Healthy breakfast tips You ve probably heard people say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Eating a nutritious breakfast can help to reduce your risk of coronary heart
disease (CHD) and diabetes. It also contributes to a healthier diet overall by adding
important vitamins and minerals, such as thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, magnesium
and iron. However, about 23% of adults and 10% of children skip breakfast, so miss
out on this nutritional advantage. To help you start your day right, we have developed some easy ideas for healthier
breakfasts for home, work and meetings. We ve even included some recipes to get you started!
What is a nutritious breakfast?
A nutritious breakfast includes a variety of foods, such as high-fibre wholegrain breads and cereals, vegetables, fruit, eggs, and reduced, low or no fat milk and dairy foods.The Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults* encourage us to eat a variety of bread and cereals, preferably wholegrain. Wholegrain foods contain all parts of the grain. Eating them can help to lower your risk of chronic diseases, such as CHD, obesity, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. They are also easy-to-prepare, nutritious and perfect for breakfast.
Eating two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables every day contributes to good health. Breakfast is a great time to include fruit and vegetables in your diet to help you reach this goal.
Eggs are also an ideal breakfast food. A healthy balanced diet can include a serve of eggs (two eggs) in two to three meals a week. Remember that how you cook them is important. The healthiest cooking methods are scrambled (using reduced, low or no fat milk), poached and boiled.
Dairy foods contain calcium, which is essential for strong bones and teeth. They also include protein, vitamins A, D and B2. There is a wide range of dairy foods that you can include in your breakfast, such as milk, yoghurt and cheese. Choose healthier reduced, low or no fat varieties.
Breakfast ideas for home
Quick fixes for people on the go- Keep a supply of healthy wholegrain cereals and reduced, low or no fat milk in the house. Prepare breakfast the night before by setting the table and getting out bowls, plates, cutlery and cereals.
- Have a back-up plan of fast, inexpensive options. For example, fresh fruit; reduced, low or no fat yoghurt; a handful of plain, unsalted nuts and/or seeds; small boxes of sultanas; and cereal bars that have earned the Heart Foundation Tick.
- Pre-cook a batch of savoury muffins, for example with carrot, onion, zucchini and cheese, and eat one for breakfast.
Bread, crisp breads and rice cakes
- Spread margarine onto spicy fruit loaf or fruit muffin and top with sliced banana and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Toast wholegrain bread and grill with melted reduced fat cheddar or mozzarella cheese. Halve a wholemeal pita bread or flat bread and fill with berries (or other seasonal soft fruit) and reduced, low or no fat yoghurt. Roll up and serve as a wrap.
- Spread 100% fruit jam on wholemeal toast and top with ricotta cheese.
- Top wholemeal toast with salt-reduced baked beans and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Cut wholegrain toast in thin slices and serve with a soft boiled egg or scrambled eggs made with reduced, low or no fat milk.
- Add a healthy savoury topping, such as avocado or hummus and tomato, to crispbread.
- Top rice crackers with a spread of margarine, sliced tomato and black pepper.
Cereal
- Serve layered wholegrain cereal, reduced, low or no fat yoghurt and fresh fruit pieces in a bowl or drinking glass.
- Serve wholegrain cereal with slices of fresh seasonal fruit or fruit canned in natural or unsweetened juice.
- Cook porridge with a touch of cinnamon and add stewed fruits, such as apple, quince or rhubarb.
Fish and eggs
- Try canned fish, such as tuna, salmon or sardines, on wholegrain toast with a touch of reduced, low or no fat mayonnaise and ground black pepper. Choose fish canned in spring water or oil, or look for the Heart Foundation Tick on the label.
- Scramble eggs with a little olive oil, red and green capsicums, onions and black pepper. Serve with wholegrain toast.
- Make an omelette with tomato and mushrooms, or add some pieces of smoked salmon and chives.
Fruit
- Serve fresh fruit salad in a tall glass and top with reduced, low or no fat fruit yoghurt and crunchy untoasted muesli.
- Try half a grapefruit with a light sprinkle of sugar.
Milk
- Make a smoothie using reduced, low or no fat milk and yoghurt, fresh or frozen fruit, ground flaxseeds and a touch of raw cocoa powder* and cinnamon.
Toasty breakfast treats
- Use a sandwich maker to make toasted sandwiches, using wholegrain or wholemeal bread where possible. For sweet fillings, fruit loaf also works well. Experiment with different fillings, such as:
- banana and sultanas
- apple, cinnamon and sultanas
- pineapple and banana
- reduced fat cheese and tomato
- lean ham and tomato
- salt-reduced baked beans.
