Breakfast is an essential part of a successful day which starts with properly nourishing your brain and body. When you wake up in the morning, your blood sugar may be low because you haven’t eaten since the night before. So when you do eat, it’s important that your morning meal has protein, fat, complex carbs and fiber. This will let you re-fuel after a night’s rest and set you up for a day full of sustained energy. Some BIG benefits of eating this too-often-skipped meal are:
- Healthy body weight: Skipping breakfast makes it more likely for a person to crave snack foods later in the day and eat a disproportionately large supper.
- Better food choices: Breakfast is a good opportunity to take in important nutrients such as calcium, potassium and fiber. It also sets a good nutritional tone for the rest of the day. Skipping it will cause you to crave more sweets, soft drinks, as well as eat fewer vegetables and fruit.
- Happier disposition: Breakfast-skippers tend to be grumpier due to the extreme fluctuations in blood glucose levels. Skipping breakfast often makes a person feel tired, which affects one’s mood.
- Even energy throughout day: Eating enough protein at breakfast, around 15-25 grams, will allow for sustained energy throughout the day, even preventing the afternoon slump so many of us remedy with coffee.
- Healthier all around: Eating breakfast reduces likelihood of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to Dr. Mark Pereira of Harvard Medical School. A study in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that people who eat breakfast also have better blood glucose and cholesterol levels and aren’t as sensitive to insulin.
It is important to find a breakfast that satiates you and works for your schedule. If you have time for a full breakfast with eggs or sausages and veggies (and maybe sweet potatoes if you are not in a weight loss mode), that’s a great way to start the day, but if your mornings are a little more rushed a high protein smoothie or a hearty make-ahead meal might be the way to go. Overnight oats are a cinch to throw together the night before and with added protein powder, berries and nut butter added for protein and nutrients you’ll have a nourishing start to your day even on your busiest mornings. No excuses!
Overnight Oats
2/3 cup rolled oats (4 grams protein)
1 tablespoon chia seeds (2 grams protein
1 tablespoon nut or seed butter (3 grams protein)
1 cup milk or soy milk (8 extra grams of protein) or non-dairy milk (almond, hemp, coconut) – but must add protein powder
Protein powder (amount varies on how close you are to achieving 15-25 grams total)
A splash of lemon juice
Mashed fresh or frozen berries for sweetness
Toppings: other fresh fruit, chopped nuts, cacao nibs
Combine all ingredients in a jar or portable container. Mix well, cover and leave in the fridge overnight. In the morning, top with fruit, nuts or more milk as you like and GO!
Original post by Katherine, edited by Flannery. Photo credit: https://www.reference.com/food/oats-made-b7eba5dc1f7e625c