AICR Ever Green Ever Healthy
A Good Health Opportunity
from the American Institute for Cancer Research
Breakfast for many people is all or nothing: either all unhealthy stuff – pastries or eggs and fatty meats – or nothing if you’re charging out the door in a hurry.
It can and should be so much more. First, eating a healthy breakfast really helps weight control, according to studies. Breakfast gets your metabolism going after a night’s sleep.
Although it might seem that skipping breakfast would make weight control easier, studies suggest that eating breakfast may help reduce overeating later in the day. People who skip or eat an inadequate breakfast may find mid-morning a time they are likely to eat high calorie foods. They may also get extremely hungry at lunch and eat too much. Studies consistently link a pattern of eating little in the morning to consuming large amounts near the end of the day.
But what you eat for breakfast is just as important as eating the meal itself. Breakfasts that balance whole grains, some lean protein, vegetables and fruits slowly release carbohydrate into the blood. Refined grains – bread, pastry or cereal – raise blood sugar levels quickly, only to cause an energy dive soon afterwards. Eating a nutritious breakfast can also help morning concentration and work performance.
Breakfast is an easy way to meet the goal of three or more servings of whole grains per day with whole-grain cereal, oatmeal or whole-grain toast. Breakfast is also a great time to get in at least one serving of vegetables – perhaps in an omelet or vegetable juice – or fruit with whole-grain cereal. It is far easier to get the recommended daily 5 to 10 servings of cancer-fighting vegetables and fruits when they are a part of a third meal.
For a long-lasting breakfast, combine a whole grain, a fruit or vegetable and a healthful source of protein like low fat milk, rich in calcium and vitamin D, or low fat yogurt. Or your protein source could be a small amount of peanut butter or walnuts, both of which contain healthy fats and important vitamins.
People who aren’t hungry in the morning often find that if they eat less at night, they wake up that way. For others, a piece of fruit to start the day and a healthful early morning snack may work best or help make a transition to a breakfast habit.
Here’s a quick way to wrap up breakfast and take it with you:
Breakfast Fruit Wrap
For variety, you can substitute a tablespoon of peanut butter or vanilla low fat yogurt for the ricotta cheese in this recipe. Any sliced fruit may be substituted for the berries.
1 whole-wheat tortilla
2 tsp. all-fruit strawberry preserves
2 Tbsp. part skim ricotta or low fat cottage cheese
½ cup sliced strawberries (fresh or frozen, thawed and drained berries)
2 Tbsp. sliced almonds or walnuts
On flat surface, spread preserves on tortilla. Top with ricotta cheese then sliced fruit.
Sprinkle with nuts. Starting from one end, roll tightly. Wrap in foil for neater eating. Makes 1 fruit wrap.
Per serving: 231 calories, 9 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 34 g carbohydrate, 9 g protein, 4 g dietary fiber, 213 g sodium.
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is the only major cancer charity focusing exclusively on the link between diet, nutrition and cancer. The Institute provides a wide range of consumer education programs that help millions of Americans learn to make changes for lower cancer risk. AICR also supports innovative research in cancer prevention and treatment at universities, hospitals, and research centers across the U.S. The Institute has provided more than $70 million in funding for research in diet, nutrition and cancer. Visit AICR’s Web site. AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.