WHY BREAKFAST IS IMPORTANT

⦁ Jump start your metabolism
⦁ Not eating a healthy breakfast can make you crave simple carbohydrates (sugar)
⦁ People who eat a healthy breakfast tend to eat fewer calories and less processed foods during the day than people who skip breakfast
⦁ Starting the day with a healthy breakfast high in fiber, healthy fats and low in sugar will sustain you for a longer time period making you less likely to choose a quick fix to reduce your hunger.  Not eating breakfast makes the sugary vending machine snacks or a bag of chips much more tantalizing.  Also eating breakfast reduces the chance for over eating at lunch and dinner.
⦁ Regular breakfast eating are more likely to exercise regularly
⦁ Having nutrients and calories in your body at the start of the day gives you more energy and prevents the too tired to exercise feeling.  Also breakfast eaters tend to make healthier lifestyle choices.
⦁ Eating breakfast gives your brain energy
⦁ Your brain runs off of glucose – a sugar that your body can make from eating fruits and whole grains.  Skipping breakfast can make your body work harder to make glucose for your brain than if it had it readily available from breakfast.
⦁ What to eat:
⦁ Fruits but not to much because of increased sugar
⦁ Bananas, apples, oranges, strawberries, and blueberries are all great choices.  Add fresh or frozen fruit to smoothies.
⦁ Vegetables
⦁ Add veggies to an omelet, or sauté some in a skillet and add to your toast with some melted cheese on top. Be creative – make a breakfast wrap with a whole wheat tortilla add salsa, eggs, and spinach.
⦁ Whole grains like oats but not instant oats
⦁ Skip the white bread, bagels, chocolate muffins, toast, French toast, waffles, pancakes, regular muffins, and of course cereals. Whole grain options usually are high in fiber which is an important nutrient for your body.  Oatmeal is another wonderful breakfast grain. Add fruit to almost any breakfast grain for a yummy and nutritional meal.
⦁ Lean protein
⦁ Eggs are a great breakfast protein – they provide many nutrients and a satisfying protein to keep hunger away.  Free range or cage free eggs are a healthier choice because they are higher in Omega-3 fats. Turkey or chicken are other great lean protein sources.
⦁ Unpasturized Dairy is a healthy choice from a certified dairy farmer
⦁ Be cautious with yogurt. Most yogurts even so called heathy ones can be high in sugar. Read the label. We should strive to keep our sugar below 35 grams a day or 20 grams if diabetic
⦁ Cheeses can be added to breakfast to bring in some important nutrients such as calcium, potassium, B vitamins, and protein!
⦁ Leave out high sugar foods, densely packed foods, and foods whose labels list ingredients of partially hydrogenated oils, shortening or trans fats
⦁ Donuts, bagels, fruit juices, fried foods, sodas, high calorie coffee drinks, sausage, and whole milk are not good choices