What is a good breakfast?
Breakfast is different for everyone but it is important for your health to plan for a good breakfast to start your day and keep you going until your next meal.
A healthy breakfast gives you the nutrients and fuel your body and brain need to perform at their best and keeps you feeling full until your next meal.
Breakfast will look different for everyone depending on your personal taste and routines but planning a healthy breakfast is really important. A healthy breakfast could include:
- Wholemeal cereals or breads. These foods give us energy and are a valuable source of fibre to keep our gut healthy. Wholemeal bread or toast, a high fibre breakfast cereal such as wheat biscuits or flaked cereal, or oats are great choices.
- Some milk, yoghurt, cheese, eggs, beans, nuts or seeds. These are a source of protein which is important for growth and repair in the body and helps us to feel a bit fuller.
- Fruit and vegetables. These provide fibre and a range of vitamins and minerals needed for good health. Try to eat a variety of different colours because different coloured fruit and vegetables provide different nutrients.
And every meal should include a drink of water or milk to help you stay hydrated. Find out more about the importance of drinking during the day.
Here are some balanced breakfast ideas
- Porridge made with low-fat milk, topped with berries
- Bowl of wholegrain cereal with a piece of fruit
- Beans on wholegrain toast with a glass of milk
- Boiled/poached/scrambled egg on wholemeal bread with tomatoes with a glass of milk
- Natural yoghurt with oats and chopped fruit
Check out our recipes for more healthy breakfast ideas
Breakfast tips
- Save time in the morning by preparing items the night before, for example chop some fruit and keep it in the fridge
- Try out some recipes that can be made in advance, ready to eat in the morning like our overnight oats
- If you don’t have time to sit down and have breakfast in the morning, pack some food in your bag that you can eat on the go, a piece of fruit, a yoghurt or a bagel with some peanut butter are all good options
- Some breakfast cereals can contain lots of added sugar, check the food label for those with the lowest sugar. Find out more about reading food labels.
