- Eat Protein for Power
Have protein at every meal—including breakfast—and as part of every snack. Because protein is digested slowly, it will give you the benefit of a steady, sustained rise in blood sugar, rather than the rapid rise and fall that comes from sugary foods. "Protein at every meal also helps with satiety, so you're less likely to overeat," Zelman explains. Eggs and dairy, such as fat-free or low-fat milk or yogurt, are obvious morning choices, but also consider nuts, which are loaded with healthy fats, as well as beans, a fantastic fat-free source of fiber. Other options include protein powder and tofu. For the most protein in each bite, try Greek yogurt or other strained yogurts, which are more concentrated than regular yogurt. (Learn to make your own regular and Greek-style homemade yogurt.)
- Consider Eggs
Eggs were once considered the ultimate evil breakfast food due to their cholesterol content, but these days, "even the American Heart Association says an egg a day is OK if you are healthy," notes Zelman. (If you have health problems, such as elevated cholesterol, talk to your doctor about including eggs in your diet.) The amount of cholesterol in the average egg has actually gone down over the years, possibly thanks to changes in chicken feed, "but more important than that," says Zelman, "is studies have shown convincingly that it's not dietary cholesterol that increases your blood cholesterol, it's the amount of saturated fat. And eggs are low in saturated fat." She takes the long view, measuring the AHA's egg-a-day allowance over the course of a week, so it's fine to eat, say, two eggs every other day rather than one each day. And while egg whites are a good source of protein and can be used to stretch a dish, such as an omelet, it's the yolk that contains some of the most healthful ingredients, including vitamin D, choline, lutein, selenium, and folate.
- Stay Satisfied with Fiber
"People have such a hard time getting fiber into their diets," says Zelman, but "breakfast tends to be a really good time to do that." Fiber from nuts, fruit, vegetables, beans, whole grains such as oatmeal, and some packaged cereals and breads is good not only for overall well-being (including digestive and heart health), it also helps you to feel full. If you're buying packaged foods, look past the marketing lingo and check labels to make sure whole—as in whole wheat—is the first word.
- Jump-Start Your Recommended Servings
In addition to being an optimal meal for fiber, breakfast is a great time to incorporate some of your other USDA daily recommended servings, including dairy and fruits and vegetables. For example, it's easy and tasty to have cereal with milk or yogurt, and you can add fruit to just about anything, and pack precooked vegetables into omelets, frittatas, and scrambled eggs. "With a nutritious breakfast, you can easily knock off a serving of whole grain, dairy, protein, and fruit," says Zelman. "It really helps you get a jump on the nutrients that you need for the rest of the day."
- Think Outside the Cereal Box
Don't be afraid to mix it up at breakfast time! Zelman finds that people tend to limit themselves too much: "For lunch and dinner, anything goes, but in my opinion, anything goes at breakfast, too." An easy way to expand your breakfast options is to incorporate last night's dinner—chicken and rice, a bowl of soup, avocado spread on toast, or a sandwich with hummus or turkey—into your morning meal.
- Eat Enough
While the old adage that you should eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch, and a pauper at dinner might be a bit extreme, Zelman says a quarter to a third of your calories should ideally be consumed at breakfast: "The theory there is that if you have your biggest meal first, you have the rest of the day to burn it off." In fact, she favors a 30/30/30/10 distribution, with 30 percent of calories at each meal and 10 percent for snacks. If you're not much of a breakfast person—or if most of your activity comes later in the day and you'd like to save more calories for snacks—don't feel like you have to overdo it first thing in the morning. Zelman's recommendations for small yet nutritious breakfasts include an egg with a piece of whole-grain toast; a bowl of cereal with low-fat milk and fruit; oatmeal with nuts; Greek yogurt with nuts and berries; a smoothie; toast with peanut butter or nut butter; and whole-grain pancakes with fruit. Another strategy for those who aren't hungry first thing in the morning is to divide up breakfast, eating a bit when you wake, and then refueling a little later after exercise or to get you over a midmorning energy slump.
- Keep an Eye on Calories
To eat nutritiously, select foods with quality calories, not empty ones. It may be tempting to reach for sugary scones, muffins, and doughnuts, or fast-burning carbs like white bread and bagels, but "a muffin or doughnut is not a good breakfast! They are not good sources of protein or fiber." And when it comes to nutty granola, use it as a topping rather than eating an entire bowl of it, Zelman cautions.
Another way to pare down calories is by limiting them in your drinks: Don't load your coffee with sugar and cream, and keep juice to 4 ounces or less. Even some healthy ingredients—nuts, olive oil, and avocado—have a lot of calories, so use them judiciously, and keep an eye on the total number of calories consumed over the course of the day to keep your weight in check.
When you eat a healthy and energy-boosting breakfast, you lay the foundation for a productive, nutritious, and weight-wise day. Doable challenge? Done!
Original Source, "Doable Challenge #1: Get a Healthy Breakfast Boost" by Megan O. Steintrager, Epicurious.com
Best Teen Diets recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens. For more information visit www.bestteendiets.org
