Why you should never avoid breakfast

Break-the-fast, after going hours without food you, finally get up in the morning and need lots of energy to kick start the day. Only breakfast can provide you with this energy. 

If you’re of those who’re still not having your breakfast, now is the time to change that habit. Here are some extremely important reasons why!

Why you should never avoid breakfast

1. Breakfast improves your metabolism:

Your blood sugar level drops down in the morning. You need food that can provide you energy to get through the morning. Body needs fuel to keep it running and the night is the longest gap in the refuelling process. To make sure your metabolism keeps on going you need to have something within 2 hours of waking up.

2. Keeps you on track if you’re looking to lose weight:

Researchers have found that those who eat breakfast tend to maintain and lose weight. Though people skip breakfast in the hope of losing weight they tend to eat more during lunch or even choose unhealthier options later on which results into weight gain.

3. Helps to maintain insulin response:

Skipping meals leads to a hyper insulin response when calories are consumed later on. That means the level of insulin in blood is more than the glucose level which can lead to metabolic disorder. This in turn results in to fat accumulation.

Quick & Healthy Breakfast Ideas

"A healthy breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” “There’s a nearly ten-hour long gap between dinner and breakfast, during which the body is on fast mode. As the name suggests, breakfast is the meal you eat to break that fast,” “It refuels your body with essential nutrients to kick-start your day. So don’t skip it.”

Curd and fruits: There’s no denying the goodness of curd. For a smart and filling breakfast option, chop up a bunch of fruits, like bananas and apples and add them to a bowl of curd, top it up with some muesli and chopped walnuts and you’ve got yourself a quick and delicious breakfast that’s also highly nutritious.

 

Egg sandwich: Boil an egg and slice eat it on a wheat toast with a slice of tomato, some low fat cheese and lettuce and you’ve got yourself a delicious breakfast that’ll keep you going for hours.

Muesli: Ditch your regular cereals and try some muesli instead. Fortified with fruits and nuts, muesli is a healthy and convenient breakfast option. Have it with milk or curd and stay full and energised for hours.

Fruit smoothie: Improve on your basic milk shake by going in for a smoothie instead. Toss your favourite fruits like bananas, apples or pears into the mixie with a bowl of curd and a spoon of honey. Run the moxie and voila, your smoothie is ready. Delicious and filling, it’s the perfect breakfast option for the summer.

Baked beans with toast: For a break from the usual egg and toast or cheese and toast combination, try baked beans with toasted wheat bread. Super simple and filling, this breakfast gives you the right combination of protein and carbohydrates to keep you going for a long day ahead.

 

Peanut butter and wheat bread: Peanuts are rich in antioxidants and give you the instant boost of energy you need. Try some home made peanut butter and have it with whole wheat bread for a nutritious and energising breakfast.

Whole-wheat bread sandwich: If you’re a vegetarian, a simple paneer, onion, tomato and cucumber sandwich. “Spread a layer of low-fat paneer instead of cheese, as it’s a healthier option,” she stresses. A layer of grated paneer, sliced onions, cucumber and tomato, salt and pepper – and you’re ready to go. For non-vegetarians, keep some boiled, boneless chicken pieces handy. Mustard sauce or mayonnaise with boiled chicken and onions tastes fantastic, try it out today.

Cereal: warns against those sugar-coated cereals in the market. “Choose sugar-free wheat flakes or corn flakes. They pack in carbohydrates, fibre and protein,”  “add some fresh fruit or dried fruits and nuts to make it more wholesome.” Museli that combines a variety of grains and driedfruits too makes for a good option.

Daliya: “Popular up north, daliya (broken wheat) makes for an excellent breakfast option,”  Daliya is unrefined wheat, loaded with fibre and complex carbohydrates, it’s healthy and can be made in a jiffy. adding a handful of nuts to make daliya a perfect, complete breakfast.

 Dosa: “Choose a multi-grain dosa — what we call adai down south — over the regular kind,”  It packs in multiple nutrients – just what you need to jumpstart your day. However, make sure you use a non-stick pan, and less oil though.

 

Eggs: While eggs make for an excellent breakfast option for kids, adults must tread cautiously. “Get your lipid profile checked,” before you go on an egg eating spree. If your cholesterol is high, make sure you stay away from egg yolk. A good source of protein, selenium and riboflavin, egg whites are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. So beat in one or two egg whites, add some chopped veggies (cut and store in refrigerator), a pinch of turmeric, salt and red-chilli powder to taste — mix and scramble or make an omelette. “You can add a slice of brown bread, if you choose,” 

Steamed idlies: Your neighbourhood supermarket is most likely to have a stock of idli batter. Cook idlies the night before, if you’re too rushed in the morning. Eat idlies with honey, it’s yummy and won’t require additional time for making chutney or such. In the morning, microwave idlies, pour some honey and you’re ready to go.

4. Helps perform better at work/school:

Hungry employees and students don’t do any good at work/school. When you are hungry you are irritable and disinterested which reflects on your work too. Breakfast helps you to wake up and makes you attentive.

5. Burns those calories early:

If you have breakfast you can burn those calories early! How is that? Well, instead of going hungry till lunch and then hogging on something loaded with calories with fewer hours left in the day to burn it consider refuelling yourself early and getting enough time to burn those calories.

6. Aids in setting a good example:

If you have kids, you always want to set a good example for them. By having breakfast on time you will show the quality of leadership by example.

7. Gets you your essential nutrients first thing in the morning:

There are food which we have only as a part of our breakfast like cereals, fruits and milk. If you bypass your breakfast you might never get those nutrients.

8. Skipping breakfast can make you grumpy:

Oh yes! If you have been skipping breakfast and are in bad mood, you probably should know why. Not having breakfast makes you grouchy. You might not even realise it and keep wondering why you’re so irritable!
Apart from all these reasons to have your breakfast there are few things you should always keep in mind:

• Never have dessert for breakfast, it will cause blood sugar loss later on and you will be tempted to eat even more.
• Read the labels carefully, even if it says ‘nutritious’ look into the details and understand if your body needs that kind of food to start the day.

Stay full, stay happy!