What is the healthiest food to eat for breakfast?

14 Oct What is the healthiest food to eat for breakfast?

The healthiest food to eat for breakfast is a question that many people struggle with. There are so many options out there, and it can be difficult to know which one will give you the healthiest start to your day. In this article, we’re going to break down what makes a healthy breakfast and how important it is that you have one!

On the subject of routines

If you are currently rolling out of bed, and reaching for your phone and a cup of coffee, followed by a hurried breakfast, eaten in front of your screen, you are not setting yourself up for your best day.

A truly healthy breakfast is not just about the food you eat, but also the behavioural routine that you go through each morning. The good news is that there is a lot of research out there on what a healthy breakfast routine looks like.

The first thing you should do after you get out of bed in the morning is to brush your teeth. Bacteria builds up in your mouth while you sleep. And brushing your teeth will remove this build-up from your mouth, protecting your heart health, and your dental health. You can further enhance this process by scraping the crud off your tongue with a tongue scraper or a teaspoon.

Hydration, hydration, hydration

Then, before anything else, you should pour yourself a big glass of water. Extra points here, for adding the juice of half a lemon to your morning water. If you do, use lemon, on a regular basis, drink the water through a metal straw, so as to protect your tooth enamel.

Hydration is incredibly important as the first part of your day. Sleep is by its very nature, dehydrating, so start the day by rehydrating yourself. By drinking water, you are flushing the system of any toxins that may have built up overnight. This is important for health and weight loss. It will also give your mind a boost in the morning!

Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin

If you have had your vitamin D levels tested (recommended), you will know if you are deficient in vitamin D. Alternatively if you are currently in autumn or winter, and not getting as much sun directly on your skin, or if you are overweight, or elderly, then you may not be getting enough vitamin D. This is the perfect time of the morning to take your supplement.

The best vitamin D supplement that I am aware of is Bioceuticals liquid vitamin D. Add a drop of this to your morning water, or take your tablet, and experience the difference in your health. Vitamin D is one of the healthiest things to take with your breakfast.

It is important to take vitamin D outside of an hour of drinking coffee or tea because the caffeine will decrease the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamin in your body.

Exercise and meditation or the Miracle Morning

At this point, you might want to put your best foot forward and either do 5 – 10 minutes of strength training or 20 – 30 minutes of something fun and active, like walking, dancing, jogging or swimming. Once that is complete, a 10 – 20 minute mindfulness meditation will do wonders for your mind and indeed for your relationships.

What is the healthiest food to eat for breakfast?

EDIT (21/08/24) – when I first wrote this post I was not aware of just how much a green smoothie (if it contains fruit) can spike your blood sugar levels. . . For this reason, I would NOW (as of 21/8/24) suggest a savoury breakfast, incorporating protein and fibre THEN followed by a green smoothie (with as little fruit as you can manage).

I know that some people say that smoothies are generally pretty BAD. The reason for that is that they remove the FIBRE from the fruit, and this gives you a sugar spike. . . This problem can be addressed TO SOME EXTENT by eating a protein and fibre-rich meal BEFORE the sweet green goodness.

The protein and fibre will provide a kind of ‘net’ in your stomach, through which the glucose and sucrose particles from your smoothie will filter through much more slowly, and this will reduce the intensity and DURATION of your sugar spike.

[ORIGINAL article text below (14/10/21)]

And after all THAT, we finally come to the question of what food to eat for breakfast!! I would suggest starting your food day off with the one thing you need more of and probably aren’t getting enough of – leafy greens, and fruit. Making a blender jug full of glowing green smoothie will put some of the healthiest foods into your body straight up!

Depending on your season you can vary the leafy greens you use and the fruit that is in season at that moment. When you are first beginning, I would suggest drinking just a glass or two of this delicious drink, in your morning routine. You can find the recipe here. It is definitely the healthiest food to eat for breakfast.

You can make one batch and drink portions from it for up to four days, saving you time in the kitchen during your morning routine.

[EDIT 21/8/24]

I still continue to recommend a green smoothie, with or without fruit, because I believe that drinking this over time, provides your body with the baseline requirement for LEAFY GREENS, which are possibly some of the healthiest foods you can eat.

If you get into the habit of drinking a green smoothie, your body will start to crave the greens, and then when it isn’t getting ENOUGH of them, it will start to PROTEST! And you will know about it!!

[ORIGINAL TEXT below 14/10/21]

The importance of whole grains – the healthiest food to eat for breakfast

EDIT (21/8/24) – the issue of eating OATS for breakfast is a tricky one that I have not fully RESOLVED. Oats are some of the healthiest foods on the planet that you can EAT.

