6 Essentials Tips For A Healthier Breakfast
When it comes to breakfast it’s easy to want to grab something pre-made that’s probably not the healthiest (or just skip it altogether). But starting the day with a healthy, balanced meal can make your whole day a lot more energized. So I asked Zach to put together some of his top tips for getting a healthy breakfast that will set you up for success.
Make It Colorful
A balanced breakfast full of essential vitamins and minerals will have you feeling good and starting the day right. A good way to make sure you’re getting a variety of these micronutrients is to make them colorful. A variety of fruits and veggies is the best way to start the day will kickstart your digestive system and help you have more energy throughout the day. And no, a bowl of Fruity Pebbles doesn’t count.
Eat Whole Foods
Try to eat as many one ingredient foods as possible. What that means is to stay away from overly processed packaged foods. I know they’re easy and usually taste good, but processed foods usually won’t give you sustained energy for the day. If you are going to eat something pre-made then look at the ingredient list and you should know what each item is. If it’s something chemicals that you don’t know where they came from, it’s probably best to stay away from that.
Stay Away From Refined Sugars
I get it, sugar tastes great. That’s why it’s in so many foods like baked goods or even oatmeal packets. The problem is that while it gives you a boost of energy, you’ll be crashing before you even hit lunch. You want something that’s going to set you up to be productive all day long, not just that first hour or two of the day.
Photo: Lively Table
Breakfast Essentials Shopping List:
- Mixed Berries
- Avocados
- 0% Fat Greek Yogurt
- Whole Grain Bread
- Whole Wheat English Muffin
- Instant Oats
- Unsalted Mixed Nuts
- Jam
And check out two of our favorite breakfast recipes: Breakfast Power Bowl with Smoked Salmon and Overnight Chia Pudding: The Breakfast That’s Ready As Soon As You Wake Up
Opt For Slow Digesting Carbs
Slower digesting carbs will give you sustained energy and prevent you from crashing. Try to get in carbs like whole-grain or wheat bread, oatmeal, nuts, and fresh fruit. One of my favorite breakfast carbs is a whole-wheat English muffin with some jam.
Make a Plan
This may seem basic, but how many of you actually plan out your breakfasts? For a long time, I would plan out and shop for lunches and dinners, but breakfast was just whatever I had around. By planning, making a list, and getting what you need you’ll be more prepared to make a delicious, healthy breakfast.
Schedule It
Having what you need is step 1, but step 2 is actually making it. A lot of us don’t plan time to make breakfast into our morning. It doesn’t need to take long, but waking up 15-20 minutes earlier to cook and eat breakfast can set you up for success. This breakfast power bowl is great if you have the time to cook something. If you’re not a morning person then do the work the night before and make this overnight chia pudding.
I might suggest an asterisk for 0% fat Greek yogurt recommendation. 0% fat usually means an increase in sugar. Full fat helps slow the breakdown of the sugars of the fruit or granola that people tend to eat with granola, which can be helpful for those who are diabetic.