Breakfast of Champions
Easy Does It
If you truly aren’t a morning person, it’s important to start your new breakfast routine slowly and with small portions, choosing foods that are more of a snack than a meal. Some suggestions from Natalie Stephens, RDN, LD, a registered dietician and nutritionist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, include a carb and protein balance, such as a banana with peanut butter or Greek yogurt topped with berries, seeds or nuts. “The key to feeling your best, even if you’re not a morning person, is to ease yourself into this new habit. You’ll find yourself a bit more energized once you’ve given your body some fuel,” says Stephens.
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Nutrient Rich
Another advantage of breakfast: It tends to include more foods rich in fiber and protein than other meals during the day. Incorporating fruits and protein sources into your breakfast routine helps you get a large portion of your daily nutrition requirements first thing. Dr. Tavel recommends focusing on protein sources like eggs, yogurt, low-fat milk, cheese and nuts while minimizing processed meats like bacon and sausage.
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Protein Plus
Speaking of protein, a protein-packed breakfast is a must for those hoping to lose or maintain weight. “Protein provides a lengthier sense of fullness but also burns up more energy while being digested, resulting in fewer excess net calories to deal with,” says Dr. Tavel. If you particularly have a difficult time resisting snacking frenzies later in the day, eating a breakfast that includes a high-protein source is your new secret weapon since it delays hunger.
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Brainpower Boost
If you want your kids to do well in school, or if you want to continue exceling at work, breakfast is a no-brainer, or rather, a big-brainer. “Some of the immediate benefits of breakfast are scientifically documented. These include improved concentration and performance at school or work, better physical strength, endurance and improved eye-hand coordination,” says Dr. Tavel.
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Metabolism on the Move
Breakfast is named for its function: Breaking the fast after several hours of sleep, which means it’s the key to jump-starting our metabolisms. “For every cell in your body to keep functioning, it takes energy, or calories, to keep our complex system going,” says Stephens. “By eating breakfast consistently, you’re telling your body to get all its ‘engines’ running again which can help with digestive health, metabolism and concentration.”
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A Healthy Heart
It’s not just you and the kids who need to be squeezing in breakfast. Make sure your husband is on board,too. A recent study in the American Heart Association journal "Circulation" found that men who skipped breakfast over the course of 16 years had a 27 percent higher risk of heart disease compared to those who made it a priority to eat in the mornings. “This is powerful information that supports the idea that, by just including breakfast alone in your diet, you may be reducing your chances of disease,” says Dr. Tavel.
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