The importance of breakfast

If you're not used to eating breakfast, here's a few tips to help you potentially change a habit.



Why should you eat breakfast?

1. It's been 8 hours since you last ate so your body needs food. If you skip breakfast then at around 9:45am you get very hungry. The result? You head for the cafe and fill up on a muffin (which are actually small cakes), a slice or do a vending machine blitz. A quick snack hit but fat and sugar filled.

2. A good breakfast gives you the energy you need for a great day. It fills up your fuel tank so you can power through your day. You can then top up your tank with fruit, wholemeal breads and great protein like tuna, chicken and baked beans during the day.

3. It reduces stress. Having breakfast gets you to slow down just a bit and helps you ease into your day smoothly. Ever seen Mr. Bean get ready for work when he's late?!

4. If you're not seeing too much of your wife, husband or partner, then having breakfast together gives you some extra time!

If you don't like eating breakfast in the morning, try these simple tips:

- Have fruit like bananas, oranges and apples. Go for the slightly green bananas ones, they are less sweet
- Orange slices and a pot of yoghurt. Get fresh juice, a vitamin C hit and calcium in one go
- Make a smoothie. In a blender put yogurt, banana and any other healthy goodies you want. No blender? Just beat it all with a fork. Put in a thermo mug and drink on your way to work
- Toasted wholemeal bread. Put hummus and sliced tomatoes on top rather than sweet spreads
- Fruit salad, bircher muesli, wholemeal toast with sliced tomato

If you've got a big day ahead and you know you won't have time to eat properly then go for:
- Porridge. Make your own or buy microwave porridge. Done in the microwave in 5 minutes. To really stack the odds in your favour, throw on chopped nuts, linseed and fresh fruit.
- Bircher style Muesli. Very good for your insides!

No time in the morning? Then eat breakfast at work. Keep a supply of microwave porridge or cereal and a bowl of fruit in your office. While your PC is coming to life, heat up your porridge and slice up your banana.

Having breakfast stops you snacking on high fat and high sugar foods later in the day. It's a very simple way to lose weight plus you'll eat more fruit, more fibre and be less stressed - and that's all good!

This info is from the Cancer Society's LiveSmart website