Breakfast: the most important meal of the day

Waking up in the morning is hard enough...so we understand that making yourself breakfast is even more of a struggle. But, breakfast is, in fact, the most important meal of the day. It's meal that you NEED to make time for.

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It's a meal that gives you fuel after that overnight-fast- that's where the name originated, breaking the fast. Without this major fuel, you are like a car running on empty. Your metabolism depends on you eating and you need to start your day with food. Your metabolism is going to get slower if you don't eat and that can contribute to weight gain.

Your health starts with what you eat and breakfast is the platform for the rest of your day. The right breakfast provides you with the vitals like calcium, irons, B vitamins, protein and good fibers. According to studies, breakfast provides you with the essential nutrients and energy to get you started for the day and keep good concentration. And we all know that in this day and age, maintaining focus is hard.

Hunger is going to strike long before lunch time, so eating a full breakfast that is going to be 1) healthy and 2) fill you up is crucial. If you don't eat breakfast, you're going to be even more hungry earlier and you are most likely going to snack on foods that have high fat or sugar content. That mid-morning slump is going to be a real killer, so eating breakfast can prevent this.

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So, to start, you're going to want your breakfast to consist of a healthy bread or grain like cereal, toast or some kind of muffin. You'll also want a dairy product if you're not lactose-intolerant. This could be a low-fat milk or yogurt. Last, you are going to need a fruit or vegetable. You could make a quick omelet with some veggies or cut up some fruit. Most of these items are things you can take with you to-go so if you don't have time to sit down at home, you can take it with you to school or work.

To drink, try to replace the coffee with orange juice or milk. If you're like me and can't go without the coffee, try to limit the coffee to one cup just in the morning and keep the sugar and milk to minimum. Coffee isn't bad for you, but most people drink it with sugary additives. If you're just looking for a caffeine boost, try a green or black tea.

Breakfast doesn't need to be time consuming. If you just wake up 15 minutes earlier than usual, you'll allow yourself some time to whip up a healthy morning meal. Planning ahead is going to be key. There are so many times that you lose track of time and end up running out the door with an unhealthy snack. So, decide when you are going to wake up and what you're going to eat ahead of time so you don't run into any issues. Budgeting your time right is going to the best way to get breakfast in.

Skipping breakfast can become a habit, but you can always break a habit!