When talking about the food that we eat for breakfast and how we eat it, this can have a significant effect on how we feel through the rest of the day. Ensuring that you have enough food in the morning and eating slowly to assist your digestion allows for the best start to your day.
Many of us will have opted towards more of a ‘grab and go’ type breakfast that is focused around what is convenient and easy to do in the morning. This trend has changed over the last few generations with many of our grandparents tending towards more of a cooked breakfast. The switch has been driven by a few factors, that we will explore in a bit more depth.
Daily food routines:
We tend to slow and have bigger meals when we have the time to cook and enjoy them. For most households this is more after the day of work has finished. This is lead to the largest meal of the day being the one for dinner or later in the day.
When we get into any health pattern we have to stop and think about if it serves our health. If we are having our largest meal towards the end of the day then this affects other areas of our health. We suffer with the amount of energy that we have during the day (which is lower as there is less fuel available for us), our sleep quality is not as good as it could be (as our digestion is working when it would ideally be resting) and we have a tendency towards weight gain.
Did you know… that it is not written anywhere that you must have cereal or toast for breakfast? Some of the cereals on the market might even be the worst thing you can have for breakfast!
Duel income households:
With our grandparents being the last generations to commonly have one person stay at home to where both people in a relationship working it means that priorities shift. Many of us are often in a rush to get out of the door in the morning not realising the importance of fuelling our body for the day.
When we eat a great breakfast, it sets our blood sugar levels to be more balanced through the rest of the day. This means that we are more able to be emotional balanced and make better food choices through the rest of the day.
Here are 3 simple things you can look for when it comes to breakfast:
Minimal refined foods (keeping sugars to a minimum and less things out of packets where you can)
Add some protein (this might be from eggs, nuts and seeds, or even from animal sources)
Sneak some vegetables in (with nearly 70% of the population not even getting to 5 vege and 2 fruit on a daily basis getting some plant matter in early is a great way to put a win on the board early)