DALLAS (BP)–Growing up in North Central Texas in the ‘70s afforded me the privilege of watching Icky Twerp and Slam Bang Theatre each school day during breakfast. Notice I said, “during breakfast.” There was no such thing as skipping breakfast in my home. My mother called it “brain food.”
Think of breakfast as jumper cables to jump-start your body (engine) each morning. By the time morning rolls around most of us have not eaten anything since supper. That could be up to 12 hours without food. What fuel do you expect your body to work on if you don’t give it breakfast? I’ve heard all of the excuses, but I’ll list a few for your entertainment:
— “I don’t have time to eat breakfast.”
Perhaps it’s true that you don’t have time to prepare a breakfast and then sit down at the table to eat it, but you can take breakfast on the road. And, it doesn’t have to be “breakfast foods.” You need a fruit/vegetable, fiber and protein. Here are a few ideas: fruit, yogurt and granola; blended drinks in a thermos; low calorie instant breakfast drink; peanut butter and banana on wheat toast, alongside milk; breakfast cereal in a small glass and milk in a non-spill container.
— “Don’t doughnuts count as breakfast?”
In truth, one doughnut would count for both breakfast and lunch based on the fat content. One glazed doughnut has about 13 grams of fat, of which 5.2 grams is saturated. Doughnuts are not a healthy choice for anyone.
— “If I eat breakfast I get hungry before lunch.”
Then eat a mid-morning snack. Getting hungry before lunch means your metabolism is working. Metabolism is basically the process of your body turning food into energy. You need energy for even the basics; breathing, circulating blood, repairing cells, etc. You want to get your metabolism started each morning. This is a good thing!
— “I don’t like breakfast foods.”
You don’t have to like traditional breakfast foods. There are no rules as long as you consume a fruit/vegetable, a source of fiber and a source of protein.
Be creative. Be original. But be sure you get breakfast every day.
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Tamara Quintana is a graduate of All Saints Episcopal Hospital School of Vocational Nursing and the director of the employee wellness program for GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
