Energy Boosting Breakfast Ideas to WAKE YOU UP
The foods we eat in the morning set the scene for our eating habits throughout the day, and what better way to rise and shine than with a breakfast of champions to fuel us with energy? Incorporating a mix of energy-boosting foods earlier in the day will not only help power us through to lunch but also sharpens our brains.
What is the Definition of an Energy-Boosting Food?
First off, it will have a moderate amount of protein and/or fiber to keep you satiated for hours, as well as keeping your blood sugar steady and cravings at bay. It should be packed with vitamins and minerals that help fuel all the body’s metabolic pathways, specifically iron, B12, and CoQ10.
All food will give you energy, though different types of foods will energize you in different ways, and for varying lengths of time. Energy-boosting foods have a few attributes, including hydrating properties, complex carbohydrates, which take longer for the body to digest and provide a slow and stable release of energy, and feature healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, which the body uses for energy.
Other features include lean proteins and B vitamins, which help the body convert glucose into energy.
What Foods Are Best Avoided?
As our busy lives gather pace, reaching for that all-too-convenient food on the go may seem like the obvious option, but it’s not necessarily the most energy-boosting. I personally would recommend avoiding packaged and highly processed foods as they’re typically low in fiber and protein, and high in sugar, chemicals, and preservatives. Although sugary foods may temporarily spike your energy, once insulin is released to bring blood glucose back to normal, you will experience a crash and most likely crave more sugar-filled foods.
Registered Dietitian, Rebecca Washuta touches upon the lack of nutrients in such foods. Simple carbs, like donuts and other sugary treats, are high in calories but low in the good stuff and are best to avoid in the mornings as ultimately, they will leave you feeling tired and hungry before lunch. She also outlines the importance of consuming a healthy breakfast as an optimum way to kick-start your metabolism.
Sugary and fatty fried foods aside, a few other considerations include refined and processed grains, like those found in white bread or cereal, which contain less fiber than their whole-grain counterparts. Because of this, they are digested more quickly by the body, which causes a quick spike in blood sugar and a crash later in the day. The same is true for foods labeled “low calorie" which are often “loaded with added sugars that can crash your energy levels.