HEALTHY BREAKFAST: WHAT TO EAT AND IDEAS FOR TASTY RECIPES! - IN SHAPE

Healthy breakfast: what to eat and ideas for tasty and healthy recipes!

Breakfast is undoubtedly the most important meal of the day; you will have heard it repeated many times, and with good reason, considering that it is an essential rule that should always be respected. Having a good breakfast, which is healthy, natural and nutritious, not only allows us to face our morning in full force, but also to avoid being surprised by hunger easily during the day and being pushed to make little convenient snacks. for our line and our body. But be careful, an ideal breakfast involves taking the right dose of all the nutrients our body needs: from macronutrients - proteins, carbohydrates and fats - to micronutrients - fibers, vitamins and minerals. In short, the perfect breakfast exists. , and below we suggest you tips, examples and tasty recipes to consume it every day, varying. Obviously remember to associate it with a rich, varied and balanced diet that prefers fiber, fruit and vegetables - as we have seen, essential for our body - and is low in sugars and saturated fats.

But what to eat and how many calories to consume in the early morning? First of all, let's say that breakfast should guarantee 20% - 25% of the daily calories provided by your diet, a percentage that amounts to about 360-500 kcal. Let's not forget that another fundamental assumption, in addition to taking the right mix of nutrients, is to minimize the intake of fats and sugars. , it is certainly not the best way to start the day, because the glycemic peak following this type of meal, definitely unbalanced in favor of sugars, drops quickly, making us feel a sense of hunger that we will try to satisfy with snacks and snacks. often too caloric and of poor nutritional value.

Before we proceed, we suggest some antioxidant foods, ideal for a super healthy and tasty breakfast.

What to eat for breakfast? The basic rules

Here are some general guidelines for preparing and consuming a slap-up breakfast every day.

The most important meal of the day should consist of: 1 source of carbohydrates (eg wholemeal bread, oat flakes, rice cakes or other low-sugar whole grains); 1 source of protein (such as yogurt, ricotta, salmon or eggs for lovers of a savory breakfast); 1 source of fat (dried fruit, coconut, avocado, peanut butter, EVO oil); 1 source of vitamins and minerals, basically guaranteed easily by fruit and vegetables. We also remember that among the micronutrients there are also oily seeds, for example flax and Chia, rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids such as Omega-3.
A good breakfast, also ideal for those on a diet, tends to prefer foods with a low glycemic index, such as those you see in the gallery below.
A healthy breakfast, even if healthy, cannot be repeated indefinitely: introduce the rule of variety! Change foods on the various days of the week to guarantee you everything you need and not get tired.
And in addition to the variety, pay attention to the quality of the breakfast moment: do not eat it in a hurry, take your time to enjoy that moment, live it with serenity and start off on the right foot.

At the same time, however, the rules for a healthy breakfast also include some small exceptions. In fact, it is not forbidden to indulge in a croissant and a cappuccino or coffee from time to time at the bar, or even a nice brunch with friends on Sunday for a perfect English or American breakfast. The important thing, however, is that it is an exception to the rule and a sporadic habit.

What to drink during breakfast

Before delving into examples of menus ideal for a healthy breakfast, whether sweet or savory, here are some perfect drinks to accompany the first meal of the day.

You will not be surprised to know that a nice glass of water, perhaps with a little lemon and ginger, is always the best choice in the early morning. Then, to accompany meals, the options are different, all healthy: tea, better if not sweetened and enriched with milk or honey, green tea or matcha tea, fruit juices, as long as they are 100% fruit juice and without added sugars and preservatives. In particular, a nice orange, blood orange or grapefruit juice, rich in vitamin C , they are ideal to accompany sweet or savory foods in the morning.

And the latte? It is not a very digestible mix, but if you are an indispensable lover, choose semi-skimmed and highly digestible milk. While eyeing the coffee, it is better to have it at the end of the meal, since it could give acidity.

Ideas and recipes for a healthy breakfast

Here are some ideas for a healthy and quick breakfast - also suitable for those who want a diet breakfast - that will not waste you too much time and allow you to vary with taste and start off on the right foot.

Bread and jam: a classic but always winning proposal
Two slices of wholemeal bread (or 2 wholemeal rusks) + a thin layer of jam, preferably without sugar, (to be replaced with hazelnut cream or homemade cocoa or peanut butter) + 3 walnuts (or almonds and hazelnuts) + 1 fruit.

Three recipes based on low-fat yogurt
1. to be consumed together with 3/4 wholemeal biscuits + dried fruit + 1 fruit
2. mix a mix of fresh fruit of your choice + chia seeds or oat flakes into the yogurt pot
3. or mix in our yogurt muesli (a preparation based on whole grains and dried fruit) + 1 fruit

White natural Greek yogurt
Accompany it with oat flakes + a drizzle of honey + blueberries and berries (or your favorite fruit)

Porridge
It is an Anglo-Saxon preparation based on oat flakes cooked in milk. Once a creamy mixture has been obtained, you can add small pieces of fresh fruit, dried fruit, dark chocolate chips, raisins or goji berries. It is better to "sweeten" it. with a drizzle of honey, avoiding refined sugar.

Wholemeal or oatmeal pancakes
They are pancakes in a light version, which you can "dress" with sugar-free jam, homemade hazelnut cream, peanut butter or maple syrup, as well as fresh fruits of your choice, including blueberries and raspberries. recipe calls for 3 egg whites, 50 grams of flour (or even simple oat flakes), 15 grams of brown sugar, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of baking powder.

Homemade cake with wholemeal flour and a little sugar
A strictly homemade slice of cake, with the use of wholemeal flour and a limited sugar content, can be a great way to start the day. You can prepare a carrot cake, an apple cake, a fruit tart, a light donut or even tasty wholemeal biscuits with seeds or drops of dark cocoa.

Banana and peanut toast
A nice slice of wholemeal, rye or 5-grain bread, spread with a teaspoon of peanut butter and half a banana cut into thin slices.

Savory breakfast: 4 tasty but super healthy ideas

As for the savory lovers, the rule is always the same: make sure you take all the sources mentioned above and choose the menu that suits you best. But we also come to "another question: eggs for breakfast, yes or no? Certainly yes, but not seasoned and better if consumed boiled or scrambled but in a light version.

Bread + lean sliced
Wholemeal or 5-grain bread + cooked or raw ham or turkey + 1 fruit + handful of dried fruit

Bread + salmon and vocado
Wholemeal or rye bread + salmon + avocado + 1 fruit

Wholemeal toast and hard boiled egg
Wholemeal bread + 2 hard-boiled eggs + 1 fruit

Avocado toast
Wholemeal bread + scrambled egg possibly without seasoning + avocado + 1 fruit