Smart Breakfast Tips: Make Your Mornings More Meaningful
Making breakfast a daily habit offers a variety of health benefits and is a great opportunity to get a jumpstart on good nutrition for the day. Enjoying breakfast every morning may significantly increase daily dietary fiber intake, aid in weight management and contribute to increased attention and performance at work and school.1,2 Dieticians of Canada recommends eating a nutrient-dense breakfast on a daily basis. Eating a healthy breakfast has been linked to healthy weights and reduced weight gain over time, improved appetite control and improved intake of key nutrients including calcium, vitamin D, potassium and fibre.3Just adding an 8 ounce glass of 100 percent orange juice to any morning meal provides two servings of fruit.
Cover the basics: For balance, aim to start your day with a variety of nutrient-rich selections, including whole grains, vegetables and fruit. Include 100 percent orange juice; one serving is more nutrient dense than many commonly consumed 100 percent fruit juices, such as prune, grape and apple juices.4
Size up your options: Buy healthy single-serving items, such as low-fat string cheese, yogurt, bananas, unsweetened instant oatmeal, cottage cheese and 8-ounce cartons of 100 percent juice. Having these items on hand makes it easier to quickly assemble a portable morning meal.
Choose foods carefully: Read labels on breakfast and energy bars. Many are high in added sugar and not as healthy as they appear. For your morning orange juice, make sure the label says “100 percent Orange Juice” instead of
orange “drinks,” or “beverages,” which may contain added sugar with very little real fruit juice.
Shake things up: If you’re not in the mood for a full meal in the morning, opt for lighter alternatives. A smoothie is a great way to pack in nutrients and include food from several food groups. Try the Orange Cinnamon Breakfast Boost smoothie recipe above as a simple way to start the day.
Take it to go: Too rushed or not hungry in the morning? Get portable containers and prepare brown bag breakfasts
the night before. Kids can eat them on the way to school and you can save yours for a mid-morning energy boost.