Breakfast - Have a Great Day

Breakfast gives you the energy to take on the world Nutritionist Nikki Hart (TV's evil diet witch) looks at the most important meal of the day, and give some suggestions on how to make it even better.

Many people find breakfast a hardship. Some say they don’t have enough time to eat it, others say they don’t feel like it and others complain that eating breakfast makes them hungrier all day than if they just skip it. Whatever the excuse, it simply isn’t good enough. Breakfast isn’t an optional meal, it’s the first step to having a great day! Unless you are eating in your sleep, it’s important to ‘break the fast’ of the 8 to 12 hours since you last ate. There is no golden rule that says you have to eat as soon as your feet touch the floor in the morning however I always recommend that you eat within two hours of waking to avoid hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), lethargy, binge eating and poor productivity.

For most of us a Continental (cereal and bread option) is the right way to start the day. If you are an athlete, or have a physically demanding job you may need to boost this with more carbohydrate foods (cereals and breads) as well as extra protein (eggs, beans etc). Check out the breakfasts of four very different people to see how well they eat, and what I think they could be doing better.

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Claire – 36 years, Mother of Jack (5yrs), Milly (2 yrs)
Wants to regain her pre-baby body of 5 years ago.

Weekday
I can’t believe I am admitting to this. I make such a fuss about the kids having a nourishing breakfast but rarely eat breakfast myself. Actually I do eat – I might eat their scraps. I’ll finish their remaining toast crusts – usually Wheat-meal or white toast with margarine and peanut butter as I am wiping down the benches before racing off to do the school run in the car. I always pick up a takeout flat white from the local café on the way home and often grab a muffin (not a bran one!).

Weekend
This can be a lot easier for me to eat as we don’t have to be out of the house so early. My husband often makes French toast with sliced banana for the family and I usually whiz up fruit smoothies – milk, yoghurt, banana and berries.

Nikki’s analysis
This is not an uncommon story for many mothers. Claire’s fibre intake is very low and this style of eating means she doesn’t stay full. This leads to her consuming probably more kilojoules/kilocalories and fat as the day progresses. The fat content of the takeout coffee and muffin is preventing Claire from losing weight. Since she likes smoothies I’d get her to make this as a ‘breakfast-on-the run’ idea for the weekdays – she could even add a few tablespoons of oats to add fibre and complex carbohydrate to the drink to enrich it. French toast can be very high in fat – because the eggy-milky bread is fried – swapping to pancakes dry fried on a non stick pan would improve the weekend breakfast.

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James – 34 years, Accountant
Needs to lose a few kgs and has a family history of heart disease.

Weekday
For me, breakfast has to be quick and easy because I still feel half asleep when I’m eating at 6.45am and I have to get out of the house pronto so I don’t get caught in early morning traffic. I have three Weet-bix, with blue milk and sugar, every morning and grab a latté with one sugar at my local café before heading in to the office.

Weekend
I often exercise on Saturday morning so by the time I get to breakfast I’ve been up for at least three hours. By this stage I’m very hungry and often meet friends at a café for brunch about 10am. I will routinely order eggs Benedict with salmon and will probably have two regular lattes with sugar.

Nikki’s analysis
Having three Weet-bix most mornings is a great way to boost fibre in the diet but he could improve this further by adding fruit to his cereal. Due to his family history of heart disease and is need to lose body fat James should consider reducing the fat intake in his diet by using reduced fat milk (lite blue) on his Weet-bix and ordering trim lattes. The fat content of the eggs Benedict is also blowing his ‘fat budget’ so I would encourage him to select poached eggs on grainy toast as a lowerfat, higher fibre option that still gives him a brunch feel. Ordering a small glass of juice would boost his fruit servings for the day and probably reduce his latté intake to one.

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Sally – 42 years, Registered Nurse – shift work
Needs to lose 12 kg and suffers with fatigue.

