The health benefits of breakfast include weight control, mental focus and overall well-being. Here’s how to choose a delicious, nutritious morning meal that fits your hectic lifestyle...
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
You’ve probably heard that adage dozens of times, but do you heed it?
Most Americans don’t – they eat their biggest meal at night; 20% don’t have breakfast at all.
“We should be eating the exact opposite way,” says Karen E. Brewton, R.D., a clinical dietitian at Methodist Wellness Services in Houston. “We don’t need a huge meal [when] we’re getting ready to rest.”
In fact, breakfast isn’t just important, it’s vital – to weight loss, well-being and performing at your mental best.
Your brain needs morning fuel (glucose), which is provided by food, especially carbohydrates. Without a healthy breakfast, you’ll suffer a mental slump by midmorning.
Then there’s your long-term health: Skipping breakfast puts you at greater risk for heart disease and metabolic syndrome, a group of symptoms that can lead to cardiac problems or diabetes.
But what should you have for breakfast, and how can you find time for it? We have answers to help you start each day right.
The Best Breakfasts for Weight Loss
Skipping your morning meal may seem like a simple way to cut calories. Yet all the respected research shows that breakfast is essential for maintaining a healthy weight.
“I have patients who skip breakfast to limit their day’s food intake,” Brewton says. “These are the absolute wrong calories to cut if weight loss is their goal.”
Those who pass on breakfast end up overeating at lunch and dinner, more than making up for the morning calorie deficit, Brewton says.
The most convincing evidence comes from the National Weight Control Registry, an organization that studies successful long-term weight loss. It compiled data on 6,000 people who’ve lost 30 pounds and maintained the loss for at least a year. Nearly 80% of these successful losers said they eat a morning meal every day.
And a 2008 study of 12,000 adults published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that eating a healthy breakfast promoted wise food choices the rest of the day.
Best bet: Eggs! Men and women who ate two eggs for breakfast lost 65% more weight and showed a 61% greater reduction in BMI than those who ate a bagel, according to a 2008 Saint Louis University study.
Obviously, you can’t eat eggs fried in butter and achieve this result. Try these low-fat, low-calorie cooking methods instead:
Poaching. Just break eggs into hot water and cook until firm. Serve over whole-wheat toast with fruit on the side.
Hard-boiling. Hard-boiled eggs last a week in the fridge, so keep a half-dozen on hand. A whole-grain English muffin and a cup of berries are perfect accompaniments.
Microwaving. Mix eggs with chopped bell pepper, onion, mushroom and low-fat cheese and pour into a mug. Nuke for 45 seconds or until cooked through (stirring if needed). Eat as an omelet or plop the veggie-egg disc on toast.
Baking. Create a “crustless quiche” by pouring an egg-veggie mixture into muffin tins; bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean). Freeze leftovers, then heat them in the microwave for less than a minute.
To avoid food-borne illness (such as salmonella) from eggs, follow these rules: Throw out cracked or dirty eggs, avoid cross-contamination between raw eggs and other foods, cook them until both the yolks and whites are firm, and refrigerate egg-containing dishes immediately.
The Best Breakfasts for Staying Satisfied and Sharp
“Breakfast should be a balance of carbs, fat and protein, and contain about 400 calories,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and author of The Flexitarian Diet (McGraw-Hill). “This combination will curb your appetite and keep you going throughout the day.”
Your morning meal should also give you a jump-start on your daily fiber intake (of about 25-30 grams), which also keeps you feeling full.
Best bets: Low-glycemic foods that won’t cause a rapid rise and fall in blood sugar levels. Here’s why: Foods low on the glycemic index heighten production of GLP-1, a gut hormone that leads to appetite suppression and a full feeling in your belly.
In a 2009 study at King’s College in London, people who ate a low-GI breakfast had 20% higher blood levels of GLP-1 and 38% lower levels of insulin than those who ate a high-GI breakfast.
More good news: Low-glycemic fare also increases the fat-burning effects of moderate exercise (such as walking) after breakfast.
Choose these low-GI foods each morning to keep you feeling full, energetic and mentally focused:
Breads and cereals made from whole grains, such as oats, barley, rye and wheat, or any kind of bran. A 2007 Lund University in Sweden study at found that a low-GI breakfast of healthy carbohydrates can prevent blood sugar spikes. It also improves mental focus for up to 10 hours.
A great low-GI, stick-to-your-ribs breakfast is a bowl of oat groats. These are the least-processed version of oats, so they take a lot longer to digest than quick-cook oatmeal. (Steel-cut oats are second best.) They also take a while to prepare, but you can slow-cook them in a crockpot overnight with cinnamon sticks or a splash of reduced fat coconut milk.
