Breakfast is the first and foremost meal consumed at the beginning of the day. It is considered to be the most important meal too. And rightly so! This is because the kind of food you consume during breakfast has a direct impact on your metabolism, energy levels, blood glucose levels, and how the rest of your day goes. Here, we share the some points on the importance of starting your day with the right breakfast:
- Fuels the body with the required energy
Macronutrients act as a fuel for your body and provide energy for its day-to-day functioning. A good breakfast should help you get enough amounts of macronutrients that are essential for the production of energy. You can include protein-rich foods like muesli, peanut butter, whole grains, oats, etc. to your daily diet. The best part is that muesli, peanut butter and oats price also comes within the affordable range.
- Enhances metabolism
Your body does not have any nutritional intake while you sleep throughout the night. It becomes quite difficult for your body to produce energy solely based on the reserves. This is directly related to your energy levels. A good breakfast will help you plenish the glycogen stores in your body, and helps your body remain active throughout the day.
- Provides your body the required nutrients
There are certain micronutrients including vitamins and minerals that your body requires in order to operate properly. The key nutrients include calcium, vitamin B complex, vitamin D, fibre, iron, etc. Each of these nutrients plays an important role in some or the other bodily function.
It is important for you to meet the recommended daily requirements for these nutrients for optimal health. A proper, well-balanced breakfast should provide you with all these nutrients, and keep you safe from any deficiencies.
- Aids effective weight management
Having a good, protein-rich breakfast will help you feel full for longer durations of time. This is because protein takes comparatively longer to digest. It helps you get the required energy with the lowest amounts of calories.
A well-balanced breakfast will satiate your gut and reduce sluggishness. This further helps you get rid of hunger pangs, thereby keeping you away from unhealthy snacking cravings and consumption of unhealthy carbs. All of this enables you to effectively manage your weight.
- Improves focus
A good breakfast will help you kickstart your day by waking up your brain. Studies suggest that children who consume breakfast have shown better academic performance than those who do not.
The carbohydrates present in breakfast foods help you plenish the blood glucose levels in the body, thereby improving your focus as well as memory. Therefore, consumption of a healthy breakfast becomes essential.
- Balances blood sugar levels
Consumption of a well-balanced breakfast reduces the risk of developing diseases like diabetes. It balances the insulin levels in your body, thereby regulating your blood sugar levels. Balanced and controlled blood sugar levels help boost overall health, and also enhance metabolism.
Conclusion
If you are struggling with having a proper meal first thing in the morning, there are certain measures you can follow. If you have a time crunch in the morning, try to prepare easy and healthy recipes the night before. You can also time your alarm 10-15 minutes earlier than usual in order to make time for the preparation of breakfast. You can also keep some ready-to-eat breakfast foods at work.
Whatever you do, try to not skip breakfast. You can also consult a nutritionist or physician for professional advice on healthy foods for breakfast.
Do let us know about your go-to healthful breakfast meals in the comments below!