Breakfast: the most important meal of the day.
Or if you live in a household with real people, then it is more like: breakfast, the most manic time of the day. So what if you could guarantee good nutrition without having to upset your standard morning routine? Or what if you could eat such a good breakfast that it would keep you full until lunch, keep your brain sharp and give you enough nutrients that you could easily carry out your next grand adventure. And no, your breakfast cereal can't do that even if the packaging does make claims.
Here is what a good balanced meal should consist of: lean protein, complex carbohydrates, good fats and some green stuff.
Here is what the average UK breakfast looks like: sugar.
Luckily there is a super easy fix to go from sugar to protein/carbs/fats/green stuff. Just upgrade your morning toast.
First of all, pick a good bread.If the bread lasts a week, it is not bread, it is merely a chemically confused second cousin of bread. Not the kind you'd want to eat. Good bread only lasts days. It is made with only yeast, water and flour and is commonly known as sourdough. These ingredients produce a dense, chewy bread that is almightily filling and makes a lovely crunchy toast.
Other gold alternatives include rye, vollkornbrodt ( a German brown bread that is full of lovely seeds) or spelt bread.
Good bread = complex carbohydrate.
Now for the lean protein. This is the part that will keep you fuller for longer, stop the mid morning crash and curb that hanger (hunger & anger= hanger.. get it..).
Protein is also the building block of just about everything in our body, so let's just say it is pretty important stuff. Good sources include fish, eggs, chicken, turkey or a bit of (organic) bacon. To keep this part super simple, why not boil an egg when you make your dinner, allow it cool, pop it in the fridge and slice it onto your morning toast.
Adding a few slices of smoked salmon would also be a quick and easy fix.
Good fats. Before I go on with my justification, let's get one thing out of the way: your brain is predominantly made from fat. Yes, 60% of your brain is fat. Therefore, eating the right kind of fat is essential to keep your brain working. By good fat, I mean the kind found in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines, nuts, seeds, organic butter and avocados. These are the kind of fats that won't actually make you fat but they will get your brain going.
The green stuff: ok perhaps this is more like the rainbow coloured stuff. By this I mean vegetables. You need these... They have all of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that your body requires. Without getting too technical, your body wouldn't even be able to process the fats, proteins and carbs if it wasn't for the co-factors provided by vegetables. Including them in your breakfast should be a no brainer.
Now if you are thinking, there is no way I can stomach anything like that in the morning then prepare to surprise yourself. I'm not asking you to eat a full head of cabbage here. How about a handful of spinach, which to be honest doesn't taste of anything anyway; or a few slices of tomato; or a few slices of red pepper; a sprinkling of cress; or some fresh rocket?
Making a good quality breakfast will take you a couple of minutes by upgrading your toast. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- cottage cheese, tomato and cress
- smoked salmon slices, red pepper and dill
- wilted spinach & boiled egg
- avocado & mixed seeds
- hummus, shredded carrot and slice cucumber