Breakfast Ideas To Make You Bright-eyed and Bushy Tailed

There are many breakfast ideas that will give you the energy to start your day off right.

Breakfast means different things to different people. To some it is eggs and grits? To others, it’s any food eaten before 10 am?  But there is no doubt that after not fueling your body for 8-12 hours, “breaking the fast” with some nourishment is a great start to the day. When you have diabetes eating breakfast can actually help your blood sugars.

Yes, you heard that right. Eating carbohydrate as part of a healthy breakfast can actually  help level out your blood sugars.  Some people notice that their blood sugars go up when they don’t eat. They are surprised. How can my glucose go up when I didn’t even eat anything?! It’s because you also get glucose from liver which makes it for the times when you are not eating. In some people with diabetes, the liver puts too much sugar into the blood stream. That’s how your glucose can go up when you are not eating. Eating stops the liver from putting glucose into the blood stream and also nourishes your body. Don’t overthink this.

The body is complex and I’m oversimplifying things to say that eating regular meals works much better than going a long time without eating.  

I am often asked about what to eat for breakfast.  First, I want you to enjoy it, and find it satisfying which usually means a balance of  mostly healthy foods that include fiber and protein.  Here are some ideas.

There are many benefits to eating when you wake up. Breakfast is linked to better overall health, a healthier body weight, and cognitive benefits. Although not proven, research suggests breakfast eaters have better concentration and problem solving abilities.

Athletes who eat breakfast have more endurance. While not conclusive, many studies indicate that students who eat breakfast perform better in school. Eating a morning meal is linked to weight loss and maintenance, although the reasons or the cause and effect are not clear.

Think of breakfast as a jumpstart to getting all the nourishing food you need. If you skip it, you might come up short at the end of the day.  In fact, many breakfast foods provide important nutrients that are often low in the American diet–calcium, potassium, fiber, folate, iron, and B12.

Here are common breakfast foods and the nutrients they provide:

• Whole grain and fiber-rich cereals, breads, muffins, and waffles–fiber and folate
• Milk, yogurt, and fortified soymilk–over cereal or on the side, adds calcium, vitamin D, and protein
• Whole fruits or 100%fruit juice–vitamin C and potassium
• Protein foods–eggs, peanut butter, nuts, leftover chicken, tofu, or other protein foods–helps satisfy your appetite, helps your brain release a hormone to signal fullness, and is important for muscle health.

So you may be wondering What should I eat for breakfast?  It’s a hard question to answer definitively without knowing what else you are eating in the day.  Also, what are your preferences? Do you prefer a hearty breakfast or something small to get you started?  Ideally, in a day’s time you will get all the nutrients you need and not too many calories. There is evidence it is best to spread your nutrients throughout the day. You can do this in a way that you prefer.  Do you prefer 3 meals a day or smaller mini-meals?

Remember it is best for your precious body to have a variety of lean protein, grains (including 3 servings of whole grains), fruits, vegetables, and low-fat or fat-free dairy, and healthy plant based fats. Limit foods high in sodium, added sugars and saturated fats such as bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, and pastries.

Consider aiming to get at least 3 different food groups at breakfast.  A combination of protein and high fiber grain will help you feel satisfied longer. Adding a dairy food or fruit will help improve bone health, and help lower blood pressure. If you do not already eat breakfast, start with something small like a banana with peanut butter.  Then try to get all the foods you need throughout the day at later meals or snacks.

To get you started here are some breakfast ideas to have you bright-eyed and bushytailed to start your day:

• Bran muffin, banana, and 1/2c cottage cheese
• Toast with peanut butter or avocado and a cup of low fat milk
• Greek yogurt, with granola, and walnuts
• Oatmeal made with milk, topped with berries and almonds
• Canadian bacon, slice of cheese on English muffin
• Frozen banana, 1 scoop whey protein powder, and kefir or yogurt
• Ready to eat cereal topped with low fat yogurt or milk, sliced banana and sunflower seeds
• Instant oatmeal with low fat milk, dried cranberries, and nuts
• Hard cooked egg, whole wheat toast, pear, and milk
• Whole grain toaster waffle “sandwich” with cottage cheese, nuts and sliced fruit
• Nut butter on toasted bagel with apple and low fat yogurt
• Banana dipped in low fat yogurt  and rolled in nuts or granola
• Breakfast wrap with whole wheat tortilla with scrambled eggs and 6 oz 100% fruit juice

Interested in more? Download my FREE guide How to Eat when you Have Diabetes & Still Enjoy your Favorite Foods and watch me How to Plan Quick and Healthy Meals.