Eating Lighter, Eating Smarter – Breakfast

Breakfast is notoriously undervalued in our busy lifestyles. Many people either grab a quick bite before they head out for work or skip breakfast altogether. This is unfortunate, because having a healthy meal first thing in the morning is important for a number of reasons.

Breakfast Is in Many Ways
The Most Important Meal of the Day

You may think you can get by with coffee, but without a nutritious breakfast, you don’t have enough energy to start your day. When you wake up in the morning, your body has gone for up to ten hours without food, so your resources are depleted. Because your blood sugar is low, you will get ravenous within a short period of time. Eventually you won’t be able to control your hunger any longer and then reach for some comfort food that will satisfy you for the moment but won’t provide you with a lot of nutrients. It is a well-known fact that people who skip breakfast regularly find it harder to manage their weight.

For growing children, having a wholesome breakfast every day is not only crucial for their physical development but also for their ability to focus on their school work. Scientists have long known about the close connection between healthy nutrition and academic achievement at a young age.

Because many of us are so pressed for time, sitting down for a leisurely breakfast is often limited to weekends and holidays. Also, having to prepare elaborate dishes in the early morning hours is not always an inviting prospect. So, you may be tempted to opt for something simple, like cereals, pancakes or waffles. These are not necessarily bad choices, but you also want to be smart about your ingredients and preparation techniques.

More than other meals, breakfast choices are a highly personal matter. Most of us have favorites, some of which go back to childhood. There is no point in messing with that – and there is also no need to. None of my clients have to worry about having to switch from pancakes to, let’s say, seaweed omelettes. Yet, a few modifications can improve the health benefits of almost any dish, including the one you love the most. Here is how it works:

Breakfast at home
Waffles or French toast with syrup, bacon and fruit are breakfast favorites in many families. Both are easy to prepare and kids love them too. For a lighter version of French toast, you may want to consider egg whites only or egg substitute instead of regular eggs. Cutting back on butter and using low-cal syrup instead of the regular version makes also a considerable dent. Turkey bacon is much leaner than regular bacon. None of this diminishes taste or texture but saves you plenty of unnecessary calories and fat.

A quick but healthy breakfast choice is granola with yogurt and fruit. But choose your granola and yogurt carefully. The differences between regular, low-fat and non-fat can be substantial.

For a more elaborate dish on weekends, you may decide on serving an omelette. Veggie omelettes give you plenty of nutrients and the eggs are a good source of protein. Using egg whites or egg substitute will not only let you cut back on calories and fat but also on cholesterol, which only exists in the yoke.

The charts below allow you to compare a number of selected breakfast items by calories and fat content. As you can see, the potential savings can be considerable.
Breakfast on the go
On days when you absolutely have no time to make breakfast at home, there is always a Starbucks® or a McDonald’s® somewhere on your way. If you have an urge for caffeine, there are many choices available, some of which are more caloric than others. A “Caffe Latte” may hit the spot, but you may want to keep your calorie intake within limits and go with the non-fat version. Perhaps, a breakfast sandwich calls your name. Even at the coffee shop you can find healthier alternatives, like a veggie wrap.

Speaking of veggies: Many fast food places have discovered that offering healthier choices can bring in new customers who would normally not patronize their kind of restaurant. Ever heard of a veggie-cheese omelette made with eggbeaters? It’s available at a Dennys® near you. And even McDonald’s® is trying harder these days to give you more value, not just for your money but for the nutritional quality of your food as well. It’s a start.