10 Nutritious Foods to Kick Start Mornings
We have heard it before; breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Starting your day with a healthful diet that provides you with the right nutrients to help your body get a kick start is a good choice. “A healthy breakfast should be a variety of foods like whole grains, low-fat protein or dairy sources, and fruit,” says Andrea Gorman, MS, RD, manager of clinical nutrition at Rhode Island Hospital/Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence.
(see also Weekend Breakfast Nourishment)
Here a few recommended, healthful foods that can help get your day started right:
1. Nutritious Cereal – Start with a high fiber cereal and add bananas, low-fat milk or plain yogurt or sprinkle on a little granola. You will be getting fiber, protein, calcium and potassium.
2. Berries – Another possibility for breakfast is berries and low-fat Greek-style yogurt with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of toasted sliced almonds. How good does that sound!
3. Nutrition To Go – Smoothies are a great on-the-go option to start your morning.
4. Get a good “warm-up” – Susan B. Roberts, PhD, author of The Instinct Diet and professor of nutrition at the USDA Nutrition Center at Tufts University in Boston, recommends hot cereal: Microwave 1/4 cup each of instant oatmeal and coarse wheat bran with a cup of 1 percent milk.
5. Eggs – You can mix it up by mixing one whole egg with one egg white, some whole wheat toast and fruit and you are good to go.
6. Burritos – Egg whites, low carb, whole wheat wraps, low fat salsa & sour cream with just a sprinkle of cheese and you have a nutritious breakfast.
7. Cottage Cheese – Mixed with fruit or nuts is a good source of calcium and high in protein.
8. Ham – Yes, ham! Two slices of lean Canadian bacon with one whole egg and one egg white scrambled, and a half of grapefruit and you have got a meal full of protein, fiber, and vitamin C.
9. Veggies – Add some vegetables like broccoli or spinach in your eggs.
10. Whole Grain – Whole-grain English muffins with peanut butter and sliced fruit like apples or pears, along with a glass of milk, can be filling while providing protein and calcium.
What is your favorite go-to ingredient to kick start your day? Share in the comments below!
This post was originally published on the Shannon Miller Lifestyle blog. The mission of Shannon Miller Lifestyle is to inform, educate and inspire women to lead a balanced lifestyle, and is targeted specifically to women with a focus on pregnancy and motherhood.