Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It can be a good source of vitamins and minerals and will kick start your body’s metabolism.
It’s important for adults as well as for children so if you’ve got a busy day ahead, make sure you’ve given your body the fuel it needs to get you through.
Some people now believe that children who eat a proper breakfast are more likely to do well at school. The lower levels of blood sugar that exist following a night’s sleep have been linked to poor concentration and reduced ability to learn.
A healthy breakfast should include as many of the main food groups as possible. We’ve put together some healthy balance tips to help you get it right.
- Wholegrain cereals, bread or bagels give you energy from carbohydrates and fill you up.
- Grab fruit or a fruit juice for vitamins and minerals. This can count towards your target 5 a day.
- Milk, low fat cheese or yoghurts provide calcium, vitamins and other minerals.
- Protein will come from dairy, eggs, meat, fish or pulses.
Slept in, late for school, leaves on the line, the dog ate my homework… whatever your excuse, it’s still possible to have a healthy breakfast on the run.
- Any fresh fruit is good.
- Grab a bagel or wholegrain roll to eat on the go.
- Cereal bars can be OK if you check the sugar level and look at the recommended Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA).
If you fancy something a bit different
- Try a raisin and cinnamon bagel with a little cottage cheese on top. Add a sprinkling of nuts for added flavour.
- Combine it with a fruit juice or a slice of melon to start on your 5 a day.
Balance:
There may be days when an English fry-up can be too hard to resist. As long as its not every day that’s OK. Here are some tips to minimise the amount of fat.
- Lose the frying pan!
- Choose lean bacon and grill it.
- Cook the egg in the microwave in a mug of water or poach it.
- Use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk in your scrambled eggs.
- Choose low fat yoghurts, fromage frais, cheese or beans for more protein.
Having some breakfast is better than having none at all, so don’t skip it!
Bananas are the most popular fruit eaten at breakfast.
