A nutritious breakfast sets you up for the rest of the day and supports good health because it:
- helps us to maintain a healthy weight by kick-staring our metabolism and getting your body to burn more energy
- provides the fuel for energy – giving you strength and endurance
- helps concentration and improves problem-solving ability
- helps you get all the nutrients you need over a day
- fills you up with nutritious foods and helps you avoid higher fat and sugar foods later in the day
- helps improve eye-hand coordination
- helps you be more alert and creative
- stabilises your blood sugar levels
- is vital for a healthy digestive tract
- gives you time to sit down and gather your thoughts before racing ahead with the day
- there are absolutely delicious foods to eat!
The trick to a good breakfast is to think outside the box – don’t just think of cereal, it often has way too much sugar and salt and a bunch of preservatives and colours, and most of them are really boring (just a sugar hit!). Have a variety of things, hot or cold or room temperature; fruit based or eggs or rice. Check out what other cultures have for breakfast and be inspired to have some chicken and rice congee or baked eggs.
Here are some suggestions for a healthy breakfast
Start the day with a glass of warm water with lemon juice squeezed into it. Ideally, have this about half an hour before you eat breakfast
- Fresh fruit salad plus natural yoghurt plus LSA (ground linseed, sunflowers and almond in the ratio of 3:2:1. It is available from health food stores or supermarkets. LSA should be kept in the fridge once ground, so always but it from a supplier who has it refrigerated. Alternatively, you can make your own in a coffee grinder.) Use 1-2 tablespoons.
- Pancakes made with buckwheat flour and served with strawberries, banana or other fruit of your choice. (Buckwheat is not related to wheat and can be used if you have an intolerance or allergy to wheat. Buckwheat also has lots of flavonoids which are useful to maintain healthy blood vessels.)
- A bowl of rice with fruit, cinnamon, nutmeg and LSA or chopped nuts. You might like to add some goats or cow’s milk yoghurt or almond or rice milk as well.
- Porridge cooked with fruits and nuts of your choice. You could try dried apple, dates, sultanas, banana, almonds, cinnamon or nutmeg. Serve with rice, cows or almond milk. Porridge can be made from oats, spelt, rye, quinoa or amaranth
- Muesli with fresh fruit, yoghurt, nuts or LSA
- Poached or soft boiled eggs on wholemeal/wholegrain toast; tomato & herb omelette
- Shakshouka; eggs poached or baked in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, capsicum and onions, often spiced with cumin
- Toast (of sourdough or multgrain bread) with interesting and nutritious toppings. You could try tomatoes, avocado, mushrooms, sardines, fresh peanut butter
- Homemade baked beans or dahl and rice
- Homemade low-fat wholemeal muffins, for example apple, oats & cinnamon muffins, cranberry oats muffins or blueberry muffins. Or try grain-free muffins, using coconut flour instead
- Smoothies made with natural yoghurt (with live cultures) and/or soy, rice, almond milk and fruit
- Try a spicy soup like pho or bun bo Hue – my favourite!
- Legumes and veges, for example sweet potato and chilli hash, adzuki beans and pumpkin (with loads of ginger)
What are some other ideas?
