Breakfast

Of course all meals are very important, none should be skipped, however breakfast appears to be the most important not only because it will break the fast but because it will have an enormous influence on how your day will unfold with regard to energy, concentration, food choices and weight management.

Eat breakfast every day to reap these benefits:

• Reduced hunger throughout the day
• Increased energy and concentration
• Improved problem solving abilities
• Lowered intake of fat and cholesterol for the rest of the day
• Have better weight management
• Better overall health
• Be a good role model for your family

Skip breakfast and possibly:

• Increase the body’s insulin response, increasing fat storage and weight gain
• Over eat later on in the day
• Make poor food choices for the rest of the day
• Reduce your body’s intake of vital nutrition

Benefits for Children

Studies found that breakfast :

• Improved memory function for those who ate breakfast. Those who did not eat breakfast, performed more poorly when recalling a word list, counting backwards and reading a story aloud.
• Reduces absences and incidents of tardiness than those who do not eat breakfast
• Can help improve math, reading and standardized test scores
• Helps children behave better in school
• Increases amount of important nutrients, vitamins and minerals consumed for the day
• Reduces children’s chances of being overweight
• Establishes healthy habits for later in life

*****Breakfast should be high in fiber and low in sugar to help sustain the healthy benefits.

Recipes

Yogurt Parfait

½  cup of Dannon Light and Fit (flavored or plain)

½ cup of whole grain cereal or ¼ cup of low-fat granola (Cheerios or Kashi Go Lean in this example)

½ cup of fruit (banana, blueberries, strawberries)

1/8 cup of sliced almonds to top (optional if using Kashi Go Lean)

Directions:

1. Place half of your yogurt (1/4 cup) in a bowl or cup

2. Place half of granola or cereal on top of the yogurt

3. Place half of fruit serving on top of the granola

4. Add half of almonds to the top

5. Start over with new layer of yogurt and follow steps 2-4 again

Health Benefits:

Yogurt – good for bone health, may reduce blood pressure, help you feel fuller, healthy bacteria

Granola or cereal –provides energy, vitamins, minerals and fiber

Fruit – provides vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants

Almonds – provides protein, fiber, healthy fats and helps you stay fuller longer

Nutrition Breakdown:

Yogurt, Fruit, Cheerios and Almonds

Calories: 207

Fat: 5 g

Cholesterol: 3 mg

Sodium: 158 mg

Carbs: 38 g

Fiber: 3 g

Protein:  8 g

Sugars: 20 g

Yogurt, fruit and Kashi

Calories: 181

Fat: 1 g

Cholesterol: 3 mg

Sodium: 93 mg

Carbs: 42 g

Fiber: 6 g

Protein: 13 g

Sugars: 23 g

Price per serving:

Yogurt, Fruit, Cheerios and Almonds: $ 0.43 per serving

Yogurt, Fruit, and Kashi: $0.35 per serving

Kashi is a more expensive cereal than Cheerios but provides more fiber and protein (so no added protein is needed), so in this comparison Kashi is actually cheaper than purchasing both Cheerios and almonds – though both recipes are very healthy and beneficial.

***Additionally, if you have diabetes and are trying to watch your carbohydrate intake – the fiber in Kashi is high enough to be subtracted. So in this recipe, the net carbohydrates would be 36 grams.

Fast food choices may be comparable in calories, but sugar is usually higher and fiber and protein are typically lower. Not to mention, the price will be at least 4 times greater.

Mandy Seay is a registered and licensed dietitian. She works as a nutrition consultant in Austin, Texas, specializing in diabetes, weight loss, lipid control and preventative nutrition. For more health articles and nutrition information, check out Mandy’s website Nutritionistics.

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