The problem is that they are usually served with fruit and/or honey or other sweeteners, , , and so, , , THESE will also give you a sugar spike. They are high in fibre, , , and are relatively low GI, but not as sugar spike smoothing as say smoked salmon and baked beans or goats cheese on toast!

I think the GOAL here, is to devise a protein RICH, oats based breakfast, , , which could be used to switch things up with a savoury protein breakfast. I am thinking of adding peanut butter for example, , , and will need to think about this some more.

[ORIGINAL POST text below (14/10/21]

After you have let your green smoothie digest for 15 – 30 minutes (during which time you can have a shower, or finally check your emails), you can prepare the next healthiest food to eat for breakfast. It is very simple and very tasty and very nutritious. It is simply some combination of oats, plant milk and fruit. Either in porridge or oatmeal with ground flaxseed (linseed), cinnamon and a handful of chopped berries or as low-sugar granola with berries, plant-based milk and perhaps a dollop of coconut yoghurt, or a healthy pre-prepared or store-bought low-sugar muesli.

The reason this is so healthy is that it is a combination of healthy starches, healthy fats and healthy proteins. And because it is high in fibre, it will be healthy for the flora in your gut and help move your digestion along during the day. It also means you can stave off hunger for longer than if you just had fruit alone, or a high-sugar cereal.

Eating more protein at breakfast

You could also eat a more protein-rich breakfast, consisting of eggs and vegetables. The healthiest food to eat for breakfast doesn’t have to be just one thing. It could be something that is healthy but also makes you feel satisfied until lunchtime!

Coffee more than an hour after waking up

It is important not to drink coffee immediately after getting out of bed, as the caffeine will alter your blood sugar levels and stimulate your adrenal glands. We recommend not drinking coffee until at least an hour or two after awakening, because this gives your body time to produce the naturally forming hormones like cortisol that help to wake you up and make you feel alert in the morning.

Furthermore, while coffee is filled with healthful antioxidants and has been shown to help protect us from some forms of cancer, it is a good idea to drink it once you already have food in your stomach, so that the caffeine is not interfering with your digestion of food.

[EDIT 21/08/24] – This also MAY be problematic.

From the imperatives of REDUCING INFLAMMATION in your body as much as possible (I read an article about a 59 year old woman who has a metabolic age of 21 on the weekend!), fasting is a very healthy habit to get into.

And to make fasting possible, it is usually necessary to drink COFFEE. . . on an empty stomach. . . Maybe this is the hit to your adrenal glands that is just going to have to withstand. .. I just got a package of some kind of coconut CREAMER. . . The idea is that you drink black coffee with the creamer in it, , , first thing and then don’t eat lunch until 1 pm. . .

These periods of fasting have been shown in evidence based studies again and again, to reduce inflammation.

On that topic, it is eating MEAT that also increases inflammation in the body, , , so my task now is to try to resolve the conflict between blood sugar management (and possibly weight management) and INFLAMMATION in the body.

[ORIGINAL POST TEXT below (14/10/21)

What health benefits does coffee have?

Coffee has numerous health benefits for both mind and body, including antioxidant properties that help protect against some forms of cancer. Some research shows that drinking three to five cups a day can reduce the risk of type-two diabetes by up to 50%, and a study on postmenopausal women showed that those who drank coffee had a 20% lower rate of depression.

Caffeine can also improve health in another way by increasing metabolism, which increases the body’s ability to burn off more calories from food or drink. Finally, drinking coffee before strength training is known to increase your endurance for the activity by up to 20%.

Summary of the healthiest food to eat for breakfast

• Water
• Vitamin D
• Protein, fibre (and possibly good fat) savoury breakfast
• Green smoothie (with leafy greens)
• Whole grains such as oats, seeds and nuts
• Coffee

A healthy morning routine can take months to perfect

Don’t be discouraged if you struggle to implement the full routine on the first go. We would advise starting with the change that you will find the easiest to implement, and then progressively working up the change that you will find the hardest.

Seize the day

And now that you have started your day by eating the healthiest food for breakfast and taking good care of your mind, body and spirit, what good will you do on this day? Following the same routine for breakfast, each day cuts down on the amount of decision-making you need to do and will give you the fuel to crush your goals today. So, start with the smallest, easiest change tomorrow, and start your day right!

What is one small change you want to make this week? Tell me in the comments below.

Image credits

“Monday morning” by Jovo Milanovic is licensed under CC BY 2.0