Have A Healthy Breakfast To Start Your Day

Breakfast like a King, Lunch like a Prince and Dine like a  Pauper”

It’s a well-known phrase, but do you follow it?

Breakfast provides the body and brain with fuel after an   overnight fast – that’s where its name originates, breaking the fast! With no breakfast you are literally running on empty, like trying to start the car with no gas.

A nutritious breakfast providing calories in the range of 20-35% of your recommended daily allowance (RDA), should be eaten within two hours of waking. Apart from supplying energy, breakfast is a good source of important nutrients such as calcium, iron and B vitamins as well as protein and fiber. The body requires such essential nutrients to function normally throughout the day. Fruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals so try to include a portion.

Breakfast also restores glucose levels, an essential carbohydrate that is needed for the brain to function. Eating breakfast can improve memory and concentration levels, improve mood and lower stress levels. Those who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight..

Even for kids Breakfast is the most important meal of the day

At school, a hungry child will not be able to concentrate in class, have no energy for playtime and snack on unhealthy foods, such as chips or biscuits. A calm and healthy breakfast every day is the best defense against this happening. It also helps children to get into good habits that they can carry through life.
I understand during a busy morning, it’s easy to let breakfast fall low in your list of priorities, as all of us have thousands of activities to complete but taking just a few minutes to have something to eat can really make a difference to your day. If you don’t have time to eat before leaving the house. There are lots of breakfast options that can be eaten on-the-go or when you get to work.
A number of factors influence what people like to eat at breakfast, such as their food preferences, cultural background when it comes to breakfast, the options are endless. But something as common as cereals, bread, fruit, dairy products (such as eggs, milk, yoghurt and cheese) and meats are easily available.
Here are healthier options to keep filling those breakfast food craving.

If you have a little time in the morning..

. porridge with warm milk and stewed fruit.
• Vegetable Poha with curd
• Upma with lots of vegetables adds fiber.
• Fresh fruit with curd.

• Omelettes with vegetables
  • Boiled egg with bread fingers (cut slices of bread into dipping sized portions)
  • Pancakes with fresh fruit filling.
  • Wholegrain toast or fresh bread with eggs (not fried), baked beans, cooked mushrooms or tomatoes
  • Cereal with milk, curd and/or fruit
  • Wholegrain toast, garlic bread or muffins with a little margarine (not butter), fruit spreads.

Better Breakfast Snacks
1. Dosa and Steamed idlis: Are also a healthy start for the day. You can prepare the batter with rice and dal. Let it ferment for a day and refrigerate. It can used for a 4-5 days. You can masala idlis or cocktail idlis these are small size idlis with onion, tomato, carrot. Dosa can be prepared in a non- stick pan with a drop of oil with different fillings.
2. Breakfast Burrito: Breakfast burritos are a great, easy snack to keep on hand. Scramble 2 egg whites, 1/4 cup black beans, 2 tablespoons salsa, , and wrap in 1 small whole-wheat tortilla. Make a bunch, wrap in foil, and keep in the freezer for whenever the craving hits. Protein in eggs and black beans keep you full for longer hours, and the spicy salsa keeps things interesting.

3 .Stuffed Chapattis: It’s a filling breakfast for the morning. You can use stuffing like carrot, cottage cheese (homemade) spinach, onion, cauliflower. Stuffed chapattis with curd in the morning is a nutritious breakfast for the day

4.Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie: Here’s a simple and delicious smoothie recipe for the morning rush. Blend 1 cup plain yogurt with 1 cup frozen fruit (banana and berries work very well) with 1/2 cup liquid (milk, juice, coconut water—whatever you like). Thaw the overnight frozen fruit to enjoy in the day.

5.Leftovers n’ Egg: Stuck with last night’s leftovers? Place a scoop of leftover roasted veggies, potatoes, or meat in a container, top with a cracked egg, and heat in the microwave until the egg white is cooked through, 30 to 45 seconds. (Or prep in the oven.) Sprinkle with some freshly grated cheese or paneer.

6. Overnight Oats: This is the ultimate lazy-person breakfast. The night before, combine 1/2 cup milk, 1/3 cup rolled oats, 1/2 a banana (mashed), 1/4 cup chopped nuts, and a sprinkle of cinnamon in sealed Tupperware container. By morning, you’ll have delicious overnight oats! These can be heated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes if in the mood for something warm.
7. Homemade Instant Oatmeal For anyone with a microwave or hot water at their disposal, these customized instant oatmeal packets are fantastic to have on hand. Instead of purchasing ready-made oatmeal packets, assemble your own in Ziploc baggies using whole rolled oats, cinnamon, and mix-ins like raisins and nut.
8. Cold milk. Chop 1 cup of fruit of your choice (peaches, plums, berries, and mango are delicious!) and combine in a container with 1 cup milk of choice. Keep chilled until ready to enjoy
9. Egg Sandwich :Simply sauté a handful of spinach and fry 2 eggs with a dash of salt and pepper. Place on top 2 whole-wheat toast with 1 slice of cheddar cheese. Wrap in foil so the cheese melts evenly, and enjoy whenever the craving hits.
10. Frozen Nutty Banana. Cut 1 firm (but ripe) banana in half and un-peal, arrange on a small baking sheet or freezer-safe plate, and spread each half with 1 tablespoon almond butter evenly (on the sides not touching the plate). Here’s the fun part: Stick whatever toppings you like on top of the almond butter—our favourites are granola, chia seeds, or flax seeds and cinnamon. Insert a stick or skewer into the cut end of each half, and freeze until solid (at least 2-3 hours).

11.Apple Surprise: This is a perfect pick for apple season, Cut 1 apple in half and remove the core (plus a bit of the extra flesh around the core). Drop 1 tablespoon nut butter between the two holes, and sprinkle in 1 tablespoon granola. Wrap up the apple in plastic wrap or foil to save it for later, or enjoy it altogether.

It is also important to have healthy drinks with breakfast .Also, for kids Water or low fat milk (for children over 2 years) is best. Try to limit fruit juice to 1/2 a glass a day as fruit juice contains lots of sugar. Instead give a piece of fruit to your child to get fibre into their diet.

While the above article guides you to eating healthier, there is no substitute for customized professional advice given by a qualified nutritionist. We urge you to speak to your personal dietician or if you need help, contact a nutritionist at Qua Nutrition.

You can contact us at 09743430000 or log on to quanutrition.com to Book An Appointment.