On shift I just can’t face milky cereal breakfasts so I usually do a couple of pieces of white toast with margarine and jam with a black coffee, no sugar. Then on my way into the hospital I’ll grab a cheese scone and butter to get me through the morning and probably another coffee. Day off I treasure my days off and spoil myself with corn-fritters, chicken bacon and avocado at my favourite café and I will always have a black coffee or two.

Nikki’s analysis
Sally’s diet is very white (virtually fibre free) because of this she won’t stay full and she will constantly need food to keep her going throughout her 12 hour shift. Carbohydrates are an important source of fuel for the body but its vital to remember that not all carbohydrates are created equal. Carbohydrate foods that break down quickly during digestion have the highest glycemic index values because the blood sugar response is fast and high. Conversely, carbohydrates that break down gradually into the blood stream have low glycemic index values. Swapping to lower glycemic index carbohydrates (oats, grainy bread, fruit, yoghurt and milk) would sustain Sally’s energy levels better. Caffeine can inhibit iron absorption which can also contribute to fatigue so I would encourage Sally to separate her coffee from food to allow what little iron is available a chance to absorb or to drink decaffeinated coffee with food.

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How to choose a good cereal
Choosing a breakfast cereal can be a stressful experience especially if you are standing in the breakfast cereal isle confronted with a plethora of choices. To determine what is best for you, use this quick criteria and match it to the cereal you are looking at – if it fits the criteria then it’s a good choice. Fibre more than 6g per 100g (preferably more than 10g/100g)
Sugar less than 15g per 100g (less than 25g/100g if from dried fruit)
Sodium aim for less than 400mg/100g

Wholegrains – Nature’s Superfoods
Wholegrains have heaps of health benefits – including reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer – and breakfast is a great time to add some into your life. The best thing about wholegrains is that you not only get the extra energy and vitality of eating a good breakfast, you also get their slow release properties to help avoid snacking and keep your energy levels up for longer. Wholegrain simply means that all three major parts to the grain kernel (bran, endosperm and germ) are still attached. When grains such as wheat, rice, corn and oats are refined, the bran and the germ portions are generally removed, leaving only the endosperm.
Up to 70% of the vitamins, minerals, nutrients and fibre are removed in this process!
Wholegrain foods to keep an eye out for at the supermarket include brown rice, wholemeal and multigrain breads, wholemeal pasta and flour, oats, rye, barley, wholegrain breakfast cereals such as whole wheat biscuits, whole wheat flakes, muesli and porridge.
Wholegrains are a nutritious source of carbohydrates, and because they come from plants they contain low levels of fat and no cholesterol. They are definitely one of nature’s superfoods!

Nikki’s Low Glycemic Index
Breakfast Ideas
• Muesli with fruit and yoghurt
• 2 poached eggs, baked beans and mushrooms
• Banana smoothie – yoghurt, honey, banana and low fat milk
• Rolled oats with raisins and banana slices and low fat milk
• Cheesy toast with apple - 2 x whole grain toast with reduced fat
cheese, apple slices.

The Right Size
It’s important to eat the right amount as well as the right kind of food. Eating enough in the morning is vital. If you eat too little you have a greater tendency to eat high kilojoule, high fat snacks at morning tea. Eating one cup of a low kilojoule, low fat cereal such as Kellogg’s Sultana Bran or Sanitarium Weet-Bix is the same as eating ½ cup of an energy dense cereal such as muesli or raw rolled oats. If you are not a cereal person then it is agreed that one cup of cereal is equivalent to approximately two medium slices of bread, or one thick toast slice bread, or half a Bagel. Having some protein with your carbohydrates will sustain you longer than carbohydrates by themselves. A minimum amount of protein would equate to either
200ml yoghurt, half a cup milk, one cup baked beans, or two eggs. In addition to these two important components of breakfast I always advocate starting to get your 5+ a day with regards to fruit and vegetables. To make it easy use your hand as a guide to size. Children have smaller hands so be realistic with their fruit and vegetable portions. One piece of fresh fruit could be swapped for two tbsp raisins or one cup canned fruit (choose those packed in spring water or clear juice for a healthier option) or a small glass of fruit juice (200ml).

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