Rethink healthy: 5 simple changes to make your breakfast better

Make your first meal a “piece of cake”

Figuratively, not literally, of course. Breakfast is one of the easiest meals to do successfully – especially if you’ve prepared in advance.

If you’re usually time poor in the morning, plan or prepare what you’re going to eat. Better brekkie options include porridge, overnight oats, smoothies and omelettes.

Having healthy choices ready to go can stop you from being tempted to skip breakfast or from picking up that sugary snack on the way to work.

Top up your greens

As for what you eat for breakfast, try packing in some of your daily servings of veggies as soon as you wake up. Only 1 in 4 New Zealanders eat the recommended amount of vegetables and only 20% incorporate vegetables into their first meal of the day.¹

Try adding vegetables into your breakfast by preparing a zucchini breakfast loaf or cauliflower muffins the day before. Alternatively, chop and throw a few of your favourite vegetables into an easy omelette. 

If you’re struggling to get more fruit and veggies into your diet, try streamlining the process. Put a fruit bowl into an easily accessible place (like on your desk) or cut veggies up on Sunday and store them in the fridge for your meals ahead of the week. Your body will thank you later. 

Proper nutrition plays a huge part in our holistic wellbeing, and can also protect us against the five non-communicable diseases that cause over 90 per cent of deaths in New Zealand. Each small step we take (even if it’s just an apple a day) counts towards a healthier, longer, better life.

Map out your day

Make sure you carve out enough time in the morning to set yourself up for a healthy day. Even ten minutes is enough to pack a lunch box with healthy leftovers and snacks. Packing healthy treats like nuts, fruit, yoghurt or muesli bars is a great way to stay on track.

Take some shortcuts preparing lunch

Most of us, don’t have time to cook meals from scratch, especially in the mornings. Canned and frozen foods can be convenient but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re unhealthy.

“As well as staying good for longer, most frozen and canned foods are also comparable from a nutritional point of view – and, at times, even healthier,” says nutritionist and dietitian Marika Day.

Making use of simple ingredients will help make your mornings smoother but be mindful, “For canned veggies,… read the label so you can avoid added salt, and – depending on the brand – added sugar. Similarly, if you’re buying canned fruit, buy the one in juice instead of sugary syrups,” advises Marika.

Eat mindfully, one breakfast at a time

There are multiple studies that suggest meditation and mindfulness are a great way to improve our mental health. But meditative practice doesn’t have to be restricted to the yoga mat or your bedroom before you sleep.

According to The Centre for Mindful Eating², preparing and consuming breakfast while distracted has strong links to anxiety, stress and overeating³.

All in all, staying present and listening to your body is the most important takeaway here. There are many unexpected places to practice mindfulness, including the breakfast table. If you can, try to stay away from work emails or distractions during breakfast time, and make the most of a 15-minute breather at the beginning of the day.