Breakfast

It doesn’t matter what your age or life stage, eating a healthy breakfast gives your body the best start to the day. It is never too late for you to begin. If you have children, it's never too soon to get them into this habit too.

Skipping breakfast? What's your excuse? Statistics show that many of us dash out the door in the morning without so much as a slice of toast. Here are the three most common excuses: 

1. I’m not hungry in the morning!

• Breakfast doesn’t have to be big. You need to break the overnight fast and provide your body with the nutrients it needs to function properly.

2. I don’t have time

• Breakfast doesn’t need to be a half-hour affair but can be as simple as a piece of fruit and a slice of toast on your way out the door!

3. Skipping breakfast helps me lose weight

• People who skip breakfast generally have a greater body weight than those who regularly eat breakfast. This is because they are more likely to snack later in the day. For practical weight-loss advice that works, visit www.weigh2live.eu

 

Breakfast ideas for busy mornings

Give yourself a few extra minutes in the morning

Get up 10 minutes earlier and don’t leave the house until you have something good inside you … or at least with you!! As time is generally the biggest factor against having breakfast, here are some very quick ideas:

I’m running out the door!

• Keep a small plastic tub with cereal in it to eat when you get milk and a spare moment
• Take a banana on your way out the door
• Glass of milk, or a yoghurt, and a banana
• Glass of fruit juice and a piece of wholemeal toast
• A toasted bagel is delicious with low fat cream cheese or peanut butter (and not too crumbly so you can eat it on the go)
• Bowl of non-sugar-coated cereal, e.g. muesli

I’ve got 5 minutes to spare!

• Chop half banana and some halved grapes in a bowl- mix with yoghurt and a few tablespoonfuls of muesli
• Pour some wholegrain cereal in a bowl with chopped fruit, nuts and low fat milk
• Pop some wholegrain toast in the toaster and top with chopped banana
• Have low-fat cheese on wholegrain toast with a piece of fruit to go!
• Beans on toast: microwave a small bowl while your wholegrain bread is in the toaster!

I've got 10 minutes to spare

• Microwave some porridge (add cinnamon and raisins for variety) and have with a glass of unsweetened fruit juice
• Pour yourself a glass of unsweetened fruit juice, scramble or poach two eggs in the microwave or a pan while your wholegrain bread is in the toaster (pack your bag for work while you are waiting)
• Make wholegrain toast then chop up a tomato and sprinkle with cheese, grill for a few minutes until melted.

... and for those more leisurely mornings

A cooked breakfast can be healthy too! Grill instead of frying your bacon and have with poached or scrambled egg, grilled tomato, beans and 2 slices of wholegrain toast.

Next: Why is breakfast so important?

Breakfast recipes