Written By Hannah O’Shei, PNW Intern, Spring 2021

How Important Is Breakfast And Why Should We Eat Balanced Meals?

Have you ever heard of the old adage, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”? You might be surprised (or not) to find out that this slogan wasn’t created by health professionals. Instead, it was used to sell breakfast products like cereal, bacon, and eggs. In reality breakfast, lunch, and dinner are equally important. Eating balanced meals throughout the day not only gives us the energy and nutrients we need to live but also helps regulate blood sugar, improves mood and well-being, and keeps us satiated. The problem when it comes to breakfast is that many people don’t eat a balanced breakfast or they just skip it entirely.

Studies done over the last decade have shown that skipping breakfast is associated with poor diet quality as well as an increased intake of added sugars and saturated fats. This is most likely due to people opting for more snack foods throughout the day and increased occurrences of bingeing. Eating three balanced meals spaced throughout the day is beneficial for many reasons. It helps with fullness and satiety, can improve cognitive performance, increase feelings of well-being, and have positive effects on weight maintenance and metabolism.

According to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, breakfast cereals and bars make up about 7% of the added sugar in the average American diet. This isn’t a huge number but it’s an important reminder to be wary of breakfast foods with a lot of added sugars. On the other hand, breakfast cereals that are lower in added sugar, fortified with vitamins and minerals, and made with whole grains can be a good addition to your diet and also make a quick and filling snack. If you do opt for breakfast cereal on some days of the week, I suggest pairing it with fortified soy milk and fresh fruit. 

What Nutrients Are Important To Have During Breakfast?

Fiber 

Fiber, a type of carbohydrate, helps us feel fuller longer, improves digestion, and is beneficial for the healthy bacteria that live in our gut. Adding fiber to breakfast is easier than you might think! Try adding fresh fruit, cooked or raw veggies, whole grains from oats or bread, and seeds like hemp, chia, and flax to boost the fiber content of your breakfast. 

Calcium

Adding calcium-rich foods to breakfast is important because this mineral is essential for bone health as well as many other functions in the body (such as muscle contraction, releasing hormones, blood clotting, and more). Most adults should be eating around 1000mg of calcium each day so getting calcium in at breakfast can help meet your needs. Calcium is found in many plant-based foods like dark leafy greens, seeds, tempeh, tofu, fortified soy milk, and many other foods. Be sure to double-check your non-dairy products like cheeses and yogurts to see if they are fortified with calcium - if they aren't, try swapping them for ones that are.

Fats

Adding healthy fats to breakfast will not only make your meal more satisfying but has numerous health benefits. Try adding walnuts and chia seeds to your breakfast which contain ALA, a type of Omega-3-fatty-acid. Replacing saturated fats with healthy fats like these help reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol and reduce our risk of heart disease and stroke. Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products like dairy, meat, and eggs but are also found in many processed foods and coconut oil. Unsaturated fats are found in plant oils like olive oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, and many other foods.

Heart-healthy swaps to decrease saturated fats

• Swap coconut oil for olive oil when cooking and baking

• Swap eggs and cheese for tofu and nutritional yeast

• Swap bacon for tempeh bacon

Carbs

This might be an obvious one but it’s important to mention. Carbohydrates have gotten a really bad reputation (see our blog post on this here). Don’t be mistaken though, carbohydrates are essential for our body and give us the energy our muscles and brain needs! Carbohydrate-rich foods like whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruit are so important if you want to feel your best and should be consumed throughout the day. It’s recommended that adults get between 45% - 65% of their daily calories from carbohydrates. 

Protein

Protein is another important part of a balanced breakfast. Contrary to popular belief it’s not that difficult to meet protein needs as a vegan or vegetarian as long as you’re eating a variety of foods each day and eating enough calories. Some great plant-based protein options for breakfast include tempeh, tofu, peanut butter, and fortified soy milk. 

How to Boost Your Gut Health During Breakfast

What we eat directly affects our gut microbiome (the bacteria living inside our gut). A diet rich in whole plant foods, fiber, prebiotics, and probiotics helps to support a healthy gut and has benefits beyond good digestion. There is an expanding body of research that suggests the gut microbiome influences immune health, neurotransmitters in our brain, disease, and health outcomes. The evidence also points to plant-based diets and high-fiber intake as being the most beneficial eating patterns for our gut microbiome. 

Here are some tips on how to boost your gut health during the first meal of the day:

• Sprinkle chia seeds, hemp hearts, and flax meal over foods or add to smoothies, oats, and porridge.

• Add veggies in wherever you can such as adding spinach or kale to smoothies or serving breakfast with a side of potatoes, peppers, and onions or steamed greens. 

• Add fermented foods like sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, and yogurt. Tempeh bacon is a great alternative to meat and sauerkraut or kimchi are so yummy on breakfast sandwiches. Yogurt is great on its own or used in a yogurt parfait or overnight oats.

Quick Breakfast Ideas

Now that you know how beneficial breakfast can be to a well-balanced, plant-based diet you might be wondering where to begin. These options below take less than 10 minutes to prepare and are perfect if you’re always feeling rushed in the morning.

Oatmeal or Yogurt Bowls : Just add your favorite fruit, nut butter, and seeds (like chia, hemp, flax, or pumpkin). 

Avocado Toast: Mash avocado on two slices of whole-grain toast, top with nutritional yeast and hemp hearts or pumpkin seeds.

Protein-Packed Smoothies: Try frozen bananas, spinach, fortified soy milk, peanut butter, and ground flaxseed. The possibilities are endless when it comes to smoothies so experiment with whatever you like! Check out this recipe: Chocolate Protein Shake (without protein powder)

Overnight Oats or Chia Seed Pudding: Make these the night before and grab on your way out of the door. Check out this recipe: Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Frozen Vegan Waffles: Just pop them in the toaster! I suggest spreading them with some peanut butter for extra protein and health fat and then serving them with fruit.

Breakfast Ideas For When You Have More Time

These breakfasts take longer, between 15-40 minutes. Perfect for the weekend, working from home, or if you just have more time on your hands.

Tofu Scramble: Just add your favorite veggies and serve with a piece of toast, roasted potatoes, or even pancakes. Check out this recipe: Southwest Tofu Scramble

Homemade Waffles: Serve with fruit, a side of veggie sausage, and steamed kale. These are my favorite.

Breakfast Burritos: Just make tofu scramble add in some black beans, kale, and red peppers, and serve in warm tortillas. Check out this recipe: Cheddar Bacon Breakfast Taquitos 

Banana Pancakes: Serve with non-dairy yogurt and breakfast sausage. Check out this recipe: Vegan Banana Pancakes 

Breakfast Sandwich: Add vegan egg, veggie sausage, vegan cheese, spinach, tomato, sauerkraut, and vegan mayo to a toasted whole-wheat bun.

Bottom Line

Eating a balanced breakfast can have many benefits such as improved diet quality, improved mood and well-being, improved cognitive performance, sustained energy, improved blood sugar control, weight maintenance - the list goes on! On the other hand, skipping breakfast can lead you down the path to low-energy, mood swings, decreased sense of well-being, bingeing, and poor overall diet quality. Skipping meals could also put you at risk for a nutrient deficiency.

Focus on fiber-rich foods, calcium-rich foods, healthy fats, carbohydrates, and protein which will help you meet nutrient needs on a plant-based diet and keep you feeling good. Even if you have limited time, you can still have a very nutritious meal in the morning.

Breakfast is important for so many reasons so don’t skip out!