We all know breakfast is important. Unfortunately more often than not we’re fooled into eating supposed ‘healthy’ breakfasts. A huge amount of breakfast cereals are packed with sugar and are extremely high in bad carbs.

This sort of high-carb low-protein breakfast will see your energy levels plummet mid-worning. You’ll feel hungry within an hour or two of eating and will reaching for the snack jar. And another thing- your insulin levels will hit the roof, causing your body to store fat.

Nutritionists worldwide are unanimously in agreement about the benefits of a breakfast which will slowly release energy throughout the morning, and keep you satisfied until lunch. Recommended is a combination of high protein and good carbs (not the sugary ones- sigh). Protein will fill you up and keep your metabolism going all morning.

Some good breakfast ideas are:

• A bowl of oats sprinkled with berries and yogurt. Add cinnamon to sweeten.
• Two scrambled/poached/boiled eggs with a slice of wholemeal toast.
• Tuna or salmon with a slice of wholemeal toast.
• An bowl of unsweetened, low fat  muesli with natural yogurt. Add some chopped banana for flavour.

Here are some tips to a better breakfast: –

• Where possible, sit down. Enjoy the meal. You’ll feel more satisfied.
• If you like a glass of orange juice with your breakfast, the vitamin C is great. However the natural sugars in orange juice are a very sweet start to the morning- try diluting it with some water.
• If you’re looking for a morning caffeine hit, green and black teas are a great option. But if coffee is your drug of choice stick to skinny or black. Avoid full fat, creamy, flavoured options!
• If you do want that bowl of cereal, stick to the suggested serving size. Most of us pour well over the recommended amount. Also, have a yogurt or some nuts  to add more protein to the meal.
• Don’t ever skip breakfast. If it’s one of those mornings and you have absolutely no time, have a glass of skimmed milk and a banana to keep you going until you can have something more substantial.