“You’re not going out that door without something in your stomach”!! This was a phrase I heard from my father many a morning before school, growing up on a small farm in a wee village in South Armagh. I am one of 9 children, and yes, it was far from a boring childhood. Meal times were often known as the’ feeding of the 5000’ because in fairness there were quite a few mouths to feed and on a budget. I think this is where I learned to be thrifty when it comes to food shopping. We may not have been rich financially (like the majority of us back then) but we were reared in abundance of all the things that truly matter in life; love, family, health and happiness. Now, the most important of these meals, we were often reminded, was breakfast! No one, no matter how hard we would try at times, would escape the watchful eye of my Dad when it came to who had eaten it and who hadn’t! Back then it seemed ridiculous or unfair if you were just not hungry but now as an adult and parent myself I can totally understand the importance of this meal more so than any other.
Breakfast IS the most important meal as it completely sets the tone for the day. 
It influences practically every dimension of our being including our performance both mentally and physically whilst also promoting weight maintenance/loss by maintaining blood glucose levels and your metabolism. It is the most satiating meal of the day and what you eat and how much you eat here has a dramatic effect on overall daily food consumption. By eating a good sized healthy breakfast it reduces the bloods coritsol levels that are usually spiked after a nights sleep and therefore those hormones that control your appetite are reduced, leading to a smaller calorie intake later in the day. I used to wonder why, if I did manage to skip breakfast, I would end up snacking my way through the fridge come early evening and into the night, sure my poor gut hormones were all over the place by then having been deprived all morning!!!
Another very significant factor is the effect breakfast has on our cognitive function during the day. If we don’t replenish our carbohydrate stores in the morning it will affect our ability to concentrate and indeed, our performance of any task, as our blood sugar levels will have dropped so low. Knowing what I know now I can understand why my Dad wanted us to ‘have something in our belly’ in the morning!
I don’t go all out when making breakfast during the week, I have pretty much 3 staple recipes that I choose and just mix them around each day. At weekends I tend to be a little more adventurous but busy weekday mornings call for nutritious ‘fast food’.
We have all heard the saying ‘Oh so simple oats’, well honestly you can’t get much simpler than a hearty bowl of porridge.
Porridge oats have a very low Glycaemic Index which means they are absorbed slowly into the body’s bloodstream keeping those sugar levels stable and keeping you fuller for longer. Porridge is packed full of goodness, high in protein and beneficial vitamins and minerals and is proven to lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease and boost serotonin (our natural happy chemical) I make mine with water (it cuts down on calories) and instead add a selection of raspberries blueberries and strawberries on top for their antioxidant benefits and a tablespoon of flaked almonds (Superfood) sprinkled over the top. Be careful with toppings though especially syrups, try to stick with a little drizzle of good natural honey to sweeten!
Eggs!!! Oh my do I love eggs!!! They are so versatile, so many ways to cook them and again another easy nutritious breakfast in a hurry. The protein and fat in eggs helps sustain your energy levels, keeping you satisfied for longer and reducing the need for a mid morning snack. They contain all the essential amino acids which are crucial to our diet and are helpful to our brain and memory. Choline, an essential nutrient found in eggs, stimulates brain development and function. It has also been linked with increasing memory retention and recall as well as improving alertness. Eggs are also known to reduce the liklihood of developing cataracts in old age….There’s none of us getting any younger y’know!!
One of my easiest breakfasts is to pop 6 or 7 sliced seasoned cherry tomatoes on a tray into the oven whilst poaching a couple of eggs, slice half an avocado ontop of a wholegrain ricecake, top with the runny poached eggs a sprinkling of chilli flakes and eat with roasted tomatoes. Its simple, tasty and full of goodness. The avocado without doubt hikes up the calories on this one but they’re all worth it nutritionally. Avocado is primarily carbohydrates and high in healthy fats and contains over 20 different vitamins and minerals. They contain more potassium than bananas which supports healthy blood pressure…What’s not to like??? I didn’t realise until recently that cooked tomatoes are of more benefit than raw as your body absorbs more of their cancer fighting lycopene, just something to keep in mind!! If I dont have chilli flakes I would pour over some hot tabasco sauce as I love the flavour combination with avocados and eggs and although it has no great nutrient quality it is fat and calorie free and stops me wanting to add something MORE!! I even love hard boiling eggs for a quick snack and having them with tabasco, so much tastier than plain hard boiled eggs!
Last but not least is the simplist of all breakfasts, the smoothie!! 
Some days I throw whatever I can get my hands on into the blender but one lovely recipe i came across recently was the Incredible Hulk Smoothie!! It’s literally 200ml Almond Milk, 1 apple cored and chopped, 2 large handfuls of spinach, one scoop of vanilla whey protein and about 30g of rolled oats…..the recipe did say 75g of oats but I just found it too thick and 30g is what I would use for my bowl of porridge anyway! All you gotta do is place it all in a blender with a handful of ice and “whey hey” nutrient city (See what I did there 😉 ha ha).
So all in all its fair to say breakfast has its benefits! It doesn’t have to be boring or time consuming and just a little thought can set you up for the day and for a healthier life!
Until next time,
Louise
