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Healthy breakfast: Quick, flexible options to grab at home

If you skimp on breakfast, you'll miss out on important health benefits. Learn what makes a nutritious breakfast and get some out-of-the-(cereal)-box options.

By Mayo Clinic staff

It might be the last thing on your morning to-do list, or worse, it might not be on your list at all. But a healthy breakfast refuels your body, jump-starts your day and may even benefit your overall health. So don't skip this meal — it may be more important than you think.

Even if you're short on time, quick and flexible options you can grab at home give you plenty of healthy ways to put breakfast back on your daily menu.

The benefits of a healthy breakfast

Breakfast gives you a chance to start each day with a healthy and nutritious meal. It also lays the foundation for lifelong health benefits.

Benefits for adults
When you eat a healthy breakfast, you're more likely to:

  • Eat more vitamins and minerals
  • Eat less fat and cholesterol
  • Have better concentration and productivity throughout the morning
  • Control your weight
  • Have lower cholesterol, which may reduce your risk of heart disease

Benefits for children
Breakfast is especially important for children and adolescents. According to the American Dietetic Association, children who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to:

  • Concentrate better
  • Have better problem-solving skills
  • Have better hand-eye coordination
  • Be more alert
  • Be more creative
  • Miss fewer days of school
  • Be more physically active

The basics of a healthy breakfast

Even though you know a healthy breakfast has many benefits, you may not be sure what exactly counts as a healthy breakfast.

Here's what forms the core of a healthy breakfast:

  • Whole grains. Options include whole-grain rolls, bagels, hot or cold whole-grain cereals, low-fat bran muffins, crackers, or melba toast.
  • Low-fat protein. Options include hard-boiled eggs, peanut butter, lean slices of meat and poultry, or fish, such as water-packed tuna or slices of salmon.
  • Low-fat dairy. Options include skim milk, low-fat yogurt and low-fat cheeses, such as cottage and natural cheeses.
  • Fruits and vegetables. Options include fresh fruits and vegetables or 100 percent juice beverages without added sugar.

Together, these core groups provide complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein and a small amount of fat — a combination that packs big health benefits and that also can leave you feeling full for hours.

Try to choose one or two options from each category to round out a healthy breakfast.

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References
  1. Kerver JM, et al. Meal and snack patterns are associated with dietary intake of energy and nutrients in US adults. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2006;106:46.
  2. Rampersaud GC, et al. Breakfast habits, nutritional status, body weight, and academic performance in children and adolescents. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2005;105:743.
  3. Wyatt HR, et al. Long-term weight loss and breakfast in subjects in the National Weight Control Registry. Obesity Research. 2002;10:78.
  4. Song WO, et al. Serum homocysteine concentration of US adults associated with fortified cereal consumption. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2005;24:503.
  5. Davy BM, et al. High-fiber oat cereal compared with wheat cereal consumption favorably alters LDL-cholesterol subclass and particle numbers in middle-aged and older men. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2002;76:351.
  6. Duyff RL. The American Dietetic Association's Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. 3rd ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley and Sons; 2006:233.
  7. The importance of school breakfast. American Dietetic Association. http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_4500_ENU_HTML.htm. Accessed Dec. 13, 2008.
  8. Nelson JK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., Dec. 3, 2008.
  9. Zeratsky KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., Dec. 16, 2008.
  10. Affenito SG. Breakfast: A missed opportunity. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2007;107:565.
  11. Albertson AM, et al. Consumption of breakfast cereal is associated with positive health outcomes: Evidence from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study. Nutrition Research. 2008;28:744.
  12. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 21. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/. Accessed Jan. 5, 2009.
  13. USDA what's in the foods you eat search tool, 3.0. U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://199.133.10.140/codesearchwebapp/(fsbeqqvrgekufajohu0vtxqa)/codesearch.aspx. Accessed Jan. 5, 2009.

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Feb. 13, 2009

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