Why is a Breakfast so important

Even the name says it – break the fast – however we often skip the most important meal of the day mostly due to lack of time.

Studies show that people who eat breakfast are more alert and perform better at work or in studying than people who skip breakfast.

One study, published in the journal “Metabolism” in 2007, found that when otherwise healthy people skipped meals throughout the day, but ultimately consumed greater amounts of food when they did sit down for a meal, they were at risk for dangerous metabolic changes. These metabolic changes — including elevated fasting glucose and delayed insulin response — could not only be factors for weight gain, but a dangerous precursor to diabetes.

As a parent, it’s good to set an example. By skipping breakfast, your children will think it’s perhaps not essential to start the day with a healthy source of fuel for our bodies. Breakfast doesn’t have to be a big affair, but it is also important to make it a habit so your little ones will be way ahead of the game too.

I don’t really like to ban my clients from eating certain things however I always try to highlight and promote the ‘good stuff’.

In my opinion breakfast should be a meal that keeps you going until lunchtime and something also that you enjoy. Each person’s body metabolises food differently and it can vary from person to person which food group keeps certain you fuller for longer. I know that for me a high fat meal is what energises me best and the way I know it is through trial and error.

It’s well known that busy mums sometimes get their morning fix on the run which is often unavoidable but there are some tricks you can use.

It’s very easy to trust and believe that cereal bars are a healthy choice however if you think a cereal bar with high sugar is a healthy choice, you might have been fooled by the clever marketing of the breakfast bar industry. Some cereal bars contain nearly as much sugar and fat as a regular chocolate bar and leave you hungry soon after. There are really good smoothies available on the market which are a great choice, however nothing beats a good old homemade smoothie.

My job is quite physically demanding which I think a lot of mums can relate to so I came up with a very satisfying smoothie which makes me last all the way up to lunchtime and all it takes is 5 minutes to make:

Put all the following in the blender and whizz for 1 minute.

1 cup of coconut milk
1/2 cup of water
1/2 avocado
4/5 strawberries
1/2 banana
1/4 cup of oats
1/4 cup of walnuts

I usually have a varied breakfast repertoire and alternate between sweet and savoury tastes depending on what I feel like eating but I also asked two of my clients to share their favourite morning recipes:

Fiona’sfavourite breakfast is gluten free toast with scrambled egg and smoked salmon. She uses the Genius brand of gluten free bread, having tried a few and finding this one tastes best for her when toasted. Eggs are a good source of protein and the salmon contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12. If you don’t like smoked salmon then bacon medallions with the fat removed or sliced good quality ham could act as a replacement but it is important to keep an eye on the levels of salt within processed meats.

Donna tried various combinations of granola and yogurt and found that a small pot of natural yoghurt with 5-7 tablespoon of Nutty Granola is what really kept her full so she could deal with not just the morning school run but also a training session too.