There’s a reason we chose to do a #healthybreakfast point during out QuaranTeams Challenge. We’ve often heard it said, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” and there is some truth to that. The word “breakfast” literally means “breaking fast.” Most of us go to bed and wake up without a late night snack, so naturally, when we get up we have low blood sugar. Our brains and our muscles need good fuel in our system so they can function and perform optimally. This is why breakfast is deemed the most important meal.

There have been many studies, says the interweb, that eating breakfast can improve memory and concentration, lower bad cholesterol levels, and lower chances of getting diabetes, heart disease, or being overweight. It also kick-starts your metabolism and can keep you from making poor food decisions later in the day. If you start your day off right – with a well rounded meal high in nutrients and with a proper balance of protein, carbs, and fat, you will be more likely to stay on track with healthy options later.

In the morning, you may want to get extra minutes of sleep or need to get your hair just right, but build in the habit of planning time to eat breakfast. Here are some tips:

  1. Wake up early enough each day to prepare and eat your breakfast! This should be set into your routine just like brushing your teeth (which you hopefully also do).
  2. Try prepping your breakfast the night before – make your eggs, egg bake, omelet, breakfast sandwich, or oatmeal before you go to bed so you don’t need to make as much time in the morning.
  3. Think about a well-rounded meal. We want to make sure we’re including protein, carbs, and fat as well as some veggies – YES veggies for breakfast.
    1. Proteins: Eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, breakfast meats like sausage, turkey, bacon, ham
    2. Carbs: Aim to get whole-foods sources – oatmeal, wholegrain bread or english muffins, fruit
    3. Fat: You get plenty of fat from eggs, but can also incorporate cheese, avocado, nut butters, or chia seeds

Veggies: Throw chopped up veggies into an egg bake or omelet (see recipe below), spinach in a smoothie, or salsa on your eggs!