The six a.m. alarm has been put on snooze so many times that it is now completely off. It is now 6:45 a.m. and before even leaving the house – I am officially late. There are three children to get ready for school, which includes packing their lunches, making their breakfast, and not to mention taking out the garbage. In addition the children need to get to school by 7:30 and I definitely cannot be at my desk any later than 7:59 a.m. Breakfast preparation simply cannot fit into this routine, one might think; it is physically impossible. Yet, experts stress that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The challenge is to include breakfast while contending with 3 children, a 9-5 job and rush hour traffic.
A balanced breakfast consists of carbohydrates, fibre, protein and some amount of ‘good fats’. This combination provides an individual with an almost immediate burst of energy from the carbs, reserve energy from the protein that will be released for those two hours before you get to lunch and a feeling of fullness from the fibre that should also last until lunch time. This is why breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day.
The brain needs fuel to function. Just think back to those days without breakfast, not even a cup of coffee, and the feeling of fluster, disorientation and sluggishness that followed. Break – fast (breaking the fast) replenishes the low blood sugar resulting from lack of food for a continuous 6-8 hours during sleep.
Skipping breakfast increases the risk of eating an increased amount of unhealthy food later in the day, for example, refined carbohydrates filled with sugar. These foods give a quick boost of energy, but also cause the almost unavoidable cycle of ‘unhealthy eating’- skipping meals then trying to compensate or ‘catch up’ later.
Children especially need to eat breakfast. Countless studies have shown that children who skip breakfast have a harder time focusing and are more tired in school. Considering their energy requirements and the nutritional demand of their growing brains, it is just not possible for them to get their daily requirements from only lunch, dinner and snacks. Breakfast plays a key role in kick starting their day.
Here are some quick and easy breakfast suggestions from Buzzz Magazine:
Smoothies: grab some frozen fruit, add some oats, some low fat yoghurt or milk; throw it all in a blender and breakfast is ready in 10 minutes or less. Smoothies can provide ease and variety as there are so many fruits to choose from. You get to pack in a serving or two of fruits, oats for fullness, and protein and carbs from the milk or yoghurt; not to mention, it’s very easy to consume as you can even have it on your way to work.
Porridges have long been a part of the Caribbean breakfast tradition. It can be cornmeal, hominy corn, peanut, banana, and plantain; almost anything you can blend and mix with milk, some spices and sweetener to make a thick, creamy delicacy. Preparation time usually lasts 20-25 minutes.
Cereals are normally prepackaged dried fibre or grain preparations. Milk is poured on top and a meal ready in 2-3 minutes. There are many commercial varieties available to suit the taste of adults and children alike.
Porridges and cereals both provide, fibre, protein and carbohydrates; you can always have your fruit of choice on the side.
Egg dishes are the ‘go to’ breakfast options in almost every culture. They are quick and easy to prepare, high in protein and can be easily paired with carbohydrates, such as bread and pancakes. Eggs can be had sunny side up, boiled, scrambled, or made into omelettes (where vegetables such as tomatoes and sweet peppers, sardine or cheese can be added to increase the nutritional value). Preparation is relatively easy and can be done in
15- 20 minutes.
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