It’s sometimes quite surprising, when you talk to people at school, college or work, to find out just how many people skip breakfast on a regular basis. In January 2017, a survey run by The Express newspaper revealed that a staggering 50% of Britons claim that they do not have time to eat breakfast in the morning1. For many people breakfast just isn’t considered a necessary meal.
Is Breakfast the Most Important Meal of the Day?
There are a number of different opinions out there regarding the importance of breakfast. Without any doubt, breakfast is certainly an important meal and gives you the opportunity to start your day right. On the other hand, it’s quite clear that a lot of people do not appreciate this, so why should you be making time to eat a highly nutritious breakfast every morning?
You must consider that when you wake up you haven’t eaten or hydrated with any water for however long you’ve been asleep. For most people this will be somewhere between 6-8 hours. This is a long time to go without food or water. Even when you’re asleep your body is still using energy. For example, if you regularly weight train then your body will recover as you sleep and repair muscle.
What Makes a Good Breakfast?
It’s all well and good setting time aside to have breakfast, but you also need to make sure you’re eating the right foods. Eating a good breakfast can help prepare and energise you for the day ahead.
An ideal breakfast should contain:
- Healthy carbohydrate source
- Fibre
- Protein
Your carbohydrates source should slowly release energy over an extended period of time, to help keep you fuelled for the morning. Try to resist opting for fast releasing carbohydrate options, such as sugary pastries, white bread or cereals, as these will cause a short energy spike, followed by a crash, which will only lead to you feeling tired and lethargic later on.
You might be surprised at how much sugar is in your cereal. You could try and opt for healthier alternatives. Choose carbohydrates like oats or whole-wheat as alternatives, which are slow release.
Fibre is an extremely important component of a healthy diet and it will also help to keep you feeling full. Fruit would be a good choice in the morning due to its fibre content.
It would be a good idea to incorporate protein in your morning breakfast routine. A good aim is to consume around 20g to 30g of protein in the morning. You could use Liquid Egg Whites to provide a convenient protein source that can be consumed raw or cooked. Just 200ml of egg whites contain 22.4g of protein.
Healthy Breakfast Ideas
It seems like time can be the biggest restraint in the morning. To save you rushing and give you some extra precious minutes in bed, here are a few quick, healthy breakfast ideas for you.
Protein Porridge Pots – Protein Porridge Pots are a highly convenient breakfast to have in the morning. All you have to do is add boiling water, meaning you can have a highly nutritious breakfast ready in just 1 minute – perfect for anyone who’s short on time in the morning. Each pot contains up to 22g of protein, up to 5g of fibre and just 4.7g of fat. If you need convenience then look no further.
Complete Protein Porridge™ – Protein porridge is a popular choice for those looking to make a healthy choice in the mornings. Each serving contains over 22g of protein and an impressive 35g of carbs, meaning you can start your day right and fuel yourself until your next meal.
Complete Breakfast Smoothie™ – BULK POWDERS® Complete Breakfast Smoothie™ provides a great tasting source of fibre, contains over 23g of protein and comes in two tasty flavours: Strawberry & Banana and Blueberry & Raspberry to give you a reason to get out of bed in the morning!
All of the products above prove that even if you’re short on time there really is no excuse to skip breakfast.
Don’t Skip Breakfast!
Breakfast is such an important meal to make sure you start the day right. A healthy breakfast may mean you’re motivated to continue your day in a healthy way. Hopefully, after reading this article you understand the importance of breakfast and how it can support your training goals, whatever they may be. You also should now realise that even if you’re short on time in the morning it’s still possible to have a healthy breakfast.
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About the Author
Alex Genzel is passionate about health and fitness having been involved in a number of competitive sports from an early age. He has been writing about sports nutrition and training for a number of years, alongside pursuing his passion for bodybuilding and desire to become a certified personal trainer. As well as writing for BULK POWDERS® Alex also has his own blog where he shares his training experiences and advice on supplements.
