Breakfast

The vital meal of the day!

“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” Adelle Davis

Awakening from the land of dreams, having had a good night sleep and fasting all night it is now time for breakfast. The first meal of the day has to be a quality breakfast with the right quantity transforming into plenty of perfect fuel for the body.

With the busy life we are living in the 21st century, breakfast seems to be taken on the run, consisting of coffee, soft drink, muffins or pastry. The solution to a balanced diet is the intake of protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber and plenty of fluids (water) to keep your body hydrated. Protein exists in milk, eggs and meat products. Complex carbohydrates are cereals, wholesome breads and fruit, which also contain the vital fibers which are important for the digestions. Fluid is very essential for the bodies function and digestion. Healthy fats such as fish oil and olive oil. An appropriate breakfast consists of 25- 35% protein, 50-65% carbohydrates and 10% fat. Do the best you can and a daily effort in choosing the right food combination will lead to healthy eating habits.

Dieticians are warning that starting the day with food high in calories and low in complex carbohydrates deprives the body of vital nutrition’s leaving us vulnerable to lack of concentration and weight gain. These are bad eating habits and can lead to diabetes and by skipping breakfast we are more likely to over eat later in the day.  As a consequence of not feeling hungry, lack of time or the desire for more sleep some will skip breakfast. Eating breakfast daily makes people more attentive and better maintain information. The broken down structure of working longer hours results in families having a diverse eating habits and by not eating together has an increasing chance with the intention of wrong food will be eaten. There are healthy alternatives to the quick fix of coffee, sugar coated food or chocolate and the desire to eat a wholesome breakfast is still alive.

It could be the perception that healthy options do not taste good; however it is possible to make quick and easy healthy meals taste superior. It is imperative for everybody to have a healthy choice for breakfast, a bowl of muesli already prepared in the fridge or a piece of bread with fruit. Try adding a spoonful of sun flower seeds to your cereal, top your toast with a sliced banana, sprinkle diced fruit over your cereal or even canned fruit. For a quick breakfast prepare a whole grain sandwich of baked beans and cheese the night before and toast it the following morning. Bring nuts to nibble on at the desk when feeling hungry. Liquid breakfast can be a milk shake with fruit, again prepared the night before this will give you a healthy start to your day.

 “Variety’s the very spice of life that gives it all its flavour” William Cowper

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