Opinions differ when it comes to the first meal of the day. Is it better to eat early, yes or no? And which breakfast is the healthiest?
According to many nutrition guides, it is the most important meal of the day: breakfast. A healthy, balanced start can determine the whole day. After all, we can live off what we eat first for a long time. But what is the healthiest breakfast? HEIDELBERG24 explains how you can really do something good for yourself with the first meal of the day.
Is breakfast really healthy?
In fact, the question of how important breakfast is for a healthy diet is not entirely uncontroversial in nutritional science. Some criticize the meal as an unnecessary calorie intake. Others criticize the fact that breakfast causes blood sugar levels to rise sharply.
However, this is in stark contrast to the other side, which postulates that skipping breakfast is linked to obesity, arterial disease and diabetes. The only scientific consensus, according to “Geo”: Children and adolescents who do not eat breakfast are at a higher risk of the above-mentioned problems. The reasons for this are disputed, however.
What should you eat first thing in the morning?
The German Nutrition Society (DGE) still recommends eating and drinking something within two hours of getting up. And if we do eat breakfast, it's best to eat it healthily and in a way that keeps us full for a long time. After long hours of sleep, it's important to get some energy back. If you don't have much time in the morning, you can make yourself a quick, healthy breakfast.
This includes mainly liquid, but also various nutrient groups. As Öko-Test also advises, a healthy breakfast should contain a particularly large number of different nutrients. Basically, the same applies as for a healthy diet. A particularly varied and healthy breakfast contains healthy carbohydrates, fiber, proteins and vitamins. It is also low in sugar and salt. Ideal are:
- Whole grain
- fresh fruit
- Vegetables
- Nuts
- healthy fats
- protein
What is the healthiest thing for breakfast?
According to the list, a healthy breakfast would best consist of homemade muesli or wholemeal bread. A particularly healthy muesli can be made with oatmeal, for example. Mix in some fruit and nuts – which are the healthiest of them – a little yoghurt and milk or a vegan substitute.
If you prefer a hearty breakfast bread, you can make wholemeal bread. With quark, cottage cheese or a vegan substitute and fresh vegetables such as peppers, tomato or cucumber slices, you will get your money's worth. The following list shows the top 3 cheapest breakfasts:
- Bircher muesli
- Wholemeal bread with toppings
- (Green) Smoothie
Healthy breakfast without hunger?
If you can't get a bite down in the morning, you shouldn't force yourself to eat. It's better to wait until your stomach starts to complain later. But if you really have to eat something, you can opt for smoothies – but you should bear in mind that the ready-mixed fruit drink is often not that healthy and is too sweet. To ensure that a smoothie remains a healthy breakfast, it needs to contain lots of greens.
Spinach, chard, rocket, lamb's lettuce, kale, black cabbage or savoy cabbage are suitable on the one hand, and cucumber and avocado on the other. Fruit can of course also be added, but in smaller quantities. And the drink should be diluted with as little fruit juice as possible, and with more water or vegetable juice. The smoothie should also not be pureed too smoothly.
Which breakfast does not raise blood sugar?
If you want to keep an eye on your blood sugar levels at breakfast, you should eat a diet rich in protein and fiber and few complex carbohydrates. This can also be achieved wonderfully with a muesli with the best oat flakes or wholemeal bread with spread, lightly seasoned scrambled eggs with vegetables or avocado.
Instead, you should avoid toast. And coffee in the morning can also kill blood sugar, especially if you drink it on an empty stomach. (Paw)
