The Best Breakfasts to Start Your Day With
Breakfast is hugely important. Studies show that eating breakfast can improve students' test scores, attendance, and behavior - the same must be true for adults!
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Starting off the day with a nutritious, protein-packed breakfast will help keep you focused, and ensure you won't reach for sugary snacks before lunch. Eating breakfast also helps make sure we're properly nourished, maintains health, brain power, strong bones, and more.
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What's the typical breakfast?
The average breakfast is usually rich in carbohydrates, and includes a bagel, muffin, or cereal, which on average weighs in at about 10 grams of protein. Protein is critical for maintaining muscle mass and brain power, among other things, as proteins are part of every cell, tissue, and organ in our bodies. They are constantly being broken down, and thus we must replace them through the foods we eat. Protein also helps keep us feeling satisfied longer, and our blood sugar more stable - so that we're not hungry soon after breakfastwith no ability to concentrate, or resist the midday muffin or donut.
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Excellent breakfast options?
Some great protein-rich ways to "break the fast" are yogurt with granola or cereal (those with less than 8 grams or sugar per serving are ideal), eggs, or a vegetable omelette with whole-grain toast, a plain yogurt-based fresh or frozen fruit smoothie alongside oatmeal, or a couple of hard-boiled eggs.
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Melting cheese atop a whole-grain bagel, English muffin, or toast is also a protein-rich option. Seed and nut butters like almond, peanut, and sunflower are not only protein-rich but also rich in essential minerals as well; serve with sliced banana or strawberries for a serving of fruit. Nut and seed butters are extremely versatile and can even be mixed in with oatmeal and a sprinkle of cinnamon to increase the nutrition content of this already nutritious breakfast choice.
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Have leftovers? Make breakfast! Who said breakfast had to be sweet?
What are your favorite nutritious breakfasts?
Click here to see the Best Healthy Breakfast Recipes
-Phil Lempert Supermarket Guru, The Daily Meal
