I wrote this article for a local magazine recently that was interested in my take on healthy breakfast ideas and I wanted to share it with you in case it’s just what you needed to hear…
Why is a healthy breakfast so important?
As school reopens, it’s a good time to be reminded of why healthy breakfasts are important and why cereals are really just — “puffed up nothing.”
We have all heard the saying: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Why is this? All meals are important, it’s just that breakfast is the first meal of the day after the body has rested, digested, and rejuvenated itself during the night.
Breakfast, therefore, is the first opportunity to nourish the body with the essential micronutrients necessary for healthy brain and body development, focus and concentration, and enough energy for playtime.
Cereals are a quick fix, but lack nutrients
Now, a nutrient-dense breakfast does not come in a packet. Never has and never will! Nutrients are best absorbed in their natural state, so highly processed, puffed, cracked, flaked cereals with added sugars just do not cut it. They have been fortified with nutrients and yes they are easy and quick, but they just do not provide enough wholesome goodness.
When you think about the fact that breakfast is usually eaten at 6-7 a.m. and school recess might not be until 10:30-11 a.m., a good breakfast needs to have fats, proteins, and carbohydrates to provide sustained energy release; otherwise, energy levels and learning can suffer.
If your breakfast is nutrient-packed, it reduces the energy slumps, cravings, and low blood sugar issues often present in those who don’t eat breakfast or do not eat enough of the right breakfasts.
Swap the cereal for nutrient-dense breakfasts
So what about the time and money issues? You just need a few varied recipes you can learn by heart, rotate weekly and seasonally, and you can make them in a timeframe that works for you and your family. Better yet, teach your kids how to make their own nutrient-dense breakfasts.
Here are a few of my favorite healthy breakfast ideas to replace the old cereal or vegemite on toast.
Healthy breakfast ideas
· Egg and spinach fried rice (leftover rice for this)
· Rice pudding with sultanas, chia, and coconut on top (leftover rice)
· Toasted pesto, spinach, red onion, and tomato wrap
· Chia and banana pikelets with fresh berries
· Omelettes or scrambled eggs with veggies
· Chia seed pudding
Prepared breakfast that you can just defrost or reheat
· Raw food cheesecake (one slice goes a long way to filling you up)
· Apple or other fruit crumble served with yogurt of choice
· Frittata or tortilla heated up or eaten cold
· Banana and coconut bread heated up
And if it’s all going to be too much or the morning is going pear-shaped, then…
Healthy breakfast ideas on the go (fast and easy)
·Smoothie of choice (loaded with your favorite goodies, banana, LSA, chia, coconut oil, bee pollen, green powders)
·Avocado, egg, nut butter, cottage cheese, or mushrooms all make great protein and fat-filled alternatives to go on top of your favorite whole grain or sourdough toast of choice.
If you are interested in more breakfast ideas, then click here for my downloadable breakfast ideas poster.
Happy breakfasting.
Article by Sarah Lees-Barton, nutritionist and alternative health practitioner, coach, speaker, educator, permaculturist, kitchen garden expert, eco-lifestyle expert, mother, wife, and lover of the good life (all things green and good people).
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