Breakfast - Get In the Habit

Overcome the reasons not to have breakfast and make it part of your day. If you're too busy in the morning, prepare as much as you can the night before. Even if you are a self professed non-breakfast eater and have been for twenty years, you are fooling yourself to think that your body does not need energy to start its day off. If you can't stomach anything first thing try something bland like a banana, yogurt or slice of whole wheat toast. Experiment until you find a healthful breakfast you can really enjoy.

 

Start small…in the beginning you may choose to eat one piece of whole wheat toast and ½ T of peanut butter. This is better than nothing and combines both a carbohydrate and a protein, which is the ideal combination. You will get used to this and will soon be able to add a piece of fruit and you can move onto other foods from there.

Look for breakfast cereals that provide at least 4 grams of fiber per serving, but make sure your choice is low in sugar (less than 10 grams per serving). Add nonfat milk and bananas, berries, or apple slices to turn that bowl of fiber into a tasty meal.

 

The three components of a breakfast are:

·         Complex Carbohydrate

·         Lean Protein Source

·         Color: whether fruit or vegetables you need some color to ensure you are taking in adequate vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds (such as antioxidants).

 

I know many of you are visual learners, so let’s look at what a healthy plate looks like visually

 

Healthy Plate

35% complex carbohydrates: whole grains based

15% proteins: beans, fish, chicken, meat, eggs

45% color: vegetables and fruits

5% healthy fats: nuts, cheese, olive oil, avocado

 

To assemble a healthy and nutritiously balanced breakfast, simply choose one item from each of the three sections below. 

Complex Carbohydrate                                        Each serving = 200 calories
2 slices whole wheat bread	1 cup Quinoa
1 cup whole grain cereal	1 large whole wheat pita
1 cup cous cous	1 large whole wheat wrap
1/3 cup oats, dry	1 medium sweet potato
2 packet instant oatmeal	1 cup brown or wild rice

Lean Protein
Each serving = 100 calories	1 extra large egg
3 oz chicken, or turkey breast	1 soy or turkey burger
6 egg whites	1 T peanut or almond butter
3 oz fish, tuna or shellfish	3 oz tofu
3 oz pork tenderloin	1/2 cup lentils
3 oz red meat, lean	1 cup cottage cheese, 1%
1/2 cup legumes	4 T hummus
Each serving = 120 calories	13 raw almonds
1 oz feta or goat cheese	8 oz nonfat yogurt
3 oz parmesan cheese	2 T cream cheese

Color                                       Each serving = 100 calories

1 medium banana  2 small nectarines, peach or 1 large apple, pear, orange

1 C grapes, kiwi or 1 ¼ C apricots, cherries, berries,  2 C watermelon, berries

2 cups cooked: asparagus, beets, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, carrots

Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, cucumber, egg plant,

kale, lettuce, marinara sauce, mushrooms, peas, peppers, spinach,

sprouts, squash (summer or winter), string beans, tomatoes, bell peppers

4 cups mixed greens

 

You can then choose 1-2 servings of Healthy Fats and Additions to add flavor to your dish:

 

Healthy Fats and Additions

each serving = 120 calories

1/4 avocado

1 T olive or flaxseed oil

7 olives

each servings = 2 T = 50 calories

Sauces: BBQ and other low fat sauces and marinades

fat free dressings, mustard, honey, pure fruit jams

Free: Fresh and Dried Herbs, use liberally

 

Angela Pifer, MSN Certified Nutritionist

www.NutritionNorthwest.com Enjoy the day to day support, structure and accountability that will finally help you meet your health goals!

www.HealthyChoicesWellnessPrograms.com New! Online Wellness Programs!

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