A couple weeks into the New Year… how are things going?  I’m sure better health has been on many people’s mind.  What are some suggestions for changes (relatively painless ones, por favor) to improve health and set you up for continued success?

Start the day off right

One action can be to improve breakfast. It can be a minefield. Starting the day on the wrong nutritional foot can compromise how well you feel the rest of the day.  Sugary foods are not a good choice as they set you up for blood sugar crashes soon after resulting in hunger.  More often than not, subsequent poor food choices start the cycle again.  Sometimes foods seem like good choices, but are not. This is called a Health Halo.  Prime examples of this are granola and sweetened yogurt (sometimes eaten together!)

Choose a high quality protein source

If you suspect your breakfast could use some improvement, make some changes and see if that improves your day.  Including a source of high quality protein on the regular is a good first step.  Eggs are a great choice and are no longer a food to avoid due to cholesterols levels.  Studies have shown that dietary cholesterol is not the reason for elevated serum cholesterol levels.  Trans fats, saturated fats and excess carbohydrate intake are the real culprits.  Eggs are low in all of those things.  Eating an egg or two a couple times a week is fine and recommended. Other good protein sources are nuts, seeds and beans.

Decrease sugar intake

Cutting out the sugary and otherwise highly processed foods will also help.  Whole grains, fruits and vegetables provide complex carbohydrates and fiber.  This helps regulate blood sugar and stay fuller longer, especially if paired with some protein and a bit of fat.  More on breakfast-worthy whole grains in another post…

Hydrate, but skip the juice

And let’s not forget fluids.  Juice sounds great, but is really just a bunch of sugar fluid with nutrients that could be consumed with the fiber and mouthfeel just as easily and would be way more beneficial.  Long story short (too late), skip the juice, eat the fruit instead.

For a tasty breakfast recipe that includes whole grains, egg and vegetables, check this Cheddar grits and salsa recipe from the Budget Bytes blog.