Choosing the Best Breakfast
Eating breakfast can get your day off to a healthy start, but is one kind of breakfast superior to another? Just as the best exercise is the kind you will do, many experts agree that the best breakfast is the kind you will eat. What and how much you eat depends on many factors, including how much time you have and what you plan to do that day. If you’re planning to head straight to the couch for a day of playing armchair quarterback, a full country breakfast might be overkill. But if you’re planning a busy day of rock climbing or mountain biking, you’ll need to stock up on plenty of low-fat, high-fiber energy before you go out.
Consider your breakfast in context with the other meals you eat during the day and include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and fiber. Although adults need 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily, most Americans get only 11 to 14 grams. A breakfast cereal with eight to 10 grams of fiber or more can put you well on your way to meeting your daily requirement. Get into it gradually, so your digestive tract can get used to the increase in fiber.
If putting this together sounds too complicated, take a step back — it’s easier than you think. Yogurt and a banana will do the trick, as will a bowl of whole-grain cereal and whole-wheat toast with jelly. Peanut butter crackers, cottage cheese with fruit and low-fat granola bars are all quick and easy options that can give you energy without slowing you down.
B-man 