While it is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you also need to make sure that it is a healthy meal. For adults, the advantages of having a healthy breakfast include the reduction of cholesterol, which results in a decrease in the risk of heart disease; weight control; better concentration and productivity; less consumption of cholesterol and fat; and more consumption of vitamins and minerals. For children and adolescents, the advantages of a healthy breakfast include better concentration, creativity, alertness and problem-solving skills; a more physically active body; and less missed school days.
The basic components of a healthy breakfast are fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, low-fat protein, and whole grains. Fruits and vegetables must be fresh and you may include fruit juices but without any sugar added. Low-fat dairy foods include low-fat cheeses, low-fat yogurt, and skim milk. Low-fat protein sources include lean cuts of poultry and meat, peanut butter, hard-boiled eggs, and fish. For whole grains, you can eat crackers, low-fat bran muffins, whole-grain cereals, and whole-grain rolls.
Dry cereals can be used for a healthy breakfast but you need to read the nutrition label to check on the ingredients. Some of the important items that you can check when you read the label are calories, sugar, and fiber. You may want to choose cereals that have lower than 120 calories for each serving. The presence of sugar does not necessarily mean that food in unhealthy but it is desirable not to have more than 13 grams of sugar for each serving. Meanwhile, the minimum amount of fiber for each serving should be three grams. Do not forget to add skim or low-fat milk and some fruit. And if you are in a hurry, you can try eating some cereal bars but remember to drink low-fat milk or yogurt and eat a bit of fruit.
Other examples of foods for a healthy breakfast include cold cereal with a side of fruit, some vegetable pizza, whole-wheat pita with hard-boiled eggs, cold cereal with a bit of fruit, cooked oatmeal with some dried cranberries or almonds, potato cooked in the microwave oven and topped with Parmesan cheese and broccoli, whole-wheat crackers with peanut butter or low-fast cheese, and fruit shake from various exotic fruits. Remember that leaving out breakfast to save on calories is not a proper way to lose weight. If you do not have breakfast, you are likely to be very hungry at lunchtime and you are likely to eat more.
