The Best Breakfasts to Start your Day
How many times have you heard ‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day’? Well, it turns out this isn’t just an empty phrase – there’s real truth in it, and a lot of science backing it up.
In Europe, up to 30% of people skip breakfast, but in an analysis of 47 clinical studies, researchers found that children who reported eating breakfast on a consistent basis tended to have superior nutritional profiles than their breakfast-skipping peers, and breakfast eaters generally consumed more daily calories yet, amazingly, were less likely to be overweight. They also discovered that breakfast consumption may improve kids’ cognitive function related to memory, test grades, and school attendance.[1] However, it’s crucial that the breakfast we eat is nutritionally sound. A Spanish study found that while eating a good quality breakfast leads to higher quality of life and lower rates of stress and depression, even skipping breakfast is better than eating a poor quality one.[2] Commercial breakfast cereal manufacturers can be devious – just because they may splash the fact that their product is fortified with vitamins all over the packaging, it doesn’t mean that they’re not still packed with enormous amounts of sugar and fat. Not only do added sugars actually reduce energy levels and deplete our nutrient levels, they are also a massive factor in obesity and chronic disease.[3]
So here are some of our favourite healthy ways to start the day, which will fill you with the nutrition you need to have a happy, productive day….
This super-tasty and colourful bowl of lip-smacking goodness is one of the very best meals you could possibly wake up to. It’s full of the goodness of beans and fruit, and the oat milk is fortified with essential vitamin B12 as well as vitamin D. It’s packed full of fibre, resulting in excellent digestive health and the slow release of energy – so your tummy won’t be rumbling by mid-morning if you start your day with one of these!
If you’re trying to cut down on your carbohydrate intake, this delicious loaf is great for breakfast – it contains heart-healthy fats and minerals from the almond content, and the flax and psyllium husks will ensure your breakfast gives you an awesome whack of fibre to keep your insides ticking over in the best way possible. Just make sure not to load it with unhealthy toppings! Why not try an antioxidant-loaded fruit spread with no added sugars? We recommend this fantastic blueberry jam.
Oats are a magnificent way to start the day. When it comes to breakfast, their stunning nutritional profile is second to none. They’re full of beta-glucan, a source of oluble fibre which are absolutely superb for the health of our gut, heart, arteries and blood. The goji berries are lovely and chewy, and their beta-carotene content means they’re great for the health of your eyes. The chia seeds give the dish a wonderful texture, and come with huge health benefits, while the pecans have a lovely flavour, a good crunch and help to fill you up with beneficial minerals while lowering your ‘bad’ cholesterol. This fabulous breakfast packs a really tasty punch too, and as it’s prepared the night before, it can be grabbed straight from the fridge, and you won’t have to faff around in the kitchen when you’re all bleary-eyed!
Pink Berry Pancakes with Cashew Cream
Pancakes and cream? It sounds like one of the unhealthiest breakfasts around! But look again – this version is fantastically delicious but contains no added sugar whatsoever, and the cream is made by whizzing up cashew nuts into a super-smooth and delicious concoction full of protein and heart-healthy compounds. We’ve used coconut oil instead of butter, and the freeze-dried raspberry powder is one of our very favourite ingredients – tangy, fruity and packed with the amazing nutrition of freeze-dried fruit. This breakfast will not only delight family & friends but fill them up good and proper until lunchtime!
If you want a nourishing, fortifying blast of nutrition to make your morning glow with health, why not try this wonderful smoothie bowl? It’ll supply you with a brilliant amount of protein from the chia seeds and bee pollen, and a proper boost from all the beneficial minerals in the lucuma powder. More minerals come from the deep, rich organic cacao powder, not to mention the whole host of health benefits supplied by its wonderful flavonoids.
Low Carb Blueberry & Almond Flour Muffins
Who doesn’t love a good, tasty muffin? And when it’s packed full of fibre and fruit like this one, it’s not only wonderfully guilt-free but monumentally filling too! Another low-carb option, this is full of the potent antioxidant power of blueberries, and the ground almonds gives it a really lovely texture. We’ve used zero-calorie icing sugar made from erythritol, one of the most popular healthy alternatives to sugar. They’re quick and easy to make, and they’re keto-friendly too!
Tofu Scramble with Tomatoes & Basil
Tofu scramble is a dish that was born out of a desire for vegans to replicate scrambled eggs, but it’s actually become its own thing now, and is chosen regularly by many non-vegans who have been won over to its voluptuous, delicately-spiced curds and the impeccable nutrition of soy. There’s a great helping of essential B-vitamins from the yeast flakes and the fortified oat milk, and we’ve added turmeric as well as a sprinkling of other antioxidant-packed spices for taste, nutrition, and, well, because we love the pretty colour!
This one’s for you if you need your chocolate fix first thing in the morning, and unlike many chocolate spreads you’ll find in the supermarket, this dish contains no saturated-fat-heavy palm oil and no added sugar at all! There’s still lots of glorious sweetness, but it’s from the delicious organic dates, which are filled to the brim with enough fibre to keep you feeling full until it’s time for lunch. The hazelnuts are a rich source of healthy fats that benefit your heart, as well as an impressive array of vitamins and minerals to ensure your body gets the help it needs to face the day, and the deep richness of the raw organic cacao powder is sure to satisfy all your cravings for chocolate.
