Week One Day Two - Importance of Breakfast

Congratulations on making it to day TWO of your healthy lifestyle journey.


Today I want to hit on the importance of breakfast. If you begin to view your body and metabolism like a slow burning fire you will understand why you need breakfast. When you let that fire slowly burn overnight (6-9 hours) it’s going to be starving for fuel come morning. If you don’t fuel it (with food) it won’t operate at peak performance. So, rev up your metabolism in the morning and start your day off right by eating a nutritious breakfast. If you workout in the morning and can stomach it, go ahead and eat before your workout. It’s best to have SOME food in the body to fuel your workout, even if it’s half of a banana or a quick piece of whole grain toast.

Below I have given you some breakfast ideas. If you’re anything like me, your brain doesn’t really wake up until mid morning, so I try to make breakfast as simple as possible.

Eggs (one or two egg yolks aren’t bad for you… especially if you get the eggs fortified with omega-3, because that’s where the omega 3 is found!). I usually scramble two whole eggs (Land-O-Lakes fortified with Omega 3) and mix in some egg beaters for added protein. I scramble them up (if I am in a real time pinch, I microwave them). Top with some salsa or ¼ cup cheddar cheese, and you have a great breakfast! Approx. 275 calories and 17g of protein, with 0 g sugar, and 0 g fiber.

Whole Grain Toast with Peanut Butter and Honey (Oro Wheat Double Fiber, one slice, 1Tbs. Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter, and ½ Tbs honey) Approximately 200 calories, 11g protein, 8g fiber, and 11g sugar.

Bowl Kashi Cinnamon Harvest Cereal. When looking for a breakfast cereal aim for one with less than 10g of sugar per serving. This particular cereal has 9g of sugar per serving, 5g of Fiber, 6g Protein, and 180 calories. Pair this cereal with a cup of skim milk and the total nutritional breakdown is: 260 calories, 14g protein, 5g fiber, and 20g sugar.

Our Registered Dietitian, Karen Kuzma has written a wonderful blog post about incorporating steel-cut oats as a breakfast option. Look for that post tomorrow!

-Sara