The first meal of the Day: Breakfast
When we wake-up in the morning, there’s hardly any time to prepare breakfast due to our fast-paced lives. But you should never miss your first meal of the day as it has a lot of health benefits. It is important to have a balanced breakfast meal, especially if a person has diabetes. There have been various researches that say skipping your breakfast may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
As per the studies, eating a healthy breakfast can help in the process of weight loss. Not only this but for diabetic patients, it will help in controlling blood sugar level and insulin sensitivity. Some dieticians also say that regular breakfast habits will act as a preventive tactic for diabetes. You may ask your health professional for the food items in breakfast diabetics can eat.
The idea of a balanced meal in breakfast
The easiest way to make the best breakfast for diabetics is prepping the ingredients. While making a perfect meal for diabetic patients, these four categories are a must to have in breakfast –
- Fiber – It includes oatmeal, whole-grain bread, whole-wheat or bran muffins, and others.
- Healthy fats – It includes olive oil, grass-fed butter, peanut butter, coconut, nuts, avocado, and other dairy products.
- Vegetables – It can be any vegetable, but most probably, you can eat tomatoes, onion, cucumbers, peppers, and dark leafy green vegetables.
- Protein – It is most affordable for people to include eggs in their breakfast. Other than that, they can also have – fish, beans, and nuts.
A person can decide what to put in their everyday breakfast meal as per their taste. If you ensure to fill up your plate with all these nutrients, then it will the most satisfying meal of the day. In addition, it will help you to choose the best food options for the entire day.
Note that eating a low-carb diet in the morning will be the best breakfast for diabetics. It works in the body by minimizing the glucose response, which means that the blood sugar level will get balanced.
Macronutrients and their classification
Every food item is categorized under the macronutrients as – carbohydrates, protein, and fats. You need them all for proper and healthy body functioning. It provides your system with energy that helps you perform your everyday activity. According to the reports, breakfast for diabetics should consist of 20% of calories from protein, 30% of calories from fat, and 40-60% of calories from carbohydrates.
The daily count of nutrients may differ from person to person, depending upon various factors. You need to consume them as per your age, gender, blood sugar levels, activity, and workout in a day. If a person is on medication, then he/she must consult a health expert or dietician for a proper recommendation.
Food items in breakfast for diabetics
Here are some of the common and easy options for breakfast diabetics can eat. They won’t take much of your time, and you can feasibly prepare them by adding a few ingredients.
- Shakes in breakfast – To prepare a healthy shake, it will hardly take a few minutes, and you are done. For that, you need to take a cup of fat-free milk, one cup of fruits (bananas, blueberries, etc.) and blend it well. For people who do not like milk, they can exchange it with a cup of nonfat yogurt. If you want to make it more nutritious, add a spoon of wheat germ and nuts.
- Scrambled eggs – We all have been making scrambled eggs in our home for a long time. It is easy to make, and eating it with whole-grain toast is a healthy option. For those who do not know how to make it, all you need to do is scramble 1-2 eggs in a non-stick pan along with some cooking spray. To make it look more attractive, sprinkle some thyme leaves and add some low-fat cream cheese on the side.
- Whole-Grain Cereal – Cereal is always the right option for people who are on the go in the breakfast. Hot or cold, you can enjoy it any way you prefer. A simple bowl of cereal is rich in fiber and low in sugar. You can enjoy it by adding some skim milk.
- Pancakes and French toast – It is a healthy option to make French toast from whole-grain bread. Firstly, you need to measure the portions for the pancake batter and the toppings on it. You can also add a teaspoon of peanut on it or enjoy it with some maple syrup and blueberries on top.