High-quality protein, such as eggs, lean Canadian bacon and non- or low-fat dairy products. A 2009 University of Kansas study showed that people who eat healthy protein in the morning retain a greater sense of fullness throughout the entire day.
Tips: Scramble eggs or fry Canadian bacon with cooking spray (not butter or margarine) to keep fat content low. For more protein power, sprinkle nuts on top of your low-fat yogurt.
The Best Breakfasts for Heart Health
Besides the above-mentioned benefits, eating breakfast is good for your ticker.
Studies have shown that people who skip it have higher cholesterol levels and are at greater risk for developing high blood pressure or metabolic syndrome.
Best bets: Whole grains, along with low-fat protein, such as skim milk. Consuming high-fiber, high-nutrient cereals is linked to a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
And morning cereal eaters tend to eat more fiber and calcium, and fewer fats, throughout the day.
In a 2007 University of Calgary in Canada study, people who ate a low-fat breakfast of cereal and skim milk were far less prone to the physical consequences of stress – including high blood pressure – than those who ate high-fat fast food.
The heart-healthiest cold cereals include:
Multigrain Cheerios: 110 calories, 3 grams fiber, 1 gram fat (per 1 cup serving)
Wheaties: 100 calories, 3 grams fiber, 0.5 gram fat (per 3/4 cup serving)
Kashi Honey Sunshine: 100 calories, 5 grams fiber, 1 gram fat (per 3/4 cup serving)
Kashi Mighty Bites: 120 calories, 3 grams fiber, 1.5 grams fat (per 1 cup serving)
Wheat Chex: 169 calories, 5 grams fiber, 1 gram fat (per 3/4 cup serving)
Nature's Path Heritage Flakes: 120 calories, 5 grams fiber, 1 gram fat (per 3/4 cup serving)
Best Breakfasts When You’re in a Rush
It’s Monday morning (even Tuesday or Friday) and you’re racing out the door… as usual. You barely have time to make yourself presentable, let alone sit down to breakfast. Here are some nutrient-rich and highly portable a.m. meals:
Breakfast dog: Spread peanut butter on a slice of whole-grain bread, wrap it around a banana, and eat it like a hot dog.
DIY granola: On Sunday night, mix a healthy cereal (such as Multigrain Cheerios or Wheaties) with almonds and raisins. Divide the mixture into five plastic baggies, one for each weekday. Munch on the cereal in transit, or add it to low-fat milk bought from your office vending machine.
Bagel ‘n’ cheese: Throw a whole-grain bagel, an apple and a mozzarella cheese stick into a paper bag. Who says brown-bagging is just for lunch?
Fast food: If this is your only choice, tread carefully. At McDonald’s, opt for the 167-calorie Fruit ‘n’ Yogurt Parfait or a 250-calorie (without cheese) Egg McMuffin, with a side of apple slices.
At Starbucks, a good bet is a 16-ounce nonfat latte (130 calories) and a to-go-bowl of Perfect Oatmeal (240 calories with dried-fruit topping).
At convenience stores like 7-11, go to the counter and grab a banana, a hard-boiled egg and coffee. And stay far away from the donuts.
Best Foods for Women Who Hate Breakfast
So you’re not a “breakfast person”? Many women claim they just aren’t hungry in the morning, so they forgo eating. If you do, take a look at your nighttime choices.
“This is a big red flag that you’re eating too much in the evening,” Blatner says. “I ask my patients to cut down on dinner to ensure that they’ll be hungry for breakfast the next day.”
Some women skip morning meals because they dislike traditional American breakfast fare. But there’s no rule against eating other things before noon.
Sample the following popular breakfasts from across the world. They’re so different from the usual cereal and scrambled eggs, you’ll feel as if you’re on vacation.
Cheese or yogurt, fresh-baked whole-grain bread, fruit and café au lait. The French call this petit dejeuner (or little lunch).
Miso soup, soybeans over rice, tea. The Japanese way to start the day.
Greek yogurt drizzled with honey or feta cheese, olives, whole-grain bread, fruit, black tea. A majestic Mediterranean meal.
Fish or meat and vegetables over rice. In China, breakfast and dinner are often very similar.
Mangoes topped with avocado cream, plus bread and jam. The Brazilians really know how to eat. Make delicious avocado cream with lower-fat ingredients: 1 medium avocado, 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro.
Breakfast taco. A favorite in southern Texas: scrambled eggs and shredded chicken or lean beef, topped with salsa and wrapped in a corn tortilla.
Huevos rancheros. This Mexican dish – fried eggs on a tortilla topped with spicy tomato sauce (or salsa) – becomes healthier if you poach the eggs and use whole-wheat tortillas.
Adapted from an article originally published in Viv magazine.
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