Healthy ideas for your morning meal

Heard the old adage of eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper? Well it's true- this is an ideal way to eat but the opposite to how most of us currently eat.

Chances are you already know that eating breakfast is good for you. A meal in the morning boosts your energy and brainpower and can ward off mood swings and overeating later in the day. But even if your morning ritual includes breakfast, you may still be short-changing your health.

Starting your day with a healthy breakfast will ensure that you make it to lunch with high energy levels and feeling great. Breakfast is literally "breaking your fast" and should be thought of as a power meal rather than an inconvenience. It should it kick start your metabolism, get your brain firing on all cylinders and give you energy for the entire morning.

If you constantly find you're too busy for breakfast you may need to reconsider your priorities. If you are truly busy then you need to know how to get the most out of your day- running out of steam at 10am would not be an option!

So what constitutes the perfect breakfast? Ideally it's a combination of protein, low GI carbs, omega 3 essential fatty acids and fibre.

Protein

Although all food gives you energy, protein-rich foods keep you going longer because protein slows your body's absorption of carbohydrates. What's more, protein tempers blood sugar fluctuations, preventing the spikes and crashes that can leave you hungry and drained.

Protein is essential as it provides all the building blocks, amino acids, for your entire body. Amino acids are needed in order to build neurotransmitters, important substances that are taken into the brain and control your mood, how you think and feel, alertness, your level of relaxation, and your memory. The balance of neurotransmitters is also important; a lot of one will have you feeling happy however a deficiency of another will leave you feeling unmotivated or tired.

The quality of a protein is determined by its balance of amino acids. Complete proteins are those that contain all 8 "essential" amino acids. These are the amino acids that cannot be manufactured by the body are therefore must be obtained from the diet. Complete proteins are obtained from animal sources but different foods can be combined in order to form complete proteins. Some complete proteins include eggs, milk, fish, cheese, poultry and meat. For vegetarians choose tofu, tempeh and beans (think breakfast burrito).

The Australia Nutrition Society recommend 1gm of protein per 1kg of body weight per day (approximately 60-75 g/day)- a third of this should be eaten at breakfast.

Choosing the right carbs- step away from the white bread!

Low GI carbohydrates release energy into your body much more slowly than high GI carbs and this keeps your energy levels even and consistent. Studies show children fed a high GI breakfast suffer from decreased energy levels and are more likely to put on weight. Low GI carbs include wholegrains (such as oats or multigrain bread), fruit, eggs and milk so make sure that you include one of these in your breakfast. Besides often containing beneficial fiber, foods rich in complex carbs contain vitamins and minerals, which help your body digest, absorb, and metabolize protein, fat, and carbohydrates.

Get the Good Fats

Including fat is a scary prospect for some but don't let the name fool you- certain amounts of the right fats are vital for optimal health. Were talking the heart healthy, monounsaturated fats here, like nuts, olive oil, and avocados. Flaxseeds, rich in omega-3 fats, are a wise choice, as are chai seeds, salmon, sardines, anchovies, tuna and mackeral.

Omega 3 essential fatty acids are vital for many functions within your body such as brain health. They're essential for your memory, learning and reasoning, plus they provide optimal hormone balance and work to prevent cardiovascular disease. Omega 3s are extremely anti-inflammatory and therefore decrease your risk factor of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer. Including fat at breakfast is important for properly bodily function but also helps you feel full.

Fill up on Fibre

Fibre ensures that you feel full and your bowels are regular. Recent research has shown that eating fibre regularly will help you to lose weight, stabilise blood sugar, lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Water soluble fibre such as oats, flaxseeds and barley are the most beneficial for weight loss as they keep you feeling full.

So how can you implement these concepts into workable breakfast options? The answer is to get organised! Plan your breakfast ahead of time and ensure you have healthy ingredients on hand. You'll feel much better for it! It'll put a spring in your step and you'll have a much calmer, happier day. It's your body's way of thanking you for that extra bit of time and effort you put into providing it with a nourishing breakfast.

Our Top 10 Breakfast Suggestions

1. Two Egg Omelette with Mushrooms and Spinach – a protein rich start to the day
2. Fetta Scrambled Eggs – a protein-rich, low GI breaky that is guaranteed to keep you energetic all day long
3. Wholemeal Spelt Flour Pancakes with Fresh Fruit & Natural Yoghurt – great for weekend breakfasts or a special brunch. See our recipe for details.
4. Cinnamon Stewed Fruit with Amaranth Porridge – a fibre filled breakfast,cinnamon is clinically proven to stabilise blood sugar levels and has strong hypoglycaemic properties. The perfect answer to sugar cravings!
5. Hot Quinoa Flake Cereal with Apple, Cinnamon & Flaxseeds – quinoa is a seed that is incredibly high in protein. Quinoa can be found in the health food aisle of most large supermarkets, or good health food stores.
6. Scrambled Tofu with Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs – a healthy option for vegetarians as tofu is high in protein
7. Wholegrain sourdough toast with Avocado, Tomato & Basil – a perfect combination of low GI and omega 3s
8. Better Bircher- a homemade soaked muesli of wholegrain oats, nuts. Oats, seeds and a little dried fruit are soaked in water or milk overnight. Add a little yoghurt and fresh fruit on serving and voila - low-GI breaky with omega 3's and protein. See our recipe for details.
9. Smoothies- think protein powder, milk or milk alternative, a little natural yoghurt or kefir with some fresh or frozen fruit. Add some flaxseeds or chia seeds for omega 3 and season to taste with honey, stevia, cinnamon and vanilla extract. For a truly nutrient rich breakfast add in a super food or two like raw cacao or maca powder or a wholefood powdered supplement.
10. Leftovers- often underrated as a simple, quick nutritious breakfast. Last night's meat and vege leftovers can be an ideal breakfast choice.