As with other meals, the majority of the benefits reaped from breakfast come from what you eat, and not when you eat. So what should you eat to harness the rewards of breakfast? To help you supercharge your day with a full breakfast, here are five things you should eat for breakfast:
The humble oat is among the most versatile and healthiest of whole grains. Packed with nutrients and dietary fiber, oats leave you feeling full and promote beneficial gut bacteria, which aid with digestion and help protect your immune system. Oats are also associated with a vast array of other health benefits, including lower cholesterol, reduced blood pressure, and improved digestion. You can typically find oats in one of three forms: instant oatmeal, rolled oats, and steel-cut oats. While all three varieties are born from the same grain, instant, rolled, and steel-cut differ in how they’re processed. To maximize the nutritional power of a steel-cut oat breakfast, skip the sugar and try topping your oats with cinnamon, sea salt, almonds, and fresh fruit.
Yogurt has long been touted as a health food, so what makes Greek yogurt so special? This tart treat is crafted by straining out the extra whey found in traditional yogurt, resulting in a creamier, thicker, slightly sour concoction with more protein and less sugar. Greek yogurt is loaded with probiotics to promote healthy gut bacteria, and it’s rich with minerals like calcium and potassium. Greek yogurt also delivers a ton of iodine, which optimizes the function of your thyroid hormones and helps to boost your metabolism. With proper portioning and toppings, eating Greek yogurt for breakfast can leave, you feel satisfied and energized all morning. Try whipping up a Greek yogurt bowl with berries and honey or unsweetened cherries with vanilla extract.
For decades, eggs were villainized as a high cholesterol-causing food. Years later, scientists realized it’s the saturated fat we eat, not the dietary cholesterol, that has the most significant impact on our blood cholesterol. Eating an egg a day may even help boost your good cholesterol. Eggs also provide complete proteins to help develop muscle. After ditching their undeserved bad rap, eggs today are lauded as a “nearly perfect food,” brimming vitamin D, B6, and B12 and minerals like zinc and copper. Perhaps the most eggcellent thing about this mighty breakfast food is their inexpensiveness: Eggs are among the cheapest sources of high-quality protein in town. Wonderfully versatile, you could eat an egg every day without getting bored. Poach them, boil them, fry them, or cook them into omelets and frittatas. Just avoid loading them down with unhealthy ingredients like butter, bacon, or heavy cream—stick to olive oil and veggies instead.
The avocado rose to the status of Instagram’s trendiest toast topper when nutritionists started spreading news of their impressive nutritional benefits. To begin with, they’re bursting with close to 20 vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and vitamins C, E, K, and B-6. They’re the only fruit that packs a hefty punch of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, a type of “good fat” that helps keep your blood sugar levels stable and curbs your appetite. They’re associated with a range of attractive health benefits, from increased energy to healthy complexion to cancer prevention. Best of all, they taste amazing—and not just on avocado toast. Blend them into a smoothie with banana, mango, and coconut milk. Or slice one in half, crack an egg into the hollow, sprinkle on salt and pepper, and bake up an avocado egg cup.
