There is a serious epidemic at Wayland High School that must be addressed right here and now: a disturbing amount of students abstain from breakfast.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! And the yummiest, which is why I find it particularly alarming that so many of my friends don’t eat it. Afterall, with breakfast comes a long list of benefits.
When you wake up, your body has just gone six to eight hours without food, and has digested what you ate yesterday. Skipping breakfast, means that you’re beginning the day with zero energy. Breakfast gives you the jump-start you need to get an A in class, score a goal on the field and turn any other lemons life hands you during your day into lemonade.
Breakfast should be your largest meal of the day. But even so, it can actually lead to weight loss and help you maintain a controlled weight. A good breakfast helps hold off hunger for longer periods of time, making you less vulnerable to the the oreos and doritos taunting you from the pantry.
Plus, all of us students are still growing up! Done with your growth spurt? You still need a good breakfast to help those cranial sutures fuse – in other words, breakfast promotes healthy brain development.
I like to eat two eggs every morning paired with a whole grain cereal-luckily, a lot of the yummy cereals are whole grain now, like Honey Nut Cheerio’s. The protein in the eggs help keep me satisfied, and cereal gives me the energy I need to work out and write blog posts. If you don’t like cereal, whole wheat toast and whole wheat toaster waffles are also a good source of carbohydrates in the morning.
If you’re in too much of a rush to make eggs or wait for the toaster, hope is not lost – you can still have breakfast! Grab some low-fat cheese and whole wheat crackers, a piece of fruit, or some Greek yogurt (my favorite; there’s so much protein!) Or, you can buy a few single serving boxes of cereal or nutrigrain bars and throw them in your backpack. If you’re a kid who’s good at planning ahead, think about making some hard boiled eggs on the weekend, then lightly season one in the morning right before you head out the door. Also, I’ve heard of some people making a breakfast trail mix they can munch on through the morning.
When constructing your breakfast, you want to think about balance. You want some protein, carbohydrates, fiber and a small amount of fat. The combination of all of these will allow you to stay full for a long time.
Our journey to a healthy body can’t succeed unless our engines have the fuel to run. Make the choice to treat your body well, and give yourself the energy you need.