If you decided to make and keep only one New Year’s resolution this year, make sure you eat a healthy breakfast every morning. Here are my top 4 reasons to start your day off right with a healthy breakfast:

Maximize Energy Levels

You already know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but maybe you didn’t know it’s one the key ways to maximize your daily energy and increase concentration for the day. Overnight is basically a long fast, and your body is running on fumes when you wake up. Therefore, it’s important to get fuel in first thing in the morning - ideally between 60 and 90 minutes of waking up.

Keeps Cravings Away

As anyone who's tried to eat sensibly knows, starving yourself now will just have you eating much more, later. To combat the urge to overindulge in the evening, make sure to eat breakfast that morning.

Helps With Structured Eating

Eating a healthy breakfast will subconsciously encourage healthy eating throughout the rest of the day and help keep you on track for more structured, less-sporadic eating.

Maximum Health Benefits

When it comes to a healthy breakfast, there are essential nutrients that need to be included in order to achieve maximum health benefits, including:

• Protein: One of the most important breakfast nutrients is protein. Healthy choices for protein include eggs, yogurt and nuts or nut butters. Protein is necessary to help you feel fuller, for longer, making it a great choice in the morning. It is also chock full of enzymes and hormones to feel energized throughout the morning.
• Fiber: Be sure to pair your high protein choice with a high fiber food like a high fiber cereal. Americans do not eat enough fiber, so breakfast is the perfect opportunity to achieve a fiber goal of 25-35 grams per day. Other options include whole grain breads, nuts and most fresh fruit.

• Fluids: Drinking fluids in the morning, after an overnight fast of 8 hours or so, is critical to good health. This can help boost metabolism while rehydrating your brain and all other internal organs. Additionally, thirst and hunger are hard to tell apart, so by drinking fluids can prevent unnecessary overeating.

There are numerous health benefits to be had to starting every day with breakfast – it is such a doable and easy change to your morning routine, that your body and mind will soon thank you when you integrate it into your day.

Ready to make a healthy breakfast part of your morning routine? Seattle Sutton's meal plans offer delicious and healthy breakfast options such as our breakfast quiche or buttermilk pancakes with blueberries and lemon ricotta. Start your day off right with the help of Seattle Sutton!