Start the day full of energy in Healthy Week, with these tips.

When the alarm clock rings, are you one of those people who says: “Five more minutes, please”? Do you always get up at the last minute and have to rush? You wash, you dress well, spruce yourself up and, if you’re lucky, you have a couple of minutes to grab a quick coffee before you rush out to catch the underground or grapple with the usual traffic jam.

That’s no good! Skipping breakfast or making do with a coffee is one of the worst ideas you can have. To discourage this bad habit and to mark Healthy Week, we have some important reasons that will convince you not to go without breakfast and some simple, nourishing recipes.

Why is it important to have a good breakfast?

• If you don’t recharge your batteries, you will not be able to perform to the best of your ability.
• If your brain does not get enough glucose, it will not function so well, and your concentration, imagination and memory will suffer.
• Overweight people tend to skip breakfast.
• Not eating breakfast slows the digestive system and can lead to constipation.
• If you do not have breakfast, your blood pressure may go up and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Not providing the body with fuel causes the metabolism to slow down, and blood-glucose imbalance.

All this will mean that you will not be able to give your best, and that mid-morning you may feel very hungry and anxious, meaning that you will eat anything that comes to hand to fill you up quickly, which will almost certainly contain more fat and simple sugar than you ought to be eating.

What should the first meal of the day be like?

• Breakfast should contain 25% of all the calories you consume during the day.
• It should contain fruit, whole or in fruit juice.
• It should contain a dairy product, milk or derivative (cheese, yoghurt…)
• It must also contain a serving of cereal (oatmeal, wheat, rice, corn…) or bread or biscuits.
• It should be varied. Don’t have the same breakfast every day of your life. Ring the changes with ingredients.
• Add other nutrients, such as:

Fats, such as margarine, butter or olive oil.

Cacao, coffee or tea with milk.

Proteins such as ham, tuna or egg, if those who prefer a savoury breakfast.

Jam, quince cheese or honey, if you would like something sweet on toast.

• Leave the cakes and pastries for special occasions.
• Try adding nuts or vegetables to create new breakfasts.

Simple, tasty, vitamin-packed recipes:

1. Pomegranate juice Coffee with milk. Toasted country-style bread with sunflower margarine and bitter orange marmalade.
2. A bowl of raspberries. Tea with lemon. A smoked salmon and fresh cheese sandwich on wholemeal bread.
3. A slice of watermelon. Cocoa with milk. Ham and cheese sandwich.
4. Pineapple juice. Natural yoghurt with muesli and some chopped walnuts.
5. Two mandarins. A glass of warm milk with sugar. Scrambled egg with mushrooms.
6. A kiwi. Coffee with skimmed milk. White bread toast with olive oil and fresh tomato slices.
7. Banana and strawberry milkshake. Two wholemeal rusks with cream cheese and quince cheese.

Get up in good time and have a leisurely breakfast. Your body and mind will benefit.

This post is also available in: Spanish