Whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables are all great breakfast choices (meglet127 / Creative Commons).

“National Breakfast Month” supposedly resulted from the efforts of many school districts to promote the importance of breakfast, encouraging their students to eat a meal at the beginning of the day. Studies have shown that eating breakfast improved students’ academic performance; thus, a period honoring the “most important meal of the day” coincided perfectly with the traditional “back to school” month of September. Even today, organizations like the School Breakfast Program keep the campaign going by providing reduced-price and free breakfasts to eligible children. 

According to health experts and research, there are many advantages to eating a meal at the beginning of the day, rather than skipping breakfast and waiting until lunch. After a night of sleep (and fasting), breakfast is the perfect boost your body needs to start the day. Studies have shown that people who skip breakfast—or who don’t eat a nutritious breakfast—tend to overeat later in the day. Breakfast has also been shown to increase energy levels.

What you choose to eat for breakfast also often makes a big difference in your day. Eating fruits in the morning—like incorporating strawberries, bananas or pineapples into a yogurt parfait—can bring you closer to the suggested two to four servings of fruits per day. Incorporating veggies like tomatoes and spinach into an omelet can also help with your vegetable intake (recommended three to five servings per day). Whole-grain breads, oats and cereals are nutritious and will give you longer-lasting energy. Lean proteins, like fish or eggs, are also healthy breakfast choices. 

Consequently, choosing the wrong types of foods for breakfast could make you feel hungry sooner or cause peaks in your blood sugar levels and energy. Choosing pastries or sugary cereals may leave you feeling temporarily full in the morning, but these foods do not contain many essential nutrients your body needs. Drinks and foods with high sugar levels could lead to a “sugar slump,” making your energy level rise and fall quickly and causing you to feel drained and hungry mid-day. 

Always off to a late start in the mornings or constantly eating on the go? Here are some quick and easy breakfast recipes you can whip up in no time. 

Reach Kelli Shiroma here.