Start the day with energy: keys for a healthy breakfast

Breakfast is often called ‘the most important meal of the day’ because it gives us the energy to get going, to focus on the tasks we must do and to keep productivity throughout the day. Some studies suggest that breakfast should provide up to 25% of the total energy needed to function properly throughout the day.

In addition, a good breakfast helps stabilize insulin levels, which reduces irritability, tiredness and energy slumps that sometimes lead us to snack mid-morning.

Why not skip breakfast?

Although some people skip breakfast because they want to lose weight, this is a big mistake. Many studies have shown that skipping breakfast increases the risk of weight gain. This happens because with less energy at the beginning of the day, we spend more time inactive, burn fewer calories and snack more between meals. Skipping breakfast also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.

On the other hand, people who eat breakfast every day have a lower risk of high cholesterol and hypertension.
So, breakfast is not only important to recharge your batteries, but also to maintain general health.

Follow these recommendations for a balanced breakfast:

1. Have breakfast at home. Breakfasts served in coffee shops and restaurants have more calories and saturated fats than those prepared at home. Whenever you can, eat breakfast at home and include in your meal some protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber.
2. Choose foods rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, such as fruits, dairy products, and whole grains, which will give your muscles and brain the energy they need to work.
3. Add protein. Protein help maintain muscle mass, and increase the feeling of satiety, so you will make fewer visits to the vending machine throughout the morning. Proteins recommended for breakfast are those included in eggs, fresh cheese, chicken, or turkey.
4. Avoid pastries. Cakes, pastries, and cookies provide a quick dose of energy, but this energy also disappears quickly and is replaced by tiredness, lack of concentration and hunger. In addition, industrial pastries are rich in saturated and trans fats, which increase the risk of developing obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
5. Wean yourself off sugar in breakfast coffee, milk, or tea.
6. Reduce your intake of juices and smoothies. Although they promise to have many nutritional properties, such as vitamins and minerals, they are also sugar-rich and provide many empty calories.
7. Avoid unhealthy cereals. Many breakfast cereals are processed products with a lot of added sugar and low nutritional value. Read the cereal label carefully to find out its ingredients.