Metroholica

Breakfast- The most important meal of the day.

Despite the healthful benefits, breakfast may be the meal that is most often neglected or skipped. Eating breakfast not only aids in weight management, it fuels the body to help provide energy, better concentration and problem-solving ability throughout the day,

Why breakfast?

Breakfast is the first chance the body has to refuel its glucose levels, also known as blood sugar, after eight to 12 hours without a meal or snack. Glucose is essential for the brain and is the main energy source. Blood glucose also helps fuel the muscles needed for physical activity throughout the day.

Breakfast is also very important for weight loss and weight management, You 'break the fast' of not eating for the past eight to 12 hours. It helps curb your hunger and prevent binge eating later in the day. Breakfast is important to manage your weight and potentially lose weight by eating less calories throughout the day.

In India, there are varieties of breakfast items available which are nutritious and provide the required amount of energy to sustain throughout the day. Breakfast foods differ from region to region. Let us review some of the common breakfast items.

·                     Oats with milk and fruits – Oats is gaining lots of popularity these days owing to its high content of soluble fibre and its benefit in reducing cholesterol in the body. So oats with skimmed milk and fresh fruits are a very good option especially for those who are on a weight reduction diet.

·                     Idli and dosa – made from rice and pulse, it gives good amount of energy and proteins and if had with Vegetable sambar, it contributes to vitamins and minerals.

·                     Upma – there are varieties of upma prepared, most of them with semolina which is energy rich. However Upma prepared with broken wheat and vegetables is very nutritious because of its fiber content.

·                     Corn/Rice/Wheat flakes – Corn flakes are very popular breakfast item. Now a days you have variety of them availble in the market which is fortified with calcium/Iron or Vitamins. It is very nutritious when taken with skimmed milk and fresh fruits.

·                     Sandwiches – prepared with vegetables/shredded chicken and brown bread is a complete breakfast food containing all the vital nutrients and of course fibre. For those people who are looking to lose weight, cheese or mayonnaise should be avoided.

·                     Bread omlet – is a high protein breakfast food and very much recommended especially for children, atheletes and those who are looking to build muscles. However people with cholesterol or any heart problems should prepare the omlet only with egg white

·                     Stuffed parathas – if prepared with less oil, parathas are very nutritious and an ideal breakfast item. The stuffing can be anything ranging from potatoes, raddish, cauliflower, sprouted green gram(moong), paneer (prepared from skimmed milk) and so on.