You've always heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. So why don't we treat it as such? I'm not a mom, nor do I ever plan on becoming one. However, I do know that it must be difficult trying to find the time to get something into your children's bellies, as well as yours, so sometimes Pop-Tarts or frozen waffles will have to do when you're on the run. I'm here to tell you that there are options that will fuel your body for the day that won't make you late. First, let me explain why IT IS important to start your day with specific nutrients like protein.
Protein, protein, protein. Why do we need protein in the morning? I'm so glad you asked. There actually is a real reason why we should start every morning with protein-based foods. It is a scientific FACT that our bodies begin producing stomach acid and enzymes that break down food at around 6:00am and that production eventually wears off at around 1:00pm.
Animal and plant proteins need extra help digesting, hence the reason you should eat those proteins during the time your body is naturally creating the digestive enzymes needed to break the proteins down and gather the nutrients from it. Next time you eat in the afternoon or later, pay attention to what it is your eating. If it's a high-protein meal, there's a good chance you'll feel sluggish the next day because your stomach acid production is low and there isn't enough time to properly digest the food before you go to bed.
As I mentioned earlier, I know you probably don't have the time to make mini salmon frittatas with braised kale in the morning. Fear not, there are more practical ideas for a healthy breakfast. 35% of your daily calories should come from protein-based foods. Women should have about 46 grams of protein daily and men should have about 56 grams. Since the amount of time you truly have to digest protein is limited, I would recommend consuming about half of your daily intake of protein during breakfast.
Now that we know all of this, we can research some healthy options for breakfast and figure our what will fulfill our nutritional requirements. One idea could be a healthy breakfast burrito. A corn tortilla filled with a couple scrambled eggs, some sauteed onions or peppers, a handful of black beans, and a little turkey bacon can give you as much as 30 grams of protein! Or if you're not digging the corn tortilla, simply add another egg and turn it into a breakfast skillet. Pair that with some fruit or a delicious smoothie, like this one from Young Living's blog, https://www.youngliving.com/blog/recipe-citrus-sunshine-smoothie/, and you'll have the healthy energy you need to get through the day without the afternoon burnout!
-Jordan