Healthy overnight oats with fruit. Photo from Shutterstock.

By Emily Christ
Health and Human Sciences Extension Educator, Purdue Extension Elkhart County

Emily Christ

ELKHART COUNTY — Making healthier choices can be difficult, overwhelming, or even frustrating. However, it doesn’t have to be.

If we find something we like and it is easy to follow, we are more likely to stick to it. For some people, they don’t like to eat breakfast. On the other hand, some people rely on breakfast to get them through the day. Research has shown you are not fueling your body when you are depriving it. The goal is to fuel your body to improve your mental and physical health throughout the day. This usually means combining a multitude of things in your daily morning routine including breakfast.

Sometimes it just takes a bit of intentional planning for something to stick long term. Eating a toaster pastry or donut won’t fuel your body or your brain until lunch.

The key is to include all five food groups in your breakfast (or any meal). By including complex carbohydrates, proteins, and whole grains, you increase your chances of staying fuller longer. If you eliminate heavily processed foods such as items with a lot of sugar, you decrease the risk of excessive hunger, heart disease and more. By balancing your breakfast in the morning, you are helping regulate and reduce the urge to snack throughout the day.

One example of a healthier breakfast option could be whole wheat toast, peanut butter, and a banana. Another option could be oatmeal, blueberries, and chia seeds.

You can incorporate foods you like but that don’t take a lot of time to prepare. In many cases, there is an option to make certain foods overnight so they are readily available in the morning such as overnight oats. These can be prepared the night before and stuck in the fridge with no cooking needed. It doesn’t always need to be complex. It needs to work for you and your lifestyle.