Breakfast made easy

(NC) Mornings can be very difficult for many of us, especially if sleep issues are a factor and we didn’t get enough rest the night before. For some, eating first thing in the morning can be unappealing which can lead to delayed nourishment and potentially result in overeating later on.

If you find yourself low on energy, struggling with weight management, or just feeling tired, adding in breakfast, when possible, can truly help. Remember, having breakfast gives your body an additional nourishing meal to start the day, which can positively impact your overall health and energy level. It can also help with prevention and management of several health conditions.

Try to have breakfast within two hours of waking up. If this is a challenge, try adding it when you can. Keeping preparation time to less than 15 minutes for breakfast helps with mindset and motivation: the goal is to nourish rather than spend your energy on meal preparation.

An effective and simple way to assemble your breakfast is to break it down like this, try to include:

• A fistful or 1 piece of fruit,
• 1 cup (250 ml) or 2 pieces of whole grain food (ex., oats or whole grain toast) and,
• 1-2 servings of protein (ex.,1 cup low-fat yogurt or 1-2 eggs).

Here are some easy breakfast ideas that incorporate some or all of those:

1. Microwave an egg in a mug and enjoy with fruit or toast on the side
2. Overnight oats with yogurt and berries
3. Yogurt bowl with fruit and homemade granola
4. Shredded wheat with fruit and milk
5. A breakfast burrito like the one below from Kidney Community Kitchen

Quick breakfast burrito:

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
Makes: 2 burritos

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) green chilies, diced
• ¼ tsp (1 ml) ground cumin
• ½ tsp (2 ml) hot pepper sauce
• 2 large unsalted flour tortillas
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) salsa

Directions:

1. Spray a medium-size skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat.
2. In a bowl, beat eggs with green chilies, cumin and hot sauce.
3. Pour eggs into skillet and cook. Stir 1 to 2 minutes until eggs are done.
4. Heat tortillas for 20 seconds in microwave or in a separate skillet over medium heat.
5. Place half of the egg mixture on each tortilla and roll up burrito style.
6. Serve each burrito with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) salsa.

Not only do these simple combinations provide you with fuel to manage your busy day, they also help you meet your needs for fibre, protein, and fruits and vegetables. They also provide micronutrients, vitamins and minerals that help prevent deficiencies that are common in chronic kidney disease. Balancing your meals in this way can improve your blood sugar control, heart and digestive health. It can also provide more opportunities to keep our muscle mass intact.

Making meals easy, delicious, nutritious, and cost-effective are the key ingredients to achieving overall health and meeting your nutrition goals.

Discover more tips and recipes to make your mornings easy and nutritious at kidneycommunitykitchen.ca.

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About the author:

Dani Renouf, RD, MSc, CDE, is a registered dietitian with over 20 years of experience working with patients and clients in chronic disease prevention and management. She is also an integral part of the team behind Kidney Community Kitchen, a Kidney Foundation website providing kidney-friendly recipes and renal diet information. Currently, Dani works as the provincial dietitian lead for BC Renal and is the Renal Resource Dietitian at St. Paul’s Hospital and Chair of BC Renal’s Dietitian Committee.