By Prime Star Star 
Breakfast is one of the crucial meals of the day. The word breakfast means “breaking the fast,” as it is eaten after long hours of fasting. It should be as healthy as possible as it’s the day’s first meal. However, people do the opposite. They start their day with coffee, hot tea, and biscuits–the unhealthiest food items.
Imagine pouring hot tea on green grass. What would happen to the grass? It will burn completely. That green grass is your stomach in the morning, and you burn it by drinking tea and coffee.
Initially, you may feel that these beverages give you energy and help you wake up, but at the end of the day, they become a reason for feeling low on energy. Additionally, they slow down your metabolic rate, making weight loss difficult for you. So, how should you start your day, and what should your breakfast include?
Read this blog by the best dietitian in India till the end for the top 5 breakfast tips and food options for weight loss!
Start Your Day with Natural Foods
No matter what time you begin your day, the first thing you should eat when you feel hungry must be natural foods. Eat fresh fruits like bananas, apples, pears, papayas, or any seasonal fruit, along with some dry fruits such as almonds and seeds like pumpkin seeds and watermelon seeds.
However, ensure you soak nuts and seeds overnight before you consume them. The quantity of seeds and nuts depends on your body’s needs. As a general guideline, one can take:
- 5 almonds
- 1 walnut
- 1 tsp of pumpkin seeds
- 1 tsp of watermelon seeds
If you start your day with fruits, nuts, and seeds, you will eat less during breakfast, helping you lose weight without much effort.
Add Variety to Your Breakfast
In many north Indian households, people eat parathas for breakfast, and south Indians eat idli and dosa in their first meal. Though people are used to eating parathas, idli, dosa, and poha for breakfast, eating the same food items daily might not be the best way to lose weight and get essential nutrients. Add variety to your breakfast to get different micronutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Wonder how variety can be added to your breakfast? It’s not that difficult. Instead of eating the same thing daily, you can alternate between parathas, poha, dalia (porridge), besan chilla (gram flour pancake), moong dal dosa, or overnight-soaked oats. If you are non-vegetarian, consider including eggs in your breakfast. Adding variety to your breakfast will keep it interesting and ensure balanced nutrition.
Choose Healthy Cooking Methods
Most people in Indian households eat more ghee and butter than parathas in the first meal of their day. But it needs to be stopped. Otherwise, people will keep getting obese and suffering from various chronic ailments, says Lavleen Kaur, a renowned dietitian in India. So, what can be done?
If you can’t stop eating paranthas daily, reduce the amount of ghee and butter, at least, as they increase the calorie content, making weight loss impossible. So, stop frying parathas in a pan from today, try making tandoori-style parathas, and apply ghee on top after cooking. Additionally, use different types of flour daily to ensure complete nourishment.
Choose the Right Quick Breakfast Options
Don’t have enough time to prepare a traditional Indian breakfast? Avoid making cereals or cornflakes. People think they are healthy. But they are not. These packaged foods contain hidden sugars, salts, preservatives, and chemicals that can increase belly fat.
So, what should you do if you have no time for cooking? Drink a fruit smoothie. You can blend fruit like banana, apple, papaya, or mango with yogurt, nuts, and seeds. Additionally, you can add peanut butter to your smoothie, which is a good source of protein and can be used to lose or gain weight.
Eat Only When Hungry
Some people do not feel hungry in the morning, which is okay and shouldn’t be worrisome. However, some people force themselves to eat breakfast because they consider it necessary. If you are not feeling hungry, you can skip breakfast and eat raw foods like fruits, nuts, and seeds whenever you feel hungry. However, if you didn’t have breakfast, make sure the next you have is home-cooked and nutritious.
On the Final Note
Breakfast is the first meal of the day, and if you don’t eat it right, you will feel low on energy throughout the day. People start their day with coffee and tea, which is bad for their health. Instead, they should consider starting their day with natural foods, adding variety to breakfast, choosing healthy cooking methods, and eating only when hungry.
Doing so can help them lose weight and stay healthy and fit. However, remember that weight loss can’t be achieved by changing only one habit; it requires a holistic approach. If you need more information on losing weight and eating healthy meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, enroll in an online nutrition course without delay!