Breakfast for a healthy body

Do you eat breakfast?  Do you know what you should be eating for a healthy start to your day?  Read on!

First you should know how many calories you need per day.  If you don't already know here's an easy way to find out. 

Now that you know how many calories you need per day, you can calculate how many you need for breakfast & that's simple.  Ideally you want to aim for 25-30% of calories for the day.  

I eat between 1,800-2,000 calories per day (depending on activity it may be more).  For ease, let's use 2,000.  That's 500-600 calories I should eat for breakfast.  That sounds like a lot, right?  Think of it like this.  How often, when you eat breakfast, do you feel absolutely starved mid morning?  

Let's talk about what we should be eating for a healthy breakfast.  

*Carbohydrates & fiber from fruit, veggies and/or beans.  

*Protein from dairy, eggs or beans.  

*Juice is fine but fruit is better because it still has the fiber.  But if your stomach is sensitive in the AM & juice is easy on it, go for it.

Donuts & pastries aren't the best option but every now and then we can enjoy them bit.  Remember that moderation is key.  

I made this pic smaller to remind you to eat less donuts :)

Here's a few comparison breakfast choices

Poor: donuts/pastries -- Better: muffin with extra fiber -- Best: oatmeal with fruit and nuts added

Poor: white bagel -- Better: whole grain bagel -- Best: whole grain toast with peanut butter, avocado or hummus

Poor: sugary cereal with milk -- Better: high fiber cereal with fruit with milk or soy milk -- Best: regular (or eggwhite) omelet with veggies or beans

Let's address the whole 'morning exercising on an empty stomach' thing.  That's something that some folks believe is going to help them burn more fat this way.  The problem is, it doesn't look at the big picture.  Exercising on empty, with no fuel, is going to decrease the intensity and endurance that you're able to put into the workout & therefore you'll end up burning fewer calories.  So please eat before morning workouts, even if it's just a piece of toast or a banana.

It may seem like a hard habit to get into but it doesn't have to be fancy. Have a supply of easy backups like breakfast bars (these would fall into the "better" category) or even raid the fridge for leftovers in the AM.  -- Written by Emily Collins, owner of OnTrack Fitness