What Is a Healthy, Nutritious Breakfast?

Breakfast is mostly termed the most important meal of the day. This saying is only true if your breakfast is made up of essential nutrients require fueling your body for the day's activities. So what nutrients should your breakfast contain in sufficient quantities?

Having junks like doughnuts, toaster pastries or high-sugar muffins for breakfast will do little in your bid to stay satisfied for a while before lunch. However, carbohydrates in fiber form, protein and healthy fats in their appropriate proportion will keep you satiated for long until lunch.

Protein

Inadequate protein in breakfast results in a struggle with making it to lunch without craving for snacks. A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at the effect of eating a protein-rich breakfast or eating a carb-laden meal or nothing at all. While eating any breakfast helped the participants feel full, a meat and egg breakfast was most successful in lowering levels of the hunger-stimulating hormones ghrelin, as well as managing feelings of fullness throughout the entire day. High-protein breakfast options include eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt or a smoothie that is made up of whey protein powder or milk, either dairy or non-dairy.

Carbohydrates

It's a good idea including fiber-rich carbohydrates in your breakfast. This prevents your blood glucose level from spiking and then falling, which can lead to hunger more quickly after you eat. Fibers also have benefits for your colon and bowels, keeping you regulated all day long. Plant-based foods, such as whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables are sources of fiber. There are many high-fiber cereals available, and oatmeal is rich in fiber as well. An addition of fruits and vegetables to your breakfast like making a green smoothie or chopped up vegetables in scrambled eggs allows you to get not just fiber but other vitamins and minerals as well.

Healthy fats

Fat is an important nutrient for your morning meal because it helps your body and your brain. A study published in The Journal of Nutrition in 2018 looked at the link between high-fat breakfasts and chronic metabolic disease, the researchers deduced that a high-fat, low-carb breakfast might reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that includes increased blood pressure and blood sugar levels, excessive body fat especially around the waist region and abnormal cholesterol levels. Increase your intake of healthy fat by adding avocado to your breakfast, frying your eggs in olive oil rather than butter, including olive in your omelette or eating smoked salmon. Omega-3 fatty acid, a peculiar type of fat can help to improve your mood and also drive away depression. This fatty acid is contained in chia seeds, egg yolks, walnuts, flaxseed etc.

What to eat for breakfast?

For a healthy breakfast recipe, simply pick a protein, add some fiber-rich carb and a healthy fat option. Some nutritional food lists include:

• Fruit-and-vegetable smoothie, such as spinach and banana, made with whey protein powder and flaxseed. 
• Scrambled eggs with vegetables in a high-fiber tortilla with salsa and avocado on the side.
• Whole-grain toast topped with nut butter, sliced bananas and chia seeds.
• Steel-cut oatmeal topped with chia seeds and berries, and a hard-boiled egg on the side.
• Egg casserole made with diced ham and chopped vegetables. 
• Whole-grain toast topped with smashed avocado and an over-easy egg.
• South-of-the-border quinoa bowl with black beans, tomatoes, Monterey Jack cheese and eggs etc.

Now you know what nutrients are needed in sufficient quantity for a breakfast to indeed be termed the most important meal of the day. Sticking with the protein, fiber-rich carb and a healthy fat in your breakfast will guarantee the satisfaction you so desire.