Step One–Breakfast Ideas:
· Have a glass of water as soon as you wake up because you were sweating and losing water by breathing while you were a sleep. No, coffee, juice, and soda do not count as water.
· Eat breakfast within 30 minutes of being awake.
· Avoid processed foods such as cereal, donuts, bagels, or danishes. Skip any food that has ingredients on the list you do not recognize. Most cereals are junk.
· Have some protein, like eggs, rice and beans, nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.)
· Try having some veggies. It may seem strange at first, but you’ll like it once you realize how good you feel after!
Easy options:
· Eggs: fried, scrambled, poached, or hard-boiled with whole grain toast. The whole grain toast gives you the carbohydrates for energy. You can even make a veggie omelet with 1 or 2 eggs, which will provide you with a great protein source to begin your day.
· Almond/Rice Milk shake: combine a cup of fluid (water, almond, rice milk or cow’s milk if you prefer) in a blender with ½ banana, 2 ice cubes and blend. Add 1 scoop of whey protein powder. (Optional: add 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed). I also like a scoop of powdered green supplement in my shake, which you can pick up at most grocery stories, but I carry one that I really love called Nanogreens. If you start your day off by drinking this shake, you should notice an improvement in how you feel and function throughout the day.
· Oatmeal with chopped nuts and raisins, a sliced banana, or strawberries. For extra protein (and increased tastiness), add a scoop of peanut butter to the oatmeal.
· Calcium fortified orange juice (not just orange drink made of sugar, water and orange flavors and color). Drink this before your breakfast or along with it to get the added calcium and vitamin C.
· Fresh fruit is a great way to start your day whenever possible. An apple, orange, pear, strawberries, banana, watermelon, peaches, blueberries are great options. Combine your favorite fruit with a container of yogurt (I really like Greek yogurt because it has higher protein and healthy fats), or you can add some granola if you’d like.
· Whole grain toast or bagel with peanut butter (real peanut butter, which only has peanuts, and possibly salt, as the ingredients). The peanut butter should give you the protein you need to sustain your energy throughout the morning.
References:
– Healthy Eating Tips for Teens by Lisa Margolin, J.D., M.S.; https://www.betterhealthusa.com/public/268.cfm