A lot has been said about breakfast being the most important meal of the day and choosing the right food combination to help you kickstart the day. In fact, online debates have raged on what constitutes a good breakfast.
Some like the traditional eggs and bacon meal and its variations, like the full English breakfast, while some go crazy with the latest fads like quinoa and flavor-of-the-month-berry smoothies.
Well, it’s about time that someone looked at simple middle ground solutions. We will be looking at foods that are micronutrient-dense, with the right balance of macronutrients as well, and with a reasonable number of calories.
In essence, foods that are healthy, diet-friendly, and can still give you enough energy to get through the day. Let’s take a look at our top options.
- Egg white and cheese omelet
There’s nothing inherently bad in eating eggs, but they can pack quite a few calories, particularly if you drown them in vegetable oil when you fry them. For a much healthier recipe, you can use a bit of butter, 1 whole egg and 2-4 egg whites and add some cheese into the mix.
Cottage cheese is a good option and, if you can get your hands on it, Camel cheese. There are some great camel milk benefits and its unique rich taste goes well lightly seasoned egg whites – you can use powdered garlic, pepper, and curcumin.
- Oatmeal, seeds, and fruit combo
Now, there’s a whole lot of talk about magical “superfoods” and the best muesli to speed up your metabolism, but let’s not get carried away. What we have here is a very basic yet incredibly effective breakfast that anyone can make in minutes. And the best thing is that you don’t have to spend a fortune on it – you can find all the ingredients in any local store.
Get a bag of rolled oats, some low-fat milk, a handful of pumpkin or sunflower seeds, and a bunch of fruit and you’re ready to rock. You can use bananas, blueberries, strawberries, or anything you like really.
- A big bowl of tuna salad
There’s no one recipe to rule them all when it comes to salads. In fact, that’s what makes them great in the first place – you can mix and match different vegetables and experiment all you like. The basic ingredients are leafy greens like spinach, kale, and lettuce, some carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, cheese, and, of course, tuna.
It’s quick and easy to make, but you should avoid using calorie-dense toppings like mayo or sauces. Go with some salt, vinegar, and olive or flaxseed oil, and you have a great little pick-me-up in the morning.
- Light chicken whole-wheat pasta
Yes, that’s right, the dreaded pasta! A plate of pasta here and there isn’t going to make you obese overnight, nor is it going to make you feel weak and lethargic. That being said, whole-wheat pasta is a better option because it has more fiber and nutrients.
Just boil, dry out, and then lightly fry up some chicken breast topped with paprika, salt, and curry (if you like the taste) and add it to the pasta. You can slap a couple of tablespoons of greek yogurt on top and you’re good to go.
- Stir-fry bonanza
This is one of those recipes that you can use for breakfast and then pack up in a Tupperware container and have a lunchtime meal ready to go later in the day. Use a little bit of oil on medium heat and add in your pre-chopped vegetables. You can cut up some bell peppers, a zucchini, an onion, leek, some spinach, mushrooms, even some cooked beans.
It’s best to combine it with chicken, but ground beef also works well, or just add a couple of fried eggs on top and break the yolk so it drizzles all over the veggies. Use any seasoning you like, but rosemary and basil usually go well with most types of stir-fry. Again avoid caloric topings.
With a little bit of time in the kitchen and a few inexpensive ingredients, you can make an exceptionally tasty and filling breakfast. Work on your cooking skills and you’ll be amazed at how great you’ll food will taste.
