We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially when trying to lose weight, but why exactly is that so and what should a good breakfast contain?
Studies have shown that weight loss is often difficult if we regularly skip breakfast. This is due in large part to the fact that brekky is our first ‘proper’ meal of the day. After our body has fasted overnight, breakfast is the first meal to literally ‘break the fast’.
It is generally the first calories that we consume for the day ahead and often lays down our energy stores for the time between when we finish breakfast and start lunch or a mid morning snack. Eating breakfast is the best way to kick start your metabolism and get it running on schedule.
When trying to lose weight, people often think that skipping breakfast is the way to go. In fact, this slows down our metabolism as it has to wait for the nutrients to come at a later time and then is reluctant to let them go. We’re often more likely to snack on sugary or salty foods due to being hungry, when we skip breakfast, which ends up leading to increased calorie consumption.
So what should a good breakfast contain?
- Protein – Protein helps build muscle and gives us energy. A breakfast without protein won’t sustain us as long as one with it. Eggs, milk, yoghurt and cheese are all good sources of morning protein.
- Carbs – Complex carbs also provide us with fast burning energy to get up and go, while protein is more the slow burner. Cereal is the biggest source of the carbs we usually eat at breakfast.
- Calcium – We need calcium for healthy bones and teeth, and especially so during pregnancy as our developing baby requires more than the average intake. Dairy or dairy replacement products all contain calcium so serving your cereal with milk or yoghurt or your eggs with a glass of milk will help you get your necessary intake.
- Fibre – Fibre both helps us feel full and keeps our bowel movements regular. Including a cereal that’s fibre enriched can be a great aid to weight loss.
- Vitamins and minerals – A good helping of vitamins and minerals will come from the above, but adding fruit or veggies (or both) to your plate will increase the amount as well as adding beneficial carbs.
Top breakfast suggestions
- A Healthy Mummy smoothie
- A bowl of porridge (not instant) with milk and fruit
- A bowl of low sugar muesli with yoghurt and diced fruit
- Scrambled eggs on multigrain toast
- Eggs with wilted spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes
If you are ready to lose weight then the Lose Baby Weight plans offer a healthy and safe exercise and diet routine and you can get a 10% discount by using code LOYALTY at the checkout.
