Are fruits a good breakfast substitute?

 Most of us rely on fruits for 'healthy breakfast substitutes' without really checking up on how healthy that is.

Do you always end up eating a piece of fruit for breakfast, due to lack of time? Many of us, though being aware of the importance of breakfast, tend to avoid eating a healthy breakfast.

The basic excuse we give to avoid a healthy breakfast is 'lack of time'. But if you feel that by adding fruits for breakfast you will get a healthy breakfast, then you need to read what Ms. Eileen Canday - Chief Dietician at Breach Candy Hospital says...

She says, "Essