Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Enjoying a healthy and filling breakfast sets the tone for a full day of energy. Also, eating nutrient-dense foods is one surefire way to give your body the boost it needs to conquer your day and complete your daily tasks. The ATHENS FORCE Nutrition Team spills the tea on the tips for healthy breakfast ideas!

By the term "healthy" breakfast we refer to a meal that you consume in the morning and contains a variety of nutrient-rich foods that contribute to optimal well-being of the body and cover your energy needs. In a few words: 

• Contains fiber, protein, and "healthy" fats

• Does not contain sugar and fat (saturated and trans)

But let's look at it in more detail!

Here are some tips and ideas for a nutritious and tasty breakfast meal that will fill you up with energy and will make you say yes to easy and healthy options for breakfast so you don't miss it again.

1. Add "healthy" fats to your breakfast

Thanks to the ketogenic diet becoming quite popular in recent years, we are starting to see that more and more people understand that fats are not as bad as they thought! In fact, healthy fats are especially important for our health and are an excellent addition to a balanced diet.

Specifically, fat is an important source of energy when it is present in our breakfast as it can give us that morning boost of energy we all need! Fatty acids (phospholipids) are structural components of cell membranes as well as nervous tissue and participate in the transport of various hormones. The consumption of fats is important as it helps in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K) and causes the feeling of saturation. We choose foods that contain monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats while avoiding trans fats and consuming a small amount of saturated fats (at a rate of 10% daily). "Healthy" fats include omega-3 fatty acids that play a key role in brain health and inflammation.

Ideas to add fats to your breakfast

• Add a tablespoon of almond butter or peanut butter to your porridge (oatmeal).

• Add to your omelet with vegetables and a few slices of avocado, or combine together with a slice of multigrain bread (open toast).

• Enjoy a bowl of Greek yogurt (or coconut milk yogurt for a dairy-free option) with fruit or oats and top with some raw nuts like almonds or walnuts.

2. Add protein to your breakfast

Protein is a macronutrient that should be present in our breakfast. As it helps promote satiety when included in our breakfast we achieve the consumption of a satisfying breakfast that will help us to resist cravings until our next meal. The simultaneous existence of protein and carbohydrates in your meal has the effect of avoiding a sudden increase in blood sugar, which is important for post-meal cravings.

Ideas to add protein to your breakfast

• The idea of open toast is already mentioned with a combination of boiled egg, some cheese cottage cheese, and some avocado on a slice of bread.

• Add chia seeds or flaxseed to a bowl of Greek yogurt and a tablespoon of almond butter.

• Whole wheat tortilla with two eggs (scrambled, boiled or poached) and vegetables (green and red pepper, cherry tomatoes, cucumber)

• A large nut with cottage cheese, fruit of your choice and 1 teaspoon of honey

• Combine a smoothie with berries, spinach, almond milk and a scoop of protein of your choice.

3. Avoid processed foods

To achieve a healthy breakfast, we must avoid processed foods. These usually contain high amounts of sugar and processed carbohydrates and their consumption can be particularly harmful and contributes to the creation of inflammation in the body. Processed foods (mainly fried) that contain hydrogenated fats (trans fats) and various vegetable oils (such as soybean oil and corn oil) as well they promote inflammation and damage the endothelial cells of the arteries.

Processed foods are known to be high in "unhealthy" fats and have low fiber content. The consumption of fiber at breakfast is important as it helps bring on the feeling of satiety and contributes to good gut health. Avoid options that are rich in sugar (such as cakes and pastries that hide a lot of calories in a small volume), or options that are convenient and easy you find in every bakery or cafe in the neighborhood but contain high amounts of saturated fats such as pizza, cheese pie, and other puff pastry products.

Ideally, a healthy breakfast contains a combination of complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and proteins.

Here are some favorite ingredients that you can choose and match in your breakfast.

Complex Carbohydrates

• Whole grains such as wheat and oats

• Quinoa

• Sweet potato (cubed addition to omelettes)

Healthy fats

• Avocado

• Nuts and seeds

• Nut butters

• Olives & olive oil

• Eggs

• Greek yogurt

Protein

• Eggs

• Greek yogurt

• Dairy or vegetable products

• Nuts and seeds

• Quinoa

• Tahini

4. Prepare your breakfast "for the road"

Although it is known that a good breakfast gives the energy to start our day, many skip it due to a lack of time. People who skip breakfast meal tend to choose unhealthy snacks for their tenth meal and/or to eat more at noon than if they had consumed a good breakfast. If you often skip breakfast or buy your breakfast from a bakery or coffee shop with your morning coffee, you might want to follow the one below tip for a healthy breakfast. Try making your breakfast the day before evening so you can take it with you to enjoy at work when/if your work permits.

Here are some quick and nutritious breakfast ideas you may already have on hand to prepare whenever they do not require preparation time in the morning.

• Overnight oats: a combination of oats with milk or yogurt and ingredients such as fruit, nuts or nut butters, seeds, honey, tahini, cocoa, cinnamon (and the list goes on!). In a bowl, mix the ingredients of your choice and leave the mixture in the fridge all night to enjoy it in the morning.

• Chia pudding: combine chia seeds with almond milk, and add oats, honey, banana, and blueberries. Mix the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate the mixture overnight or at least 3-5 hours (until set pudding).

• Egg muffins: Egg muffins are like small omelet soufflés that can they contain various combinations of vegetables and are perfect for brunch or one quick breakfast Chop and mix the vegetables of your choice into one bowl with beaten eggs. Add the mixture to a muffin tin and put in the oven for 20 minutes.

• Homemade granola: You can prepare granola at home and enjoy it in your breakfast along with a bowl of low-fat yogurt with milk of your choice or as a healthy snack. Mix oats with chia seeds, cinnamon, honey and in a bowl, put the mixture in the oven for 15 minutes, and your granola is ready.

• Smoothies: You can choose the flavors that suit you and you like. Combine milk and yogurt (high-quality protein sources) with fruit and nuts (sources of vitamins and fiber) to create one healthy breakfast for the road. Smoothie idea with a glass of oat milk, a banana, a tablespoon of cocoa powder, a teaspoon of honey, and a little cinnamon.

Set the tone for a good day with a healthy breakfast!

A productive day really starts with breakfast. Breakfast is an important meal that we should not skip as by consuming it you supply your body with nutrients and energy to start your day. So just like that morning cup of coffee is for many part of their morning routine, it should also be the healthy breakfast with which you will supply your body for the rest of the day. That's why you should choose a balanced, nutritious, and healthy breakfast.