Everyone knows the old cliché: “breakfast is the most important meal of the day!” However, most people don’t properly act on this, instead opting to have a very small (or no) breakfast. However, the key to starting your day off right is getting a complete breakfast. Let’s look at the science of why, and what you should be eating.
The Right Breakfast
Why It’s Important
There’s a lot to be said for the first meal of the day. Getting up on time to eat a full meal before you start your day can be a huge help for your nutrition as well as your mental health. Firstly, starting off with your largest-calorie meal of the day is a great way to set up your body with the energy it needs to take on the day. If you’re going to have a big, high-calorie meal, you should make it your first meal.
Secondly, if your first meal is your large meal, that means that you can burn off those calories throughout the day. Then, you can have a medium-sized lunch and a small-sized dinner, tapering off your calorie intake as the day goes on. But what should you be eating for breakfast? And why do certain foods taste better as breakfast foods?
Breakfast Foods
Everyone knows that there are some set staples of breakfast food. Cereals, toast, eggs, sausage, bacon and pancakes are all known for their role as breakfast staples. Why is this the case, though? They don’t taste bad for the rest of the day, so what makes them such ideal picks for breakfast food? And why do you not see people typically eating pizza or steak for breakfast?
In general, foods that are considered better breakfast options are less “intense” flavors, and tend towards sweeter or slightly savory. This is because bolder or more intense flavors tend to be less pleasing in the morning. Since you’ve got more adrenaline in your system when you wake up, it makes your senses more honed, and thus makes bolder flavors more overwhelming. As such, more muted flavors tend to be better for breakfast!
Balanced Breakfast
You’ve likely heard the term “balanced breakfast” many time, but you might not know what exactly that entails. Typically, the term “balanced breakfast” means that you’re getting enough calories and nutrition to make for a healthy day out and about. Let’s take a closer look into what kinds of things you should be eating to get a balanced breakfast.
Protein
Protein-rich foods, like sausage and eggs, are a great start. Protein is important for building and powering muscles, so getting your intake of protein in early is a great idea. That’s why it’s so common to see eggs and sausage being eaten for breakfast: they’re great nutrition and they taste great for breakfast.
Fiber
Fiber is important for regulating various bodily functions and helps to regulate the body’s use of sugars. You can find fiber in strawberries, avocado, bananas, apples and several other sources. This makes bananas and strawberries added to cereal great additions to a breakfast, as well as avocado toast! These foods are also quite tasty, and not too overpowering to be had for breakfast.
Sugars
It’s also good to get some sugars in your diet early in the day. Sugar helps you to get bursts of short-term energy, so foods like bananas, apples and strawberries can also help you get some energy to start your day. Another option is to eat cereal, many of which have tons of sugar! Just make sure you’re not eating cereal that is too sugary: too much sugar can lead to weight gain and lethargy.