If you’re anything like us, mornings are so chaotic there’s barely time to even think about food until much later in the day.
Yet, if we want to get optimal levels of nutrition, and enjoy vitality and focus, breakfast should be the top priority.
Set the tone for your day
Did you know that eating a balanced breakfast can determine your eating habits for the entire day?
A balanced breakfast not only helps you make better food choices throughout the day, it’s also beneficial for your concentration and productivity levels.
Additionally, breakfast provides an important amount of your day’s total nutrients. In fact, people who eat breakfast are more likely to get the recommended daily amount of protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals – all of which are necessary to keep you go-go-going.
This is why we want to help you stop cheating yourself out of a good start to the day by showing you how easy it is to get into a good breakfast routine.
Plan your meals the night before
Early starts, long commutes and busy morning schedules mean that many of us don’t have time to sit down and enjoy breakfast before heading out the door.
Beat the morning rush by preparing breakfast the night before. This doesn’t have to take up much time – try prepping, cutting and portioning your food while dinner simmers away on the stove.
Top tip: Fruits and vegetables freeze beautifully if you decide to do meal prep over the weekend.
Overnight oats, granola, shakes and smoothie bowls are some quick, easy favourites. Not a fan of oats? Boil a few eggs and keep them in the fridge so that they’re ready to go. Add a piece of low-GI toast or some snack bread for a high-energy meal.
Give yourself a reminder to eat before you head out the door by setting out your bowl and a spoon the night before.
Still don’t think there’s enough time to prep during the week? Well, why not leave it to the weekend?
Gather a few of your favourite breakfast recipes and plan your menu for the week. By visualising all the yummy breakfasts in the pipeline, you’ll be more inclined to prioritise making them – especially when the planning has already been done.
A great tip is to include the foods you love so that you’re less tempted to skip breakfast.
Streamline your morning routine
“There’s simply no time in the morning,” is quite a common excuse, but you can easily overcome this by getting out of bed a little earlier to prepare your breakfast.
Try swapping that 15 minutes of mindless scrolling through social media each morning for a more useful task, and conjure up something delicious.
Another way to overcome the morning rush is by ensuring everything else is ready. Decide on your outfit the night before, pack your bag and make sure everything you need is ready to go.
This includes having your grab-and-go containers with pre-portioned breakfast food like muffins or cut up fruit and nuts ready, especially if you know you’re going to be in a rush – you can’t afford to run low on fuel early in the morning, now can you?
By making small changes to your routine you’ll soon find there is enough time to sit down and have breakfast.
Wake up to good health
Most people grab a cup of coffee as soon as their eyes open, but there’s a better way to hydrate after your six to eight hours of sleep.
Not only does getting enough water maintain physical and mental performance during the day, it can also reduce your daily kilojoule intake when taken before meals. This is backed by a study that proves people tend to eat less when they drink water before their meal, compared to meals served without water.
Starting off your day with a glass of water will also ensure you reach your daily target of between two and two-and-a-half litres without too much effort.
The shake solution
When you have some spare time, whip up a few smoothie or shake bags to store in your freezer. These will be handy on those busy mornings, as you can simply take one out, add some milk, water or yoghurt, and blitz for a quick and healthy meal before you leave.
Some of our favourite combinations for smoothies and shakes include:
- Blueberries, oats, banana, cinnamon and vanilla extract
- Mango, baby spinach, banana, a dash of honey and flaxseed meal
- Pear, banana, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg
- Banana, beetroot, strawberries, flaxseed meal and honey
Add a scoop of your favourite protein shake, and you’re good to go! We love that it takes just as long to make enough smoothie packs for a whole week as it would to make one smoothie from scratch, so you’re saving even more time by doing it this way.
It’s easy to ensure you get a great start to every day with a little planning and some help from Herbalife Nutrition. Visit myherbalifebreakfast.co.za for more ideas on how to Shake it, Drink it and Live it, and make breakfast a breeze.
Author: Logan Leigh Rix
Logan blends her passion and profession by working as a digital and social media marketer and content creator in the fitness, health and wellness industry. She’s also a personal trainer, former Face of Fitness finalist and Fitness Magazine featured athlete.
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