It is my belief that starting the day with a breakfast of sufficient protein and healthy fats, sets you up for a positive and productive day.
Pulling out that coffee grinder brush and knowing that you are doing more for your morning with that brush than anything else is exciting!
Starting your day with the coffee to fuel up, may have been something that you do and have done for many years, but if you want to start your morning healthily, coffee may not be your go-to.
This essential resource fuels your body, giving you the power to move, think, and keep on living, but achieving the complex needs of your body can be harder than you expect.
The first meal of the day will always influence the way you feel for the hours that follow, with a lot of people feeling bad without realizing that it’s because they’re not taking their first meals seriously.
A good first meal keeps you from experiencing an energy dip and being ravenous by mid-morning.
Let’s take a look at some of the best breakfast options out there.
Healthy Breakfast Examples
There are countless breakfast options on the market, though the vast majority of them are designed to taste good, with little thought going into their nutritional makeup.
When looking for breakfast options that are good for you, options with simple ingredients and a long history are often some of the best.
Let’s take a look at a range of morning meals that will leave you feeling energized and ready for a day of hard work.
Yogurt & Fruit
Yogurt hasn’t been on the market in many places for a very long time, with largescale marketing campaigns spearheading public interest in this sort of food over the last few decades.
Yogurt is a rich source of protein.
A single cup (245 grams) of plain yogurt made from whole milk packs about 8.5 grams of protein!
Traditional Greek yogurt tastes great, is packed with vitamins and nutrients like calcium, and can be mixed with things like fruit and spices to create a taste that you love.
Nuts, a healthy fat, can be mixed with yogurt, giving you the chance to explore loads of different breakfast dishes with a single product.
Oatmeal/Porridge
Oatmeal is one of the oldest breakfast dishes in the world, with people eating this food on just about every corner of the globe.
Oatmeal provides a slow-burning energy source that will make it easier to get through your day.
Make sure to buy whole-grain oatmeal and stay away from the artificial flavors or sugar-filled varieties.
It’s always best to look for natural flavorings rather than relying on things like sugar.
Porridge and oatmeal can be made using water or milk, and you can mix fruit, nuts, and a host of other ingredients into your bowl to make it more interesting.
Oatmeal nutrition facts show that this type of breakfast contains everything you need to enjoy an enriched and energy-filled day.
Plain Cereals
Cereals are a popular breakfast option for those living busy lifestyles, giving you an easy way to prepare a nutritious meal without having to spend loads of your time on it each day.
However, you must avoid options that are packed with sugar.
Corn flakes, bran flakes, and other plain cereals may seem boring, but they can be improved with things like fruit and yogurt.
Granola
Much like plain cereals, slightly fancier options like granola can be an excellent way to start your day.
Made with natural ingredients and designed to be healthy, you will find few better breakfasts if you like to spend your days on your feet.
Of course, you need to make sure that you’re buying products that are true to their name.
Many modern healthy kinds of cereal are actually worse than their colorfully packaged counterparts.
Also, most research states, eating such a light breakfast extends the overnight fast, which can be beneficial for some but may encourage others to make less healthy choices throughout the remainder of the day.
Fruit Smoothies
Drinks like this can be found on breakfast tables across the world, though many people take the wrong approach with this.
Packaged smoothies from the store contain preservatives and added ingredients that are completely unhealthy!
Instead, it makes a lot more sense to buy your own fruit and blend it into smoothies for yourself.
My banana-strawberry smoothie with added whey protein is filling and delicious.
If you want a bit more sweetness in your smoothie, add Atkins Protein Powder, the milk chocolate variety.
It contains 15 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber.
Avoid These Non-Healthy Breakfast Options
Alongside the good breakfast options out there, there are also plenty of bad ones, and it’s important that you spend some time to figure out which should be avoided.
This makes it well worth learning about nutrition for yourself, giving you the chance to judge the food you’re going to eat before you even touch it.
Folks that skip breakfast are more likely to suffer hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
Eating breakfast helps boost your metabolism for the remainder of the day.
Sugary Cereals
Sugary cereals are far more common than their healthy counterparts.
If sugar is the fourth ingredient or higher – IT IS NOT HEALTHY!
Most breakfast cereals include refined or processed sugars.
Starting the day with a high-sugar breakfast cereal will spike your blood sugar and insulin levels.
However, not all options are bad.
Fruit and plain cereal may seem more boring, but this will quickly change.
READ MORE ABOUT HOW FOOD COMPANIES TARGET YOUR CHILDREN HERE!
Greasy Cooked Breakfasts
Having a cooked breakfast is very nice from time to time, though this is something that should be avoided as a regular part of your daily routine.
In our household, we will have an egg and bacon type breakfast maybe twice a month; typically on a Sunday.
Breakfasts like this will taste nice and be satisfying, but they will also leave you feeling full and sluggish before the day even begins.
Balance these days by eating a light lunch, such as fruit.
No Breakfast
Even a bad breakfast is better than having no breakfast at all.
Your body needs a meal like this to keep you going each day.
Even the simplest of tasks are more challenging when you don’t have access to the breakfast you need.
It is crucial to eat something each morning, even if it’s just a slice of toast or piece of fruit.
With all of this in mind, you should feel ready to start building a breakfast menu to improve your health.
Substitute the kielbasa for turkey sausage and use whole-grain toast to make this brunch even more healthy!
Kielbasa Breakfast Brunch Scramble
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
- 2 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes thawed
- 16 oz kielbasa sausage or beef sausage
- 10 oz bag of frozen tri-medley mix thawed (contains onions, celery, peppers)
- 6 tsp eggs beaten
- 2 Tablespoons no salt butter
- 6 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 Tbsp Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put a 10" - 12 " cast iron skillet on the stovetop, medium heat. Allow the skillet to warm up, then place kielbasa sausage in the pan to allow it to heat up and slightly brown. After about 5 minutes flip. Cook on the second side for about 5 minutes. Remove from pan, set on the plate, set aside.
- Immediately add vegetable oil to the hot pan. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet, completely. No more than 1/8" deep.
- After about 3 minutes, add thawed hash brown potatoes to the pan. Allow them to cook for 5-7 minutes, browning the potatoes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir frequently, allowing almost all the potatoes to become brown, but not quite hard.
- Push the potatoes to one side of the skillet. Add the tri-medley vegetables to the pan. Place the vegetables on the opposite side of the pan from the potatoes.
- Cook the vegetables for 5 minutes, then gently stir them into the potatoes, thoroughly incorporating.
- After thoroughly mixing, make a small well in the center of the pan. Add the butter, spreading to coat the hole.
- After the butter has completely melted, add the beaten eggs.
- Add the kielbasa.
- Carefully, mix all ingredients in the pan together.
- Remove from heat. Add the shredded cheese to the top and slightly incorporate it into the mixture.
- Serves 2-3. Best when served HOT.
