Good morning! Happy Friday everyone!

Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day, and you should never skip it. Here I tell you why:

1. It breaks the long fasting period since you last ate the day before.
2. Usually, we have the highest energy requirement in the mornings, specially kids that go to school (and also because they use a lot of the energy they eat to grow)
3. I provides energy in order to make our body function properly.
4. Studies have shown that children who skipped breakfast, had a significantly lower intake of energy for the total day, but the greater energy intakes where from snacks (which had important amounts of added sugars) and also presented a lower intake of fiber, iron and calcium (Ramsay S.,  et al. 2018).
5. It’s a great opportunity to eat fruits, cereals and dairy products, such as milk and yogurt which provide us with fiber, carbohydrates, protein, calcium and vitamins.
6. Breakfast is a great boost to your working and intellectual performance.

For breakfast is better to consume fresh products, such as milk, fruits, oatmeal, healthy fats and whole grain cereals than ultra processed products and sweetened beverages.

Today is very easy to find high numbers of brands of breakfast cereals with lots of health claims such as high fiber, low sodium, reduced fat, no sugar added and so many others, but remember always to check the Nutritional information and ingredients. There are also things you can prepare yourself, don’t need much time or  manipulation, and you can customize it according to your flavor preferences, or even what you have available at home.

This is the way I prepare my oatmeal, and I eat it at least three times per week.

Ingredients:

• 50 g of oats
• 100 ml of milk (whole, skimmed or without lactose, as you prefer) – *You can add more milk to get a softer texture.
• about 1-2 g (or 1/2 tsp) of powdered cinnamon
• Sugar or other sweetener, to taste.
• Fruits (I used 1 banana and  1 medium Kiwi)
• 20 g Granola (I would recommend that you choose one with reduced amount of sugar)
• 1 tsp of linseed
• 1 tsp of chia seeds

Instructions (for microwave)

1. In a small bowl put oats, cinnamon, sugar and milk (you can also add the sweetener after this step) and mix until well combined. Place it in the microwave for about 1 minute and 45 seconds.
2. Once is done, add sliced fruit that you prefer.
3. Top with granola, chia seeds and linseed

If you are not a huge fan of the microwave and have more time to prepare your breakfast, you can use the stove. Put the milk to heat on a pot, and add the oats, sugar and cinnamon. Heat until oats have softened enough to a texture you like, then continue the process above.

I always like to start the day drinking water, so I usually serve a glass to drink before i eat breakfast! Stay hydrated, drink water!

Hope you find this post useful!

References:

Ramsay, S., Bloch T, Marriage B, Shriver L, Spees C, Taylor C,. 2018. Skipping breakfast is associated with lower diet quality in young US children. Eur J Clin Nutr