photo by Chris Ralston via Unsplash

by tiffany ricci

You’re on the move. You’ve got errands all over town today - Heights, West End, and Downtown. Your gas gauge is hovering over E, but you cross your fingers and hope you’ll make all your stops running on fumes. 

At the end of your errand extravaganza, you pull up to the pump to fill your empty tank and drive home with the needle on F, only to park your vehicle in the garage for the night.

Now, we all know we wouldn’t roll this way. We’d fill up our tanks BEFORE crisscrossing town to run errands as a sensible adult, right? However, many busy people hit the ground running in the morning with their personal tanks (stomachs) on E and go-go-go only to fill up in the evening right before they “park” for bedtime.

Breakfast IS the most important meal of the day and the one that should be robust.

You should Break (your) Fast like a Queen (or King). After your body has fasted through the night (meaning you did not eat anything while you were sleeping), breaking your fast like a queen with a hearty breakfast will fuel you for the day. Here are some ways that breakfast really is Queen:

• Eating a nourishing breakfast will prevent those afternoon crashes. If you find yourself reaching for an afternoon latte or a handful of Peanut M&Ms to keep you going - you may not be fueling the beginning of your day well and your body is searching for energy to keep going. Most of us are active during the day with workouts, work, chasing littles, hauling laundry, lawn duties...all the things so it’s important to fuel when we are most active. That starts with a good breakfast.
• Glucose tolerance wanes as the day goes on. Translation: Your body is primed to use carbohydrates in the morning and early afternoon because it knows you’re going to be active during the day and sleep during the night. Breakfast is the perfect time to add in complex and simple carbohydrates because your body wants to use them then.
• A nourishing breakfast gives you fuel to start your day right and increases the likelihood of making healthier choices as the day ensues. Eating breakfast can improve your concentration and brain power, help with weight management efforts, and decrease the risk of certain chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. 

When it comes to breakfast, think protein and fiber. Aside from supporting your muscles, protein energizes the body and amps you up to conquer the day. Fiber keeps you fuller longer, aids your digestive system in working smoothly, and creates a pretty sweet microbiome, which helps your brain function well too. Combining these two nutrients creates quite the royal breakfast. You can find protein in eggs, nuts, nut butter, meat, beans, and dairy products. Fiber is found in fruits, veggies, beans, lentils, nuts, and whole grains. 

Hectic mornings can be a barrier to Breakfast Like a Queen. However, a robust meal can be part of your morning routine with a little forethought. Prepping breakfast the night before or making all of your weekday breakfasts on the weekend can help ensure you have something healthy to start your day. Stocking the pantry with healthier to-go options is another way to make grab-and-go part of your nutrition routine. 

Here are a few protein/fiber combos that will satisfy your taste buds and your need for speed in the morning:

• Whole grain bread topped with nut butter and a banana
• Whole grain toast topped with avocado and a scrambled egg
• Plain oatmeal topped with walnuts, fruit, cinnamon and a dollop of plain yogurt
• Fruit smoothie with pumpkin puree, almond butter, plain yogurt, and unsweetened applesauce
• Yogurt parfait using plain Greek yogurt, chopped fruit, and pecans 
• Whole grain crackers topped with goat cheese and jam with a piece of fruit
• Homemade oatmeal banana muffins
• Sliced apple with nut butter and a hard-boiled egg
• Broiled English muffins topped with tomatoes and cheddar cheese with a piece of fruit
• Veggie egg scramble wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla with avocado and salsa

Treat yourself like the Queen you are and start your day with a nourishing breakfast. Reap the benefits of the power protein-fiber combo by filling your tank before your day truly gets underway. No more running on fumes when you eat Breakfast like a Queen! 

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