The first meal of the day: a balanced breakfast gives you plenty of energy and provides you with important nutrients.  In this blog, we explain which components a healthy breakfast should definitely contain and the best way to put it together. 

 

Energy for a good start to the day

Carbohydrates are the most important source of energy because they provide energy quickly and efficiently.

The carbohydrate stores in the liver and muscles are depleted overnight. These should then be replenished the next morning.

Important: to feel full for longer, you should favour complex carbohydrates, such as those in wholemeal bread, mixed bread with a high proportion of seeds or oats or muesli.  Carbohydrates from white bread or sugary cornflakes provide energy quickly, but only briefly. 

TIP: Muesli bread is a fantastic alternative to regular muesli. It contains valuable ingredients through oat or spelt flakes and is easy to take with you. Muesli-to-go for when you're in a hurry.

 

Dietary fibre makes you feel full

Complex carbohydrates as described also have a high fibre content. (wholemeal bread provides approx. 8 g of fibre per 100 g, a white roll approx. 2 g).

These indigestible plant fibres (roughage) swell up in the intestine, attract water and therefore make you feel full for longer.

Vitamins & minerals:

In addition to fibre, high-quality carbohydrate sources are also rich in vitamins and minerals, as the whole grain, including the hull, has been processed.

A portion of vegetables or fruit (rule of thumb: about a handful) for breakfast rounds off the whole thing and you can supply your body with plenty of nutrients for breakfast.

 

Good fats for concentration

Reaching for the right fat at breakfast kick starts your brain power.

Polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids in particular can have a positive influence on brain performance and concentration.

Omega-3 rich fish will not appeal to many at breakfast, but you can equally resort to nuts and seeds and add them to cereal or homemade bread.

 

Protein for a balanced meal

Likewise, a high-quality protein source should be included with the first meal of the day. The mixture of high-quality carbohydrates and protein ensures you feel full for longer. For example, you could top the bread with cheese or ham, or enjoy milk or soya milk with your muesli.

INFO: Animal protein is generally easier for the body to utilise. However, you can easily improve the "biological value" of vegetable protein sources by combining them. For example, hummus on whole wheat bread = protein from chickpeas combined with protein from the oatmeal, nuts and seeds.

 

BOTTOM LINE: 

A combination of complex carbohydrates, good fats and high-quality protein provides us with energy for the day as well as fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Breakfast trends such as muesli bread, "proats" (= proteins and oats) or "baked oats" also pick up on this. So you can supply your body with the right nutrients in the morning and start the day feeling fit.

Do you have any other questions? Please write an e-mail to marketing@backaldrin.com.

The girls form Ernährungsliebe, dieticians