I light up at the word breakfast and wince at the word diet.
Perfecting a bacon, cheese, and spinach omelet is a passion of mine, but when it comes to navigating Davenport and trying to keep healthy, the keys are balance and moderation.
You may have heard it said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but what if it’s not your thing? According to Health Magazine’s website, a good breakfast can set you up with the right energy and satisfaction to make smart choices for the rest of your day! If that’s not enough encouragement, a healthy breakfast can help keep you from overeating at lunch and even later on.
Health Magazine cites Erica Giovinazzo, MS, RD, a nutritionist in New York City, recommending these guidelines for building a great first meal: “[A]im for a breakfast that combines good carbs and fiber with some protein.”
Breakfast is a real obstacle course when it comes to avoiding carbo-loading—especially at the dining hall—but luckily it’s also the best time to be consuming most of your day’s carbs, as you’ll have the rest of day’s activities to help burn them off.
Good carbohydrates include oatmeal, whole grains, and fruits like bananas. These will load you with energy and keep you fuller longer! Refined carbs like the pancakes I picked Monday morning aren’t going to be the best for you, but I like to keep a balance between healthy and happy…so keeping portions of carbs small is where you can pull the moderation card. I plead the moderation card on my pancakes, tator tots, and bacon…definitely could have had more!
Exercise some baby steps by trading some items you like for similar ones with extra health benefits. It’s all about progress in building up good habits you’ll actually keep! On my two pancakes, instead of syrup, I opted for honey. Honey is known to have antibacterial and stomach soothing properties. In truth, natural maple syrup has less sugar, calories, and carbohydrates, as well as more potassium, than the honey I chose. However, most syrup you’ll come across around here is not going to be perfectly natural and will most likely contain other ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and extra salt, artificial flavors and colors.
It’s tricky business elevating items to a “superfood” status—especially with how complicated ingredient lists can be with the foods we believe to be good for us. Keep in mind that health isn’t a trend to make you seem like a better person, but something vital to your overall well-being.
Getting creative is always a motivational boost so experiment with different combinations of nutrients! My scrambled eggs gave me some good protein but plain yogurt is a good source of both calcium and protein. I had some on top of a small bowl of watermelon and topped it off with some granola and cinnamon sugar for extra flavor and a mix of texture.
Fun fact: Health Magazine promotes watermelon as a great source of lycopene, a nutrient awesome for vision, heart health, and cancer prevention! Melons like this as well as cantaloupe and honeydew will help you wake up with hydration as well as keep you full until it’s time for lunch! There is always plenty of melon at Davenport for every meal!
As a general rule, a smaller plate will help you remember your limits, and can even look healthier with a little bowl of fruit on top. The compartments might just it look a little more structured and make you feel like you’ve got a little more discipline than you actually do! I know I need work on that.
When making healthier steps makes you feel good, you’ll be more likely to stick with a new routine. So start your day right and have a great morning!