Wake Up to Breakfast Everyday

Starting the day with a healthy breakfast means:

• more energy
• better attention in school, at work, or at play
• a better chance of getting all the nutrients needed every day
• having a regular eating pattern and controlling body weight
• lowering your risk of chronic diseases as adults

A Wake-up Call for Families

It is especially important for parents to eat a good breakfast every day. Parents are role models for their children. Children who see their parents eat breakfast are more likely to eat breakfast too. Getting the more than 50 nutrients needed each day is more likely for those who eat a morning meal. People who skip breakfast may never make up the nutrients they miss.

Breakfast may become the new family mealtime because supper has given way to long work hours and busy after-school schedules. Parents who are looking for ways to regain control of their family life can claim breakfast as a time to be together with their children.

Breakfast Food Facts

• A balanced breakfast provides the energy people need to carry out their daily activities and stay alert in the mornings.
• When people do not eat breakfast they may be hungry, less energetic and less attentive.
• Breakfast skippers often have low intakes of calcium, iron and fibre - three key nutrients important for health.
• People who do not eat breakfast are more likely to miss work or class, be late, or be sick than people who eat breakfast.
• Breakfast does not have to be fancy or traditional to meet nutritional needs. So plan something easy for breakfast tomorrow.

Breakfast and Healthy Weights

People who skip breakfast often overeat during the rest of the day - a habit that may lead to extra body weight. If you eat most of your calories later in the day, you have less of a chance to spend the energy consumed.

• Breakfast eaters often have healthier eating habits and better weight control than do people who skip breakfast.
• Eat something, even if it is last night's leftovers. A small breakfast can help control body weight.

Do these excuses sound familiar?

"I would eat breakfast if I had more time."

A nutritious breakfast does not have to take a lot of time to prepare or eat. The few minutes it takes to fix breakfast can result in several hours of greater performance in the morning.

Try these breakfast-in-a-minute ideas:

• Ready-to-eat cereal or hot instant types with fruit and milk
• Set the table with breakfast items the night before
• Microwaved egg in a mug
• Toasted bagel with cheese or peanut butter
• All Bran or Bran Buds mixed into yogurt
• Toasted waffle topped with fruit and yogurt
• Fruit and milk whirled in a blender
• Peanut butter on whole wheat toast or pancakes
• Leftovers: homemade pizza, soup, pasta, or casserole
• Yogurt and fruit
• Fruit and muffin
• Cereal or granola bar with a glass of milk

"I cannot face food first thing in the morning."

If you are not used to eating early in the morning, pack a brown-bag breakfast of:

• Peanuts or hard boiled egg, a bagel, and a piece of fruit
• Bran muffin, cheese and grapes
• Individual box of cereal, small carton of milk and banana
• Crackers, yogurt, and raisins
• Ham on a bun, milk, and an apple
• Trail mix and small carton of milk

"I'm bored with typical breakfast foods."

Boost the breakfast habit by trying new food combinations often:

• Scramble eggs with ham and cheese in the microwave oven for 1 to 1¹/₂ minutes.
• Fill a taco or burrito with scrambled eggs and salsa.
• Stuff a pita with cottage cheese and fruit.
• Broil a bagel topped with ham and cheese.
• Melt shredded cheese onto Shredded Wheat.
• Spread peanut butter and jam on a flour tortilla and roll it up.

Recipe:

Combine eggs and milk in a pie plate; beat with a fork until well blended. Dip bread slices into the mix to coat each side. Melt 1 tbsp. (15 mL) butter or margarine in a frying pan over medium heat. Brown each side of bread until it is cooked through. Serve immediately or freeze for later use.

To reheat frozen French Toast slices:

• Put in the toaster, or
• Microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds, or
• Place in the oven at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 10 minutes.

Once reheated, you can:

• Stack them with turkey or ham and cheese. Microwave on high for 40 to 50 seconds or until the cheese begins to melt, and then top with chopped tomato or salsa.
• Stuff them with ¹/₂ cup (125 mL) part-skim ricotta cheese, 4 tsp. (20 mL) honey and ¹/₄ cup (50 mL) blueberries, chopped strawberries or peaches.
• Slice them into strips and dip into a dip made with one mashed banana, 2 tbsp. (30 mL) reduced-fat chunky peanut butter, 1 cup (250 mL) vanilla yogurt and 2 tsp. (10 mL) cinnamon sugar.
• Spread them with jam and lower fat cream cheese.

Review Date :

October 2006

Copyright & Disclaimer
Reviewed by Alberta clinical experts. Brought to you by HealthLink Alberta. Copyright.
This material is designed for information purposes only. It should not be used in place of medical advice, instruction and/or treatment. For more health advice call Capital Health Link at 780-408-LINK (5465) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In Alberta, call Toll-free: 1-866-408-LINK (5465)