Plus 5 healthy and easy breakfast recipes
We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yet many of us just grab a cup of coffee and miss out on all of breakfast’s amazing benefits. Below are 10 reasons why you should eat breakfast every day, along with 5 healthy breakfast ideas recommended by Florida Dairy Farmer’s dietitian Alyssa Greenstein, RD, LD/N, FAND.
Improves Concentration and Focus
Eating breakfast improves concentration and focus. When you’re hungry, it’s harder to concentrate. Your body and brain are craving nutrients, so it’s important to start the day by refueling with nutritious foods like milk, fruits, and whole grains. Protein and carbohydrate-rich foods like yogurt and oatmeal are especially important for improving concentration and focus.
Helps Lift Your Mood
Want to avoid waking up on the wrong side of the bed? Then start your day off with breakfast. Eating a nutritionally balanced breakfast can support brain activity that helps control emotions, moods, expectations, behaviors, decision making skills, and cognition.
Helps Manage Your Appetite
Starting your day with foods that are rich in high-quality protein and/or fiber like yogurt, milk, eggs, oatmeal, cottage cheese, and fruit are especially filling and packed with nutrition. As a result, you may feel more satisfied with smaller portions than if you consumed foods that may contain empty calories and nutrients.
Helps Your Heart
Eating breakfast can improve heart health. Sometimes breakfast skippers replace a nutritious breakfast with snack foods that are high in cholesterol, sugar and saturated fat which may increase the risk of heart disease. Those who have regular healthy, balanced breakfasts tend to get more fiber and dairy in their diets which leads to less overeating and fewer unhealthy snacks.
Improves Academic Performance
Studies show that children who eat a nutritious breakfast perform better in school. Students who eat breakfast perform better on standardized tests and score higher in key areas like reading and math. Breakfast also improves concentration, alertness, comprehension, memory, and learning which are all essential for performing well at school.
Aids in Weight Management
Eating breakfast can help you manage your weight. People who don’t eat a healthy breakfast are more prone to unhealthy snacking choices. After a long night’s sleep our body craves food. Common breakfast foods like yogurt, oats, fruit, and eggs are high in protein and/or fiber, which helps you feel full and leads to less unhealthy snacking.
Boosts Your Nutrition Intake
Eating breakfast gives you a great opportunity to eat healthy, nutritious foods. The nutrients in milk and other dairy foods, which are breakfast favorites, have been linked to improved bone health, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and lower blood pressure. Consuming nutrient-rich foods daily will help you achieve a lifetime of health. Include fruits, veggies, whole grains, and proteins like milk, cheese and yogurt as part of your breakfast diet.
Helps Pregnant Moms Meet Nutritional Needs
Including dairy foods like milk and yogurt helps pregnant moms get the extra nutrition they need. Milk and yogurt, which are common breakfast foods, are good sources of iodine which is essential for healthy fetal development and helps prevent irreversible neurocognitive defects and lower childhood IQ.
Boosts Your Immune System
Fermented foods like cheese and yogurt are common breakfast choices and important to your overall immune system health. Eating cheese, yogurt, and other fermented foods may lead to a reduced risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and inflammation.
Delicious Ways to Include More Dairy in Your Diet
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests US citizens eat three servings of dairy daily, but most people fall short of that goal. Eating breakfast is an easy way to get more dairy in your diet with breakfast favorites like milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese. One glass of milk provides 13 essential vitamins and nutrients including calcium which improves bone and teeth health, high-quality proteins for muscle and immune health, and other important vitamins and nutrients. See the full list here.
Need help making breakfast easier? Below are some quick, easy breakfast recipes.
