We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that it should be healthy. So what is a healthy breakfast? It depends on what you're going to do and what your body needs. It's important to think of food as fuel and instructions for your body. Don't just eat for the sake of eating, eat to fuel your body for the activity of the day and your goals. We often mistake "healthy" to mean: what to eat for breakfast when trying to lose weight, it's much more.

Day-to-Day Living

So how do you make this practical? Most days you probably do one of a few activities. You might go to work, go to the gym, take a lazy day, or somewhere in between. The energy your body needs for a workout is very different than the energy your body needs to snuggle on the couch with a good book. It's important to plan your days out ahead of time so that you can plan your meals out to be the most effective fuel for your body.

Macros Matter

Each macro (macronutrient) plays a different role in fueling your body. If you plan to head straight for the gym, you need some good carbohydrates to fuel your body early and protein to keep it going. If you're heading to work a sedentary job or relax at home, you don't need a ton of energy right away. Protein along with some good healthy fat will give you some good fuel for the day and keep you sustained. Add in some fiber from fruits or vegetables and you will be full and fueled for several hours. For more details on how macros work, check out this blog post.

Sorry they’re not really GRRRR-eat, like Tony said

The important thing here is to understand what your body needs and what it doesn't. Unfortunately, traditional "breakfast" foods like sugared cereal, pancakes, waffles, or any of those other delicious, are not what any of us should be eating regularly. They are basically straight sugar and unless you intend to go run a marathon, you will not need all that energy anytime soon. We all grew up with the TV commercials touting cereal as part of a healthy breakfast or part of a complete breakfast. If you looked closely though, the bowl of cereal was surrounded by other things like eggs, fruit, etc.. So cereal might be a part of a healthy breakfast, but it's a very small part. Most breakfast cereals are anything but healthy. They are full of sugar and "whole grains" which are modified versions of their ancestors and straight starch, a.k.a. sugar.

All in all, the cereal industry uses approximately 816 million pounds of sugar each year, according to Scott Bruce and Bill Crawford, authors of Cerealizing America: The Unsweetened Story of Breakfast Cereal. That's enough for each person in the U.S. to be coated with three pounds of the sweet stuff. No wonder as the rate of consumption goes up, so does obesity! We're coating ourselves in an extra layer of sugar.  (Source: https://www.creditdonkey.com/breakfast-cereal-statistics.html) Children's cereals contain 40 percent more sugar than those geared towards adults.

Is that really how we should fuel them as they head off to school to learn, think, and, gasp, hold still?!!

The gold standard is still your best option

Eggs are truly one of nature's superfoods and a fantastic option for breakfast. One small egg contains all the essential vitamins and minerals we need for a healthy diet.

What about cholesterol? Here’s the truth about eggs and cholesterol, yes they're naturally high in cholesterol. But the cholesterol in eggs doesn't seem to raise cholesterol levels the way other cholesterol-containing foods do, such as trans fats and saturated fats. The foods people typically eat alongside eggs, such as bacon, sausage, and ham may do more to boost heart disease risk than eggs do. Before you start worrying about cholesterol and all the other evils you have heard about eggs, remember this, moderation in all things. Most healthy people can eat up to seven eggs a week without increasing their risk of heart disease.

Here are some other breakfast options and what they do for you:

• Instant energy: oats, quinoa, fruit
• High protein: yogurt, eggs, tofu, spinach, oats & milk together, nut butter
• Quality fat: avocado, nut butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, seeds

For more great ideas, recipes, download your FREE copy of my book Your Guide to a Protein Packed Day

The bottom line

Eat food that fuels you. More on that here. Listen to your body, eat a variety of foods. Eat things that grew from the ground, walked, swam, or flew above it, as close to their natural form as possible. Ditch the bags, boxes, cans, and the microwave. Eat lots of colors and textures, yes even for breakfast. Get creative, plan ahead and you'll start your day with healthy fuel and energy to do all the amazing things that you have planned!