5 ideas for a quick and healthy breakfast.

The first meal right after waking up is a chance to have a well-spent day. Many scientific studies link eating a nutritious breakfast in the morning with health and well-being during the day. It is worth enriching this meal with necessary ingredients that will ensure the proper functioning of our mind and body. When choosing products for breakfast, we should focus primarily on the benefits of consuming them.

Given the huge selection on store shelves, it is easy to fall into the trap of express meals and endless ingredients on the back of the packaging. The most popular breakfast choices are usually muesli or cereals, white bread with your favorite spreads, as well as ready-made instant options that just need to be poured with water or milk. Despite the wide range of praise offered by the manufacturer, such products often contain:

• palm oil , excessive consumption of which has negative effects on human health, and its production has a disastrous impact on the ecosystem of tropical forests and the organisms inhabiting them;
• added sugars , the consumption of which is often an unconscious action on the part of the consumer, but deliberately induced by the producers of ready-made food;
• as well as many other harmful ingredients, such as preservatives, chemical flavor enhancers and artificial colors.

“Quick meals” are most often highly processed products, after eating which the hunger returns very quickly. If we take some time to prepare breakfast at home, we will provide our body with more nutrients . As a result, we will have more energy, fitness and a better mood. All you need to do is plan your meals in advance and preparing them in the morning will take just a moment! Here are our suggestions.

1. Overnight oats in a jar:

• 6 tablespoons of mountain oatmeal
• 150 ml of almond milk
• 1 teaspoon of maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of chia seeds
• 5 pieces of dried plums
• a handful of your favorite nuts
• dark chocolate tart

Preparation: The evening before the planned breakfast, heat the almond drink with maple syrup. When it is hot, pour the oatmeal and chia seeds placed in the jar. Close the jar tightly and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, sprinkle the top of the oatmeal with grated chocolate, nuts and chopped dried plums.

Oatmeal is considered the healthiest cereal, all thanks to its perfectly balanced nutritional content. They are a source of magnesium, manganese, iron and zinc. They contain vitamins B1 and B5 and are also rich in protein - beta-glucan, which is responsible for a long-lasting feeling of satiety. Chia seeds provide the body with large amounts of fiber. Therefore, they contribute to the proper functioning of the digestive system and support the fight against excess weight.

2. Morning Happiness Sandwiches:

• 2 slices of whole grain bread
• an avocado
• tomato
• Mozzarella cheese (1/2 ball)
• 1/2 fresh fig
• 1/4 teaspoon of honey
• 1/2 teaspoon of black cumin seeds
• salt
• pepper

Preparation: Cut all ingredients into slices and arrange them in layers. Order as you wish. Sprinkle with a little honey and finally sprinkle with black cumin seeds.

A layer of juicy green avocado will provide the body with healthy fats, a large amount of fiber and vitamins C, E and B6. The carotenes contained in the ingredients will help take care of our eyes, skin and memory.

3. Green smoothie bowl:

• 50g baby spinach
• 2 apples
• 1 banana
• 1/2 avocado
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon of honey

Preparation: Blend all ingredients until smooth and then transfer to a bowl. Decorate the top of the smoothie bowl with your favorite additions, e.g. dried cranberries, coconut flakes, macadamia nuts, chocolate flakes.

4. Hummus from what we have in the fridge

• 1 can of chickpeas in marinade
• 1/2 tuber of beetroot/vegetables/spinach/corn/chives
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Accessories:

• crispbread
• celery
• carrot
• pepper
• radish
• fresh cucumber

Preparation: After straining the chickpeas from the marinade, place them together with the remaining ingredients into the blender bowl. Mix until you obtain a smooth paste. Cut your favorite additions into sticks and dip them in nutritious hummus. This breakfast is also perfect for takeaway!

Chickpeas provide a feeling of satiety for a long time, being an excellent source of protein and fiber. The addition of vegetables will provide an injection of a full range of vitamins for the whole day!

5. Spring cottage cheese:

• 1/2 cube of low-fat cottage cheese
• 2 tablespoons of kefir
• chives
• radish
• boiled egg
• salt
• pepper

Preparation: Grate the hard-boiled egg. Crush the cottage cheese with a fork and mix with the remaining products. Finally, add the grated egg and mix gently.

The peppery and crisp taste of radish are not the only features for which it is worth appreciating. It contains antioxidants such as catechins, pyrogallol, vanillic acid and other phenolic compounds. These ingredients are responsible for stabilizing the action of free radicals. Antioxidants are known to be able to slow down the body's aging processes and prevent the development of inflammatory processes, bacterial infections and even cancer.

Bibliography:

1. “Infographic: Palm Oil and Tropical Deforestation,” March 28, 2016, Union of Concerned Scientists, ucsusa.org.
2. Dyna Rochmyaningsih, “Palm oil under fire as potential carcinogen”, scidev.net, January 31, 2017
3. “Is Breakfast Important?”, Cleveland Clinic, Health Essentials, February 1, 2022.
4. Gupta P, Gupta N, Pawar AP, Birajdar SS, Natt AS, Singh HP. Role of sugar and sugar substitutes in dental caries: a review. ISRN Dent. 2013;2013:519421.
5. Becky Bell, “Food Dyes: Harmless or Harmful?”, Healthline.com, January 7, 2017.
6. Klose C, Arendt EK. Proteins in oats; their synthesis and changes during germination: a review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2012;52(7):629-39.
7. Oats Nutrition Facts and Calories, Nutrition Data, nutritiondata.self.com, accessed March 23.
8. Rebello CJ, Chu YF, Johnson WD, Martin CK, Han H, Bordenave N, Shi Y, O'Shea M, Greenway FL. The role of meal viscosity and oat β-glucan characteristics in human appetite control: a randomized crossover trial. Nutr J. 2014 May 28;13:49.
9. Vuksan V, Jenkins AL, Brissette C, Choleva L, Jovanovski E, Gibbs AL, Bazinet RP, Au-Yeung F, Zurbau A, Ho HV, Duvnjak L, Sievenpiper JL, Josse RG, Hanna A. Salba-chia (Salvia hispanica L.) in the treatment of overweight and obese patients with type 2 diabetes: A double-blind randomized controlled trial. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2017 Feb;27(2):138-146.
10. Bhuyan DJ, Alsherbiny MA, Perera S, et al. The Odyssey of Bioactive Compounds in Avocado (Persea americana) and Their Health Benefits. Antioxidants (Basel). 2019;8(10):426. Published 2019 Sep 24.
11. “Antioxidants: In Depth,” National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, November 2013.
12. Hervik AK, Svihus B. The Role of Fiber in Energy Balance. J Nutr Metab. 2019;2019:4983657. Published 2019 Jan 21.
13. Moon J, Koh G. Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss. J Obes Metab Syndr. 2020;29(3):166-173.
14. Parus Anna, "Antioxidant and pharmacological properties of phenolic acids", Institute of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Poznań University of Technology, January 2013.
15. Rachel Link, “ Healthy Ideas to Upgrade 10 Common Breakfast Foods ,” Healthline.com, November 15, 2021