Tips for a Better Breakfast in the Month That Celebrates It

By Sara Butler

Did you know that September is National Better Breakfast Month? It also happens to be National Mushroom Month, National Papaya Month, and National Chicken Month, which all seem to fit together perfectly!

Any time is a good time to discuss how to build a better breakfast routine into your daily grind. Sure, you can grab a cup of coffee and a muffin, but is that the best you can do for breakfast? Many tout breakfast as the most important meal of the day and while there are arguments to be made for and against that, you cannot argue that starting your day off with a good breakfast is beneficial to your health and well-being. Here are some tips from the chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic to help you have a better breakfast in September and beyond.

Breakfast Benefits for Your Health

With breakfast, you have the opportunity to begin each day with a meal that fuels your body and your mind. Studies have found that adults who start their day with a healthy breakfast, on average, get more minerals and vitamins in their diet, have an easier time reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, do better at work, and have better control over their blood sugar.

For children, there are benefits as well. Kids who have breakfast each day have better concentration at school, miss fewer days, get the nutrients their growing bodies need each day, and have an easier time maintaining a healthy weight.

There aren’t a lot of negatives to having a good breakfast.

Healthy Breakfast Basics

You may think that a healthy breakfast needs to be a bland bran muffin or superfood smoothie, but the truth is that as long as your breakfast contains the following elements, you’re getting your day off to an optimal start, nutritionally speaking:

• Lean protein - A source of lean protein such as eggs, nuts, legumes, or lean meat is essential.
• Whole grains - Make sure to include whole-grain bread or bagels, cereals, and waffles into your breakfast for a punch of fiber to keep you feeling fuller for longer.
• Fruits and vegetables - Mix some fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables into your morning egg scramble, frittata, breakfast smoothie, or other breakfast go-to.
• Low-fat dairy - Milk, low sugar yogurt, cottage cheese, and natural cheeses are all a great way to start the day.

The food groups listed above work together to provide your body with protein, fat, complex carbohydrates, and fiber to help you feel full long after breakfast has ended. It also makes a compelling excuse to have breakfast at night.

Tips to Fitting Breakfast Into Your Busy Morning Schedule

One of the biggest reasons people tend to skip breakfast is that they simply don’t feel like they have the time to prepare something when they’re rushing out the door in the morning. That’s fair, since many people would rather spend a few extra minutes hitting the snooze button or need to corral cranky kids. Some people really do have limited time in the morning.

Luckily, there are a few easy ways to fit breakfast into a hectic morning schedule: Do the heavy lifting before you go to bed.

• Prepare something ahead of time - The night before, whip up some overnight oats, a smoothie, or an egg dish you can simply reheat in the morning to eat on your way out the door.
• Pack it - Make a to-go breakfast that you simply need to grab out of the refrigerator to eat on your way.
• Set it up - Save yourself some time by setting out the ingredients and cookware you need the next morning; this will save yourself some prep steps when you feel rushed.

A good morning meal doesn’t have to consume a lot of time to be healthy. As long as you keep these breakfast basics in mind, you’re setting the stage for a day of healthier eating that has long-term benefits to your health and wellness. Give it a try this September -- and then keep doing it year-round!

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this page are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this post is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics, including but not limited to the benefits of chiropractic care, exercise and nutrition. It is not intended to provide or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your chiropractor, physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this page.