The alarm goes off, and it’s a rush until you get out the door.
If your mornings are busy with getting the kids ready for school, getting yourself ready for work, or getting your pets ready for the day, chances are you’ve experienced difficulty getting in breakfast at some point.
From the time we wake up, our body uses more energy than during the night in the form of nutrition to fuel our day-to-day activities. Eating breakfast helps us start the day off with extra energy that our body needs to do a myriad of things (thinking, walking, working, and driving, to name a few). If we miss breakfast, we likely will feel hangry (a mix of hunger and anger) later in the day.
For those reading this who may be struggling with an eating disorder, having breakfast daily is a great way to help your body’s hunger and fullness cues return. If you are not currently experiencing hunger cues when you wake up (a grumbling stomach, feeling hangry, or experiencing a headache), this can be a good time to practice mechanical eating. Mechanical eating involves setting alarms on your phone every 2-3 hours (or as directed by your Registered Dietitian) as a reminder to eat regular meals and snacks throughout the day and eat when these reminders go off. These reminders on your phone can act as hunger cues would, reminding you to eat regularly to give your body the full nutrition it needs.
Remember, breakfasts can take a short time to make or be simple. For busy mornings, try having easy options such as Greek yogurt with fruit and granola, frozen breakfast sandwiches, or cereal with milk. Or, prep items such as hard-boiled eggs or overnight oatmeal the night before for a quick grab-and-go option.
Begin each day with a great start by having breakfast!
Nutrition and healthy food patterns are an essential part of life as a human being. They can also represent an area where we experience challenges. Water’s Edge Counseling & Healing Center has a nutrition team that works specifically with you to meet nutritional goals and progress to recovery wherever you’re at.
Maggie Suarez, RD, LD
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