Best Foods for Breakfast

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Skipping breakfast can set you up for overeating later in the day. A healthy a.m. meal, on the other hand, can give you energy, satisfy your appetite, and set the stage for smart decisions all day long.

However, not everything you eat for breakfast can provide you with the necessary energy and nutrients. The important thing is to aim for a breakfast that combines good carbs and fiber with some protein. There are plenty of different foods that correspond this description, and here are some of them:

Oatmeal

Oats contain beta-glucan, a type of fiber that's been shown to help lower cholesterol when eaten regularly. Oats are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and potassium. Steel-cut oats, which take about 15 minutes to cook, contain more fiber than rolled oats or instant varieties, but any type of oatmeal is a healthy choice. Just avoid the flavored kinds, which can be packed with sugar. Instead, sweeten your bowl with milk and a bit of honey, and top with fruit and nuts.

Greek yogurt

This tangy, creamy yogurt is loaded with calcium and boasts plenty of protein—nearly twice as much as regular yogurt—to keep you feeling full throughout the morning. Your best bet: Choose a plain, nonfat variety, and add some fruit to give it some sweetness and flavor (and a dose of added nutrition).

Wheat germ

A little wheat germ goes a long way. Just two tablespoons provides about 15% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin E and 10% of your daily folate. It's easy to incorporate wheat germ into almost any meal, including your go-to breakfasts: sprinkle it over cereal, stir it into yogurt, or mix it into a smoothie.

Fruit

Grapefruit
This fruit has fat-burning properties and a beneficial effect on blood sugar and insulin levels. Grapefruit is also hydrating, filling, and packed with immunity-boosting antioxidants. But check with your doctor first if you take any medications, as grapefruit and grapefruit juice can interfere with some prescription drugs.

Bananas
The yellow fruit—especially when they're still a touch green—are one of the best sources of resistant starch, a healthy carbohydrate that keeps you feeling fuller longer. Thanks to a healthy dose of potassium, an electrolyte that helps lower blood pressure naturally, bananas are a particularly good choice for people with hypertension.

Watermelon
As its name suggests, watermelon is an excellent way to hydrate in the morning. What's less well known is this juicy fruit is among the best sources of lycopene—a nutrient found in red fruits and vegetables that's important for vision, heart health, and cancer prevention.

Cantaloupe
A six-ounce serving (roughly a quarter-melon) contains just 50 calories and a full 100% of your recommended daily intake of both vitamin C and vitamin A, an important nutrient for smooth, younger-looking skin. And, like most melons, cantaloupe has a high water concentration, which means it will help you stay hydrated and keep you feeling full until lunchtime.

Kiwi
This fuzzy little fruit has about 65 milligrams of vitamin C per serving—nearly as much as an orange. It's also rich in potassium and copper and contains more fiber per ounce than a banana, which makes it a good aid to digestion. (In one study, eating two kiwis a day for one month lessened constipation in people with irritable bowel syndrome.)

Eggs

These incredible edibles have made quite a comeback in recent years. Once shunned for being high in dietary cholesterol (one yolk contains about 60% of your daily allotment), eggs are now embraced as a healthy source of protein and nutrients like vitamin D. Why the turnabout? Research has shown that the cholesterol in our food has less of an impact on blood cholesterol than previously thought.

Almond butter

Don't eat eggs or dairy? Almond butter is an excellent alternate source of protein, and it's filled with monounsaturated fat (one of the good fats). Nutritionally, almond butter is comparable to peanut butter, and they each have about 100 calories per tablespoon. Almond butter contains slightly less saturated fat, though—a definite point in its favor, even for people who aren't allergic to peanuts.

Flaxseed

Sprinkling ground flaxseed into a smoothie or bowl of cereal will turn your breakfast into a gold mine of omega-3 fatty acids; just two tablespoons contains more than 100% of your recommended daily intake for those heart-healthy fats. Flaxseed, which has a nutty flavor, also is rich in fiber and lignan, an antioxidant that's been shown to protect against breast cancer.

A word of caution: Whole flaxseeds will pass through your body without being digested, so be sure to buy them ground or grind them yourself with a coffee or spice grinder.

Berries

Blueberries
Fresh or frozen, these tiny superfruits pack a big antioxidant punch. Studies suggest that eating blueberries regularly can help improve everything from memory and motor skills to blood pressure and metabolism. (Wild blueberries, in particular, have one of the highest concentrations of the powerful antioxidants known as anthocyanins.)

Strawberries
One cup of strawberrie contains your full recommended daily intake of vitamin C, along with high quantities of folic acid and fiber.

Raspberries
These summer favorites are the main berry source of ellagitannins, a type of antioxidant that is thought to have cancer-fighting properties. They're also high in fiber (8 grams per cup), vitamin C, and vitamin K, which helps build strong bones.

Coffee

Coffee drinking has been linked to a lower risk of several diseases (such as diabetes and prostate cancer), and it may even help you live longer. Researchers suspect the combination of caffeine and antioxidants are responsible for many of the observed health benefits.

Tea

Tea has a pretty impressive résumé of health benefits, too. Because it has less caffeine, it hydrates you more effectively than coffee, and it's also a rich source of the immunity-boosting antioxidants known as catechins. All tea (black, green, or white) provides antioxidants, but green tea may be healthiest of all. Research suggests that drinking five cups a day can increase your body's metabolism.

Fruit juice

Orange juice
Fresh squeezed OJ is a classic (and tasty) morning beverage, but that doesn't mean it can't be improved on. For even more nutritional benefit, you'll want to opt for a store-bought variety that's fortified with vitamin D, higher levels of which have been linked to a lower risk of osteoporosis, depression, and certain cancers.

However, fruit juice is high in calories and sugar, so it should be consumed in small servings and shouldn't replace whole fruit in your diet.

Cranberry juice
Cranberry juice, which helps limit bacterial growth, is best known for warding off urinary tract infections (UTIs), but its healing powers may not stop there. The tart juice appears to promote cardiovascular health, and preliminary research in petri dishes suggests that compounds in cranberries can even increase the effectiveness of certain ovarian cancer drugs.

Cereal

There are many different kinds of cereal you can find in a supermarket, but what you should look for is at least 5g of fiber and less than 5g of sugar. You'll find this winning combo in many whole-grain or bran cereals (such as shredded wheat), which as an added bonus are often fortified with riboflavin, folic acid, and other essential nutrients.

Whole-wheat bread

Carbohydrates are a breakfast mainstay, but the type of carbs you choose can make a big difference in the overall health of your meal. The simple rule to remember is that whole wheat and other whole grains—whether they're found in bread, toast, or English muffins—contain more fiber and nutrients than their white, refined counterparts.

Source: health.com