You’ve heard it since you were a kid – but is breakfast really the most important meal of the day?
It depends on who you ask, but there is a convincing body of research indicating that starting each day with a healthy breakfast is a critical element to living a healthy lifestyle.
The benefit of breakfast that tends to get the most attention is its link to weight loss, as research overwhelmingly suggests that eating a healthy breakfast in the morning can be an essential element to weight loss success. It has also been linked to having a positive impact on the body’s metabolism, in addition to a reduction in daily calorie intake by increasing satiety throughout the day. Without their early-morning meal, breakfast skippers (there are 31 million of them in in America) are more likely to overeat at subsequent meals throughout the day. (Want to actively counteract this? High-protein breakfasts have proven to be especially effective in lowering food cravings and consumption throughout the day.)
Beyond its weight loss benefits, breakfast eaters tend to be healthier overall, with lower blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, and risk of developing diabetes. Studies have shown that regular breakfast consumption also leads to a lower risk of heart attack and strokes, in addition to being tied to an increase in brain function, concentration, and language.
While we are huge supporters of regular, healthy breakfasts, it’s only fair to mention that correlation doesn’t always equal causation. While the body of evidence suggests that regular breakfast consumption appears to be directly linked to an increase in general health, there is always the chance that people who regularly eat breakfast also integrate more health-boosting behaviors, such as regular exercise and a healthier diet, into their daily routine, thus creating the healthier lifestyle overall.
Are you ready to start integrating a healthy breakfast into your daily routine? Here are a few of our favorite ideas to start the day on the right foot:
Detox Smoothie Bowl:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen pears
- 1 cup frozen raspberries
- ¼ cup frozen zucchini
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ inch piece fresh ginger
- 1 serving collagen or protein powder
- 2 Tbsp nut/seed butter
Toppings 🍐
- Thats it. Pear & Ginger bar
- That's it. Crunchables
- Fresh raspberries
- Fresh pear
Directions:
- Place all smoothie bowl ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth..
- Scoop into a bowl and top with your favorite toppings.
Strawberry Banana Crunch Muffins
Ingredients:
- 3 medium bananas, mashed
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup nut/seed butter
- 1 Tbsp plant-based milk
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
- That's it. Crunchables
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together bananas, eggs, nut/seed butter, milk, vinegar, and vanilla.
- Add in almond, tapioca, and coconut flours, along with baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix thoroughly and then fold in strawberries.
- Scoop batter into a lined muffin tray and top with That's it. Crunchables.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy!
Crunchables Protein Parfait
Ingredients:
- Cashew Milk
- 1 cup cashews, soaked
- 1 cups water
- Yogurt:
- 2 cups cashew milk
- 2 probiotic capsules
- Option: maple syrup, or preferred liquid sweeteners
DIRECTIONS:
- To make cashew milk, soak cashews for 3-5 hours, then drain and rinse them. Add cashews and fresh water to a blender and blend until smooth.
- In a small pan over medium-low heat, add 2 cups of cashew milk. Whisk for 5 minutes, or until thickened and you notice large bubbles. Turn the heat down to low if you notice large bubbles starting sooner than 4 minutes.
- Transfer to a jar or heat-safe container and let drop to 115°F, then whisk in the powder from two probiotic capsules and leave on the counter for 7-8 hours.
- Sweeten to taste if desired and store in the refrigerator.
- To make parfait, layer with berries and yogurt, then top with That's it. Crunchables.
