Kickstart your day with breakfast
Are you a breakfast skipper? Many people report not feeling hungry in the morning, running out of time to eat, or being busy feeding everyone else!
When we don’t have breakfast, and skimp on lunch, a common eating pattern across the rest of the day often emerges. By mid-afternoon we’re ravenous and tend to snack, crave unhealthy food, and overeat at dinner because we are so hungry. Then our body has the job of processing all that kai when it’s time to close “the factory” down and go to sleep.
Eating a nutritious breakfast is one way to help change this pattern. By eating more at the start of the day, you will tend to be less hungry in the evening. Having breakfast can also help with those cravings and keep blood glucose levels stable.
Another reason why breakfast is important is that it’s a great opportunity to get some good nutrition into your day. A simple breakfast of Weetbix, yoghurt and fruit will give you fibre, protein, and antioxidants - everything needed to look after your health! If you have children, eating breakfast with them is also a good way to role model healthy eating habits.
Does the idea of changing your morning routine feel a bit daunting?
Try these strategies:
Reduce the size of your evening meals and eat earlier so you’re hungry in the morning.
Aim to give your body a rest from food for 12 hours overnight. If you eat breakfast at 7am aim to finish your evening meal by 7pm.
Prepare some quick and healthy breakfast foods the night before or on the weekend.
Challenge yourself to eat breakfast most mornings for a week. It takes a while to get into a new routine.
Keep some breakfast foods at work (if practical) to enjoy once you arrive.
Switch your breakfast to morning tea or mid-morning snack time instead.
Top tips
Check out our Healthy Breakfast recipes for ideas and inspiration.
