- Why is it so important to eat breakfast?
- What is the ideal breakfast?
- 3 ideas for a healthy breakfast
The first meal after waking up is the most important because it allows us to face the day with the right energy. Skipping breakfast is wrong but it is also wrong to have a poor and not very nutritious breakfast. To be clear, having just a coffee and leaving the house or consuming cappuccino and brioche is not one of the ideal breakfasts. In fact, opting to eat foods rich in refined fats and sugars detracts from digestion and the organs of the gastrointestinal system, overloading them with toxins.
The first breakfast should be the most important meal while dinner should be the lightest. Many people do the opposite, burdening themselves at night before going to bed with a light dinner because they are driven by hunger. In this way they compromise the quality of sleep and do not follow the body's physiology.
Traditional Chinese medicine holds that every functional system of the body reaches its maximum activity at a certain time of the day and at another time its activity is the lowest. The functional systems of the stomach and spleen are very active and full of energy between 7 and 11 a.m., while they are weakest between 7 and 11 p.m. at night.
The digestive process requires a lot of energy. To be implemented; this energy is concentrated during the first half of the day and decreases from the afternoon until late at night. That is why the saying "a king eats breakfast, a prince eats lunch and a pauper eats dinner" is well known.
Why is it so important to eat breakfast?
A skipped or deficient breakfast has several consequences that we may ignore or underestimate. When your stomach is empty or half-empty, a nervous hunger arises mid-morning that prompts you to eat anything. Often, at lunch, your appetite is reduced and you do not eat as you should.
A poor or non-existent breakfast slows down your metabolism. If you don't eat the right amount of food early in the morning, your metabolism stops. If the first meal of the day is based on coffee, gastric juices, stimulated by this drink, trigger inflammatory phenomena that, over time, irritate the digestive tract and make digestion heavy.
Finally, the cappuccino and brioche breakfast is difficult to digest and leads, over time, to weight gain. In addition, brioches are generally rich in saturated fats and refined sugars and lead to an increase in blood sugar.
What is the ideal breakfast?
As already mentioned, there is no perfect standard breakfast recommended for everyone. Several variables need to be considered. What is certain is that there are guidelines, which can, if desired, be customized taking into account gender, age and physical activity. First we must consider that breakfast should represent a good percentage of the total energy intake to be taken during the day, equivalent to about 20% of total calories.
In general terms, for a healthy and nutritious breakfast it is recommended to take 60% of carbohydrates and the rest, in equal parts, of proteins and fats. In this way, the first meal of the day becomes a complete meal. You should carefully choose the right foods to start the day without overloading the body with toxins. In addition, it is advisable to change breakfast periodically.
So is a sweet or savory breakfast better? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Everyone's lifestyle, work and personal tastes must be considered. For example, those who practice sports or those who do manual labor may opt for a salty breakfast, while those who work more than intellect may benefit from a sweet breakfast, the important thing is that the first meal of the day is healthy and balanced.
✗ Foods not recommended in the morning.
First of all, it is necessary to eliminate foods that suddenly raise blood sugar from breakfast; that is why it is best to avoid milk, refined sugars and saturated fats.
Butter is not a good food to start the day because it is rich in saturated fats. The jam we consume should be checked; first check what kind of sugar has been added to it, then remember that industrial jams go through sterilization processes that impoverish the vitamin content of the fruit. If possible, opt for a homemade jam.
✓ What to eat for breakfast: recommended foods.
Let's look at some general advice below on what to eat for breakfast to prepare a good, healthy and nutritious meal.
- Cow's milk can be replaced by yogurts rich in lactic ferments or by vegetable milks of rice, soy, oat, almond, coconut, etc.;
- Granola or whole grain flakes (such as oat flakes) are fine as cereals. You can also opt for homemade cookies low in sugar and saturated fat;
- For savory breakfast you can opt for eggs, smoked salmon, tuna, beans or bresaola, all foods that also provide a good amount of protein;
- A serving of fruit is ideal to accompany any type of breakfast, sweet or savory. Choose what you like and try to eat seasonal fruits;
- You can eat whole wheat bread with honey (possibly organic and unpasteurized so as not to lose the nutritional principles) or homemade jam;
- Homemade pancakes can be a good option to introduce protein at breakfast;
- In addition to pancakes, protein for a sweet breakfast can be obtained from soy milk, yogurt or soy yogurt;
- Almonds and walnuts are rich in essential fatty acids (Omega 3 and Omega 6), so they are useful to start the day. They can accompany sweet and savory breakfasts.
3 ideas for a healthy breakfast
Here are three particular recipes, different from the usual ones, to start the day in the best way.
1 A breakfast without coffee
Coffee is exciting and often creates acidity, so you can opt for it. alternative infusions such as Rooibos, African red tea, caffeine-free and low in tannins, therefore naturally sweet. It can also be drunk by children. It goes well with a breakfast of whole grain biscuits, spread with tahini or sesame cream, a fruit and honey. The flavor is excellent and the nutritional contribution is very balanced.
2 Ginger infusion first thing in the morning
To start the day with lots of energy and without acidity and heaviness, you can opt for the infusion of ginger, which has invigorating, energizing and stimulating properties very useful in the morning. is great to accompany the savory breakfast based on wholemeal bread with scrambled eggs or smoked salmon. In the vegan version, it can be served with toast filled with tofu cream and small pieces of vegetables. Combine also a portion of your favorite fruit.
3 Breakfast with vegetable milks and mixed cereals
There are different types of plant-based milk, so it would be best to alternate them to ensure you get different nutrients throughout the week. They go well with cereal for a nutritious but light breakfast. Different types of cereals can also be used here, such as corn, rice, spelt, barley, quinoa, flakes and puffs. Often one type is used at a time, however, it is possible (in fact, recommended) to mix them all together. Also in this case, add a portion of fruit, which provides vitamins, fiber and minerals important for health. In addition, always with vegetable drinks, we can preparechia pudding , to be consumed at breakfast. For more information, read our article: Chia pudding: 3 quick and easy recipes to make chia pudding.
Starting the day on the right foot
Start by eating energetic and abundant food. contributes to maintaining an excellent state of psycho-physical health and to prevent diseases. In addition, it keeps overweight at bay and avoids glycemic peaks, helping in the prevention of diabetes. In addition, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia are prevented, keeping the body healthy. Start the day with the perfect breakfast supports the body, but not only, it fills us with energy and good mood.
