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Today, everyone lives a busy life where cooking and having breakfast is a big win in itself, let alone focusing on a heavy breakfast. But what about the ideology of having the most calories in the morning and the least before going to bed? Well, the human body is much more complex than having a fixed ideology that could work for all body types.
In the spirit of World Health Day, Slurrp interviewed Lavleen Kaur, a dietitian, clinical nutritionist and lifestyle coach from Chandigarh, India, to bust some myths about breakfast. As the recipient of the ‘Most Promising Youngest Dietitian in North India’ award from the International Healthcare Awards in 2016, she has provided many insights about today’s generation’s breakfast needs.
Is Considering Breakfast The Most Important Meal A Healthy Approach?
Lavleen Kaur says, “No, the extravagant focus on breakfast is nothing but a marketing strategy to promote the cereals. In reality, all a person needs to do is find a balance between all the meals, maintain regular physical activity, and water intake.” The nutritionist further added that instead of relying on broader notions like heavy breakfast, they should focus on their personal goals and their body type and then prepare a diet chart to achieve their healthiest body.
“People try to force themselves to have a heavy breakfast and tend to eat more than they really need. Rather than reducing your appetite for lunch, you should have a normal breakfast and have a balanced breakfast that can give you the right nutrition and energy to carry on with the rest of your day,” says Lavleen.
Nutritionist Suggests Some Healthy Breakfast Options
Millets
One of the healthiest breakfast options is including millet on your plate. Be it a roti made from millet flour, millet porridge, or even in the form of khichdi, you should transition to flours like ragi and bajra for a healthier diet.
Poha And Upma
The second breakfast basket would be having poha or upma. You can have poha or upma made within half an hour, and the added chopped vegetables, like tomatoes, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, etc., make it an even healthier option. Adding some peanuts and other nuts would be a cherry on the cake.
Dosa Or Idli
The next category would be making South Indian specialities like dosa or idli with a nutritious bowl of sambar. You should also try to make the dosa and idli with grains like ragi and suji. The lentils and vegetables in the sambar will complete the meal with all the necessary nutrients that your body requires.
Fruits
Lavleen also advises you to “chew your fruit.” “Even yoghurt-based smoothies are trending, so don’t replace them with actual fruit that has all the fibre. Yes, smoothies are still a healthier breakfast option, but having it once or twice a week would be sufficient; otherwise, the rest of the nutrients would be deficient, so follow a holistic approach with your diet,” the nutritionist suggested.
