Did you press snooze on the morning alarm one to many times? And now you are running late for work and looking for a quick and easy breakfast on the go? We looked at the pros and cons of some popular ‘on-the-go’ breakfast products to see how they stack up nutritionally. Take a look…
Almost ¼ Australians say they rarely have time for breakfast (Roy Morgan research).
Benefits of breakfast:
– Helps maintain a healthy weight. Eating breakfast regularly is associated with lower levels of overweight and obesity. Fills you up, and keeps you going, so you are less likely to resort to high fat, high sugar snacks mid morning.
– Ideal chance to replenish carbohydrate stores and refuel. Breakfast is also usually a good source of B vitamins, iron, fibre and calcium. Research shows that those who eat breakfast are more likely to meet Recommended Daily Intake (RDIs) for vitamins and minerals. Meanwhile, those skipping breakfast are more likely to have reduced intakes of calcium and fibre.
– Improve concentration and mental performance.
In summary…
– Many people are now turning to ‘breakfast on the go’. It started with Sanitarium Up and Go, but now there are many other alternatives.
– Many products make high fibre claims (to make the ‘good source’ claim, need >4g fibre/serve). It is recommended that we have 30g fibre from a variety of sources each day. The type of fibre used in liquid drinks is generally soluble fibres e.g. inulin (not usually found naturally and not the same as oats/wholegrain fibre).
– Check protein content (‘good source’ if at least 10g/serve).
– Many contain a lot of sugar (although remember that much of the sugar will be from lactose which is a natural sugar found in milk).
– So, I recommend that they are not for everyday, but are great to keep on hand for busy days when you don’t have time to sit down for a proper breakfast because they are a better choice than skipping breakfast.
– Other choices when you need a quick and easy breakfast on the go may include a tub of yogurt, piece of fruit, handful of nuts, and/or a handful of oats.