Diet and breakfast

Numerous studies highlight the importance of breakfast.

The concept is punctually reiterated by doctors and the media and there is no serious diet that does not include one. Nevertheless, given the hand, a good percentage of Italians usually skip this important meal. Another good percentage, while regularly eating breakfast, relies on incorrect dietary choices.

Why is breakfast so important?

The concept is simple: those who do not have breakfast in the morning are led to eat much more during the day, with the risk of exceeding and gaining weight.

A nutritious breakfast allows you to start the day with vitality without getting tired and hungry at your lunch break.

It is scientifically proven that those who skip this important appointment with health have more difficulty concentrating during the morning. Not only that, the subsequent binge at lunch, also negatively affects the afternoon performance due to the excessive insulin overhang and the big digestive effort.

A nutritious breakfast helps to awaken and accelerate the body's metabolism, giving you that energy boost needed to face the day with the right spirit.

If you are in a hurry in the morning and don't have time to have breakfast, try to prepare what you need the night before or eat something while you go to work.

What to eat?

Now that we have stressed the importance of breakfast in the daily food balance, it is time to ask what to eat.

According to the Italian tradition, milk, yogurt, rusks, fresh fruit and jam are the basic ingredients of breakfast.

But there is another food that in the last twenty years has increasingly taken its place on our tables: the brioche .

Unfortunately, this is one of the least healthy foods ever due to the frequent use of hydrogenated vegetable fats. The low satiating power and the high calorie content make it completely unsuitable for those who follow a weight loss diet.

This aspect has certainly not gone unnoticed and the food industry, particularly attentive to consumer needs and its portfolio, has advertised and introduced cornflakes on the Italian market. Since their taste was not particularly appreciated, it was well thought to add high-calorie ingredients like sugar to make them more palatable.

The result is that today many Italians, unaware that in their cup they hide sweets disguised as cereals, have breakfast with cornflakes hoping to stay in line and regularize intestinal functions.

In reality the only person who really remains online is the model shown on the package!

We must therefore pay close attention to the type of cornflackes you buy, those with lots of cocoa and a lot of sugar is best left on the shelf. Here are some features to focus on: the calorie content must be less than 300 Kcal per 100 grams,

the presence of fiber should exceed 15 grams out of 100

among the ingredients there must be no wording such as: "hydrogenated vegetable fats" and / or "tropical oils" and / or the abbreviation E followed by a number indicating the use of food additives

The rusks have a caloric content higher than bread (on average 100-150 kcal more every hundred grams) due to the higher lipid content necessary to promote toasting. Precisely the quality and origin of the fats involved in the processing must be carefully evaluated before purchase. Also in this case if among the ingredients appear written like: "margarine" "hydrogenated vegetable fats" "rapeseed oil" "tropical oils" it is better to move towards another product. The absence of preservatives, the addition of iron and vitamins and the use of wholemeal flour are factors that increase its quality.

The biscuits are good indeed very good but high in calories and not very filling. Try to weigh them, you will discover that a few are enough to reach 500 calories. Similar discourse for snacks.

How much to eat?

According to nutritionists, breakfast should provide at least 20% of daily calories. You can calculate your daily caloric needs by clicking on the following link: Daily calorie requirement calculator.

At breakfast, try eating ...

Fruit: an excellent food to eat for breakfast. It provides vitamins, antioxidants, fibers and helps restore carbohydrate reserves. It does not strain the digestive system and stimulates the detoxification process of the organism which reaches the highest levels during the night.

Fruit juice: refreshing, rich in antioxidants and minerals, it is an excellent choice for breakfast. But be careful not to confuse it with sugary drinks that are poor in fruit and rich in colorings, preservatives, sugar and derivatives. Look good in the supermarket shelves and you will probably find 100% juices without added sugar.

Wholemeal bread with jam: rich in fiber, it combines the simple sugars of jam with starches. A winning mix that will provide a constant release of energy during the morning

A handful of dried fruit: with proteins and essential fatty acids it is very useful to balance breakfast in the breakdown of macronutrients and to keep cholesterol under control.

Partially skimmed milk and yogurt: they provide calcium, proteins, lactic ferments and the right amount of fat.

Dark chocolate: only for the greedy who deserve it (ie for those who follow a regular program of physical activity) 50 grams of extra dark chocolate supply iron, phosphorus, potassium, methylxanthines and a good dose of antioxidants without exaggerating with calories. Remember that the morning is the best time to take sweets, in the evening the worst, but do not overdo it!

Breakfast at the bar?

For many, the ritual of breakfast at the bar is an indispensable pleasure, for others a simple requirement.

Unfortunately, the choice of foods is limited. Unwrapped snacks and croissants for the reasons mentioned above can always be folded over a cup of hot milk or on an orange juice.

If the bar offers the possibility to choose a fruit, combining it with some dried fruit (a couple of walnuts or 4-5 almonds).

Soft Homemade Brioches - Alice's Recipes

Do you want Brioches? Doing them at home is not that difficult, just follow step by step the personal cooker Alice while giving life to soft and tasty croissants in the official gastronomic clinic of MypersonaltrainerTv. What do you say? Too many calories? Don't worry, you can also follow the video recipe on light croissants with wholemeal flour