sweet.

Nuts and seeds are naturally high in Omega-3 fats, which are good for your mood and brain
function. When made into milks, by rst soaking then grinding and adding liquid, they keep
these benecial fats. Almond milk, for example, has less calories than cows milk, has no
saturated fat and contains high amounts of vitamin B12 and minerals such as zinc. When
choosing nut milks, be aware of additives such as sweeteners and thickeners, it can be cheaper
and healthier to make your own at home.