I’m going to start with some bad news. I have my first ever-running injury. As a result, I’ve had to take some time off running and miss out on a much anticipated 10km race. It has been terrible, but I’ve been trying to look at this setback in a positive manner. What’s the most positive aspect of no running? All the time I would usually use in the morning to run, I have instead been using to make an extravagant breakfast. As a result, you get to benefit from my running injury as I’ve mastered my oatmeal pancake recipe, which I’m sharing in today’s blog.
The number of people that don’t eat breakfast always shocks me. More than 40% of Canadians skip breakfast. The reasons to start your morning with a hearty breakfast are numerous and important to everyone, especially athletes! When you wake up, you’ve just gone more than 8 hours without any food. It’s time to BREAK-the-FAST. Upon waking, your blood sugar levels are low. By eating something, you increase your blood sugar levels. This helps you to have better concentration, alertness and energy. This is why kids who eat breakfast perform better in school. For those concerned about their weight, breakfast also kick starts your metabolism. People who eat breakfast are more likely to consume enough vitamins and minerals and are less likely to overeat later on in the day. What athlete isn’t concerned about having optimal energy, maintaining their weight and eating a balanced diet? Eating a breakfast each morning can help with all these things!
What does a nutritious breakfast look like? Aim to include three of the four food groups (fruits and vegetables, grain products, meat and alternatives and milk and alternatives). Some balanced breakfast ideas include: a piece of toast with peanut butter and a glass of milk, a bowl of whole grain cereal topped with berries, a whole grain wrap with peanut butter and sliced banana. These are all simple ideas that take less than 5 minutes to make. You can even make the oatmeal pancake batter the night before and easily cook it up in the morning.
If you don’t have the 5 minutes to spare in the morning to make breakfast, make it the night before. Check out the recipe from Dietitians of Canada that I posted for high protein overnight oats. Other prep-ahead ideas include:
- Boiled egg, banana & small homemade muffin
- Homemade yogurt parfait: low fat yogurt, frozen berries and whole grain cereal
- Handful of nuts, apple and small yogurt container
While I am hoping to get back to running soon, which will cut back on my breakfast making time, I will never miss the most important meal of the day! It has too many proven benefits. I encourage you to make it your December goal to eat a balanced breakfast every morning. I bet that by the end of December you’ll wonder how you ever went without breakfast!
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