With breakfast being the most important meal of the day, it only seems right to highlight what constitutes a good and healthy breakfast containing many of the essential nutrients in foods.
Breakfast seems like an inconvenience to many people, taking up valuable time in the morning that they could be having that extra bit of sleep, or being a potential obstacle that could make them late for work or school. The same people probably don't see lunch and dinner as such an intrusion though do they? The main reason for that is because having skipped breakfast they are probably half starving by the time they come around! How do you think that your body is going to be fueled for the day ahead if you don't get some breakfast inside you?
You do not have to spend an hour in the kitchen cooking something for breakfast, in fact you don't really even have to eat it at home, it is something that can be started at home and also eaten on the journey ahead of you. Something like a banana is a well known Vitamin C food, high potassium food and also contains fiber, vitamin B6 and also manganese, it can be eaten at home or on the moved, and picked up just about anywhere.
One of the key things about breakfast, other than fueling your body for the morning ahead, is that it should include foods that are going to satisfy your hunger until your next meal, and prevent you from becoming hungry soon after and ending up snacking to combat this.
Here is a quick and easy solution to what a good breakfast is that anybody can memorise and get into the habit of eating:
What you need in your breakfast
I am now going to explain what the essential nutrients in foods are that you require at breakfast time, and some examples of where you will get them from.
Vitamins - There are plenty of vitamin C foods that you can enjoy at breakfast such as watermelon, oranges and orange juice. Vitamin B12 can be gotten through eating yogurt and drinking milk. Vitamins D and E can be obtained through eating eggs, and vitamin A from organic butter eggs and yogurt.
Minerals - The three essential minerals that you need more of than the remaining trace minerals are potassium, magnesium and calcium. Potassium can be easily consumed at breakfast time through eating high potassium foods such as a banana, an apple, or some raisins. You can cut these fruits up and add them to a healthy bowl of whole grain cereal. Calcium can be obtained from a glass of milk, or other calcium rich foods such as yogurt and oatmeal. Magnesium rich foods include apples, whole milk, cereals, and seeds such as sunflower seeds.
Fiber - A bowl of whole grain cereal can get you a great dose of fiber at breakfast time.
Protein - Bananas and various other fruits such as apples, raisins and oranges contain protein and can be eaten on the move.
Carbohydrates - If you have whole wheat toast the carbohydrates gained with be complex carbohydrates, they will be broken down slower and there will be a steady release of glucose, you insulin levels will remain steady, and you will end up feel fuller for longer.
Now that you are aware of all of the nutritious components of a nutritious breakfast, what is a good breakfast that is quick and easy to make?
Here is an example breakfast for you that should not take long at all to prepare. I think we can all afford ourselves 15-20 minutes for breakfast in the morning, even if it does mean setting that alarm just a little bit earlier.
* Banana - Potassium, protein and fiber
* Whole grain toast with organic butter on - Carbs and Vitamin A
* Boiled egg - Vitamin D and E
* A bowl of whole grain cereal with raisins on - Fiber, potassium and protein
* A glass of whole milk - Calcium, magnesium and Vitamin B12
* A glass of orange juice - Vitamin C, protein
The above example of a good, nutritious breakfast is something that even the most amateur of the people in the kitchen can make, and it should not take very long at all to prepare. You could always get a carton or bottle of orange juice to eat on the move with the banana if you wanted as well.
Why do we need breakfast?
Well other than as one of three main meal opportunities a each day to get all of the essential nutrients in foods that you need, it is also critical for the following reasons:
* Breakfast fuels you until your next meal
* Breakfast will reduce you feeling hungry and snacking on unhealthy foods
* Breakfast will prevent tiredness caused by hunger
* Breakfast will help to regulate your insulin levels that will have dropped while you were asleep
* Breakfast will aid your concentration throughout the morning
As you can see there really are several important reasons that you should know what a good breakfast is, and make sure that you eat it each and every day.
For those of you are on a diet and want to consume less calories, it is important to remember that skipping breakfast is not the answer to cutting calories out. If you do that then you will only end up eating more due to increased hunger levels at meals later in the day, or giving into the temptation of snacking before another mealtime comes around.
For more ideas for breakfast foods that contain all of the essential nutrients that your body needs, check out my website www.vitamins-minerals-in-food.com .
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