Get ready to start your day with the right foot!

By Maria Vallasciani.

Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day…Why?…Breakfast is literally breaking the fast that your body is in from the night before. Consuming an early snack increases the metabolic rate and provides the starting fuel for the day. When people skip breakfast, their bodies tend to hold onto the following meal as long as possible instead of burning it right away, therefore depositing more fat in their bodies. In addition, those who skip breakfast tend to consume more food than usual in the following meal and tend to snack on high calorie foods to avoid hunger.

Now that our kids are going back to school, it is important to give them every day a healthy breakfast that can provide the quantity and quality of nutrients to have energy to start their day.  But how many people know what does a healthy breakfast mean?  A healthy breakfast should be balanced and it should provide:

1-     Whole Grains: provide complex carbohydrates for energy and dietary fiber for improved digestion. In addition, fiber helps to control blood glucose. Examples of whole grain sources include whole grain bagels or tortillas, whole grain pancakes, and whole grain cereals.

2-     Low-Fat Dairy: provide calcium, necessary bones and teeth growth and maintenance. They also provide protein for cellular repair. Examples of low-fat dairy products include low-fat cheese, skim milk, and fat-free yogurt. For those who are lactose intolerance, soy milk products can be consumed.

3-     Lean Proteins: choose lean meat products that are low in saturated fat, such as turkey or white-chicken meat. Alternatives include meat replacements, such as tofu or seitan.

4-     Fruits and Vegetables: add vitamins and minerals for optimal health. They can be added to smoothies or mixed in yogurt or cereal.

5-     Egg Whites:  are a good source of protein, without adding saturated fat and cholesterol to your meals

Below you can find some breakfast options for the first week of school…try them and provide the energy that your kids needs to perform good at school!

1-     Fruit and cheese, topped with walnuts.

2-     Peanut Butter waffle and raisins.

3-     Fruit smoothie with milk or yogurt.

4-     Cereal with yogurt or milk and blueberries.

5-     Oatmeal with almonds and blueberries.

6-     Grapefruit with whole-wheat toast and almond butter.

7-     Fresh fruit salad.

8-     Cottage cheese and fruit

9-     Loaded omelet and turkey.

10-  Banana with peanut butter or almond butter.