Breakfast - the most important meal of the day

Breakfast is the first meal of the day. A healthy breakfast refuels the body and replenishes the blood sugar (glucose), giving the energy necessary to start a new day. It is proven that breakfast is good for both physical and mental health.

Eating breakfast is important for all ages, especially for children and adolescents. It is observed that children who eat breakfast are more likely to have better concentration, problem-solving skills and eye-hand coordination. They may also be more alert and creative.

Advantages of a healthy breakfast

People who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to:

• Have better concentration and be more productive throughout the morning :This may be due to replenishing glucose, the brain's main energy source.
• Control their weight: Eating breakfast may reduce hunger later in the day and it may help eaters to avoid junk foods at later meals.
• Have more strength and endurance: People who eat breakfast, and thus have higher energy levels, may engage in more physical activity than many people who don't eat breakfast.
• Have lower cholesterol, which reduces the risk of heart disease: Research has shown that people who eat breakfast consume less dietary cholesterol than do people who don't eat breakfast.
• Consume more vitamins and minerals and less fat and cholesterol during the day.Eating breakfast regularly may simply be an indicator of someone who adopts a low-calorie, low-fat diet.

Tips for a healthy breakfast

A healthy breakfast should consist of a variety of foods. To make a healthy breakfast each day, choose one item from at least three of the following four food groups:

• Fruits and vegetables: Consider fresh, whole fruits and vegetables, or 100 percent fruit juice without added sugar.
• Grains: Choose whole-grain cereals, and not refined flour like maida.
• Dairy : Consider skim milk, low-fat yogurt or low-fat cheeses, such as cottage and natural cheeses.
• Protein : Choose lentils and dals, hard-boiled eggs, lean slices of meat and poultry, or fish.

Avoid breakfast loaded with simple sugars (gets digested early and may feel hungry soon) or dripping in oil (may cause drowsiness throughout the day)

Source: Portal Content Development Team