Robert A. Heinlein once said, “One should not attend even the end of the world without a good breakfast.”

Despite what is now becoming a popular opinion, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Whether you begin your day with exercise, yoga, or just household chores, breakfast should be an uncompromised part of your morning routine. Why, you ask. Because consuming a healthy breakfast sets the tone for your day. It metabolically charges you for the day, helps control your blood glucose levels, and aids in weight loss. Starting your day with the right meal kick-starts your calorie-burn process for the entire day and also gives you energy to get things done.

However, more important than having breakfast is to take care of what to have in breakfast. When it comes to food, you can never really run out of options. But to start your day healthy means to limit yourself to eating food that contributes to increased metabolism. This means fighting your temptations and habituating yourself to a lighter diet.

What contributes as healthy breakfast?

Oatmeal:

If you follow a healthy diet, oatmeal is a must. The fame that oatmeal today enjoys is owed to its proven ability to lower ‘bad’ cholesterol levels. Oats can contribute to as much as 7% of drop in ‘bad’ cholesterol which helps in keeping heart diseases at bay. Other than that, oats are rich in potassium, folate, and omega-3 fatty acids. In the market, you can find different varieties of oats such as instant oats, rolled oats, Scottish oats, steel-cut oats/Irish oats, etc. All these types of oats are equally healthy but take different amounts of time to cook. It is recommended that you carefully check the contents of the instant oats as some of them may be flooded with extra sugar.

Eggs:

The healthiest source of nutrients such as Vitamin D, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Zinc, and proteins, eggs are among the best edibles that can enhance your metabolism. A boiled egg is a prime source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B2, Folate, Selenium, and Phosphorous. Also, eggs are highly rich in proteins and contain amino acids just in the right ratios. They are highly nutritious and even though they contain high levels of cholesterol, they do not interfere with the blood cholesterol levels. In fact, they help in reducing the risk of strokes, heart diseases, and similar problems by raising the ‘good’ cholesterol levels. They are also healthy for your eyes.

Greek Yogurt:

Greek Yogurt is one of the very few foods that taste great and are highly beneficial to your health. An excellent source of calcium, zinc, potassium, protein, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin B6, Greek Yogurt can also be used as a workout recovery food. It works best when taken in a plain, non-fat variety. If you wish to add some flavour to it, pair it with fruits. That gives you an added dose of nutrition, and great taste!

Green Tea:

For people who are not a fan of coffee, tea is the best alternative. Tea contains lesser levels of caffeine as compared to coffee and therefore hydrates you more effectively. While tea is healthy in all forms (black, green, or white), green tea is considered to be the healthiest of all.

Green Tea is rich in nutrients and antioxidants that aid in enhanced brain function, fat loss, and cleansing of the body. It reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases and obesity. Green Tea is also capable of killing the bacteria in your body and thus reduces risks of infections.

Juice:

If you belong to the group of people who like neither tea nor coffee, you can always add a glass of juice to your breakfast. Fruit and vegetable juices are rich in nutrients, proteins, and minerals and can therefore contribute to a healthy body.

What kinds of juices are recommended for breakfast?

There are no restrictions as to what fruit you should squeeze into the glass to complete your diet. Any fruit juice or any vegetable juice serves the purpose. However, some of the most recommended are cranberry juice and orange juice. These are recommended because they limit bacterial growth and promote cardiovascular health.

Fruits:

It goes without saying that fruits shall be included in your diet in order to rightly kick-start your day. A fruit is the best source of vitamin, protein, and nutrients. While there are fruits that aid in improving the health of one or other part of the human body, fruits as a whole should be a part of your diet throughout the day. Kiwi, Oranges, Apples, Grape Fruit, Raspberries, Strawberries, Bananas, Watermelon, Blueberries, and Papaya are some of the most effective fruits.

Cereal:

For people who do not like the taste of the oatmeal or like to add more variety to their meal can opt for cereal. It can be tricky to choose the best cereal since there are large varieties available in the market. You should try to opt for a cereal that contains at most 5 grams of sugar and at least 5 grams of fibre. If you want to increase its effect, take it with skimmed or low-fat milk.

Whole-Wheat Bread:

For some people, having bread is an important part of breakfast. It complements almost all other components of breakfast. But you can make a lot of difference in your diet by just choosing the type of carbohydrates you want to consume. Whole grains—be it in the form of bread, muffins, or toast—contain high amounts of fibre and nutrients. Also, switching your regular butter, cheese, or peanut butter with almond butter which contain less saturated fats and can therefore make your diet healthier.

Surprise… TIME Magazine’s Lists Nasi Lemak as a healthy breakfast!

This may come as a surprise to many and delightful news to the fans, the staple Malaysian dish, nasi lemak, has been recognised as one of 10 most healthy international breakfasts by Time Magazine.

The article on described nasi lemak as “supremely delicious”.

“Yes, there’s a bit more fat than is good for you (eat less rice to reduce), but it’s balanced with lots of manganese, protein, and carbs.

“The chili in the sambal also boosts the metabolism (depending which nutritionist you talk to),” according to the article.