A Guide To Breakfast: The Smart, Easy Way
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Are you an all-in person when it comes to breakfast, or a skipper?
In a hurry, going to be late, just no time? Nutritionist Leslie Bonci from ActiveEatingAdvice.com says if you don't eat in the morning, you spend the day trying to catch up.
"You're coming off an overnight fast, so your energy stores are done you've used whatever fuel you have inside to make sure that your brain is functioning and your heart is pumping and all those things. Breakfast is the opportunity to put the fuel back in literally from the head down so you think well, over the course of the day, but it doesn't have to be a feast."
Sure it might be nice to scramble up a couple of eggs, maybe a slice of bacon and some toast, but that's a time commitment. Bonci says try a "smoothie, or somebody may grab a small sandwich, or somebody makes a PB&J, and has a glass of milk, and it also doesn't just have to be breakfast foods. There's no rule that says that you couldn't eat a vegetable in the morning."
Just make sure she says you include some protein, "It doesn't have to be sausage, it could be yogurt, it could be an egg, could be some cheese. cottage cheese, lots of options there. We do want to have some kind of carbohydrate in the morning, because that's the energy fuel for the muscles in the brain -- that could be oatmeal. That could be a wrap, that could be some cold cereal, there's lots of options."
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And if you don't have time to make it at home, there are healthy options at the drive-thru. Bonci says her top choice would be a McDonald's Egg McMuffin.
"It is quite healthy, you're getting the protein, you're getting some carbohydrate. The only thing that's missing is some fruit so maybe you bring that along with you. That one works beautifully."
She also likes places that combine protein and veggies. "We see that at Starbucks with that Feta and egg white and spinach, that works, or the idea of a Chick-Fil-A, they have an egg white sandwich, That's a chicken in the morning but why not, you can do that, let's not forget about oatmeal. Oatmeal is great as a whole grain. A lot of the oatmeal that are out there have fruit, and if you want to add more protein, get a cup of milk on the side, you can pour that into your oatmeal."
When it comes to the popularity of breakfast burrito, Bonci says be careful about the size. "Something that looks like a torpedo, you know I can hold it with five hands. No! But that may be fine if I'm having half in the morning half later, But a breakfast burrito is egg, there's usually some kind of vegetable, there may be some salsa with it. And then, it's typically like some sausage, but not necessarily a ton and a lot of places are doing turkey sausage right now which brings the fat content down, But it keeps the protein high which means that you're satisfied for longer period of time.
While Bonci doesn't put donuts on her list, bagels are good if you include some kind of protein, and a place like Dunkin' has even adjusted its menus to offer healthier sandwiches.