Every March, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics celebrates National Nutrition Month. National Nutrition Month is a campaign where everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthy habits.
One of the best habits you can incorporate into your daily routine is a healthy breakfast. A healthy breakfast can increase your energy and improve your concentration throughout your day.
Here are 5 healthy breakfast ideas to start your day right.
Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are a no-cook method of making oatmeal. The main ingredient is raw oats, which are one of the best sources of resistant starch. Raw oats pass through your small intestine undigested until they reach your colon. From there, the resistant starch acts as a food source for your good gut bacteria to live in. This helps to balance your gut microbial and keep it healthy.
Raw oats are the main ingredient in overnight oats, but other ingredients can include: milk (dairy or non-dairy), yogurt, and chia seeds. After you build your overnight oats, we recommend letting it sit in your fridge for a minimum of four hours or overnight. In the morning you can add your toppings to your overnight oats. Common overnight oats toppings include: chocolate chips, almonds, fruit, and pumpkin seeds.
Check out this video to learn how to make your quick and healthy overnight oats.
Yogurt Parfait
Yogurt is one of the best foods to incorporate into your diet for gut health because it’s full of natural probiotic cultures that can strengthen and improve your digestive tract.
Not only is a yogurt parfait bowl tasty, it’s also packed with loads of nutrients. While yogurt is full of natural probiotic cultures, berries are a natural prebiotic and provide fuel for the probiotics. Berries are also full of soluble fiber, which contributes to a healthy digestive tract.
How to make a yogurt parfait:
Build your yogurt parfait by adding layers of yogurt and berries into a bowl. Top off your yogurt parfait with a few spoonfuls of granola and other toppings of your choice.
Avocado and Egg Toast
Avocado and egg on toast is a great combination of fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
Avocados are a great source of potassium as well as vitamin C, E, K, and B6. Avocados are also full of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are a healthy fat that can help lower cholesterol and improve heart health.
Eggs are nutritionally rich, supplying almost every nutrient you need. Eggs are regarded as a “complete” source of protein because they contain all nine essential amino acids. They also have an important compound called choline, which is believed to be great for your nerve and brain health.
How to make avocado and egg toast:
Like most of our breakfast options, you can make avocado toast in a variety of ways. We recommend mashing up your avocado on a piece of toasted bread and then adding an egg on top. Your egg can be scrambled, poached, or sunny-side up.
Breakfast Smoothie
With the right blend of ingredients, a breakfast smoothie can be a powerhouse of nutrients. Breakfast smoothies are quick, easy to make, and filling. For breakfast smoothies, we recommend focusing on the ingredients and nutrients that go into the smoothie, rather than the taste.
Food options:
A healthy breakfast smoothie can have a variety of fruits and vegetables in it, including: spinach, frozen berries, frozen cauliflower, frozen mango, and avocados. You can also add a boost of protein and probiotics to your breakfast smoothie by adding a scoop of yogurt.
Base options:
Choose either a non-dairy or dairy milk base, or you can use water.
Supplement options:
Depending on your diet and health, common supplements for breakfast smoothies can include: protein powder, collagen, L-glutamine, spirulina, wheatgrass, and more.
Vegetable Omelet
A vegetable omelet makes for a nutritional and filling meal, whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Eggs are a great source of protein and vitamin B-12, while vegetables provide sources of vitamin C and vitamin K. Together, eggs and vegetables complement one another and make for a quick, delicious, and nutritious breakfast option.
The bottom line
Breakfast is arguably the most important meal of the day because it provides a lot of your day’s total nutrient intake. Those nutrients can increase your energy and improve your concentration throughout the day.
Our team knows how difficult it can be to incorporate breakfast into your busy schedule. If you are stuck for time, we recommend meal prepping some of the easier breakfast ideas, such as overnight oats and yogurt parfaits, the night before. Speak to your doctor or registered dietician to learn more about what breakfast options might be right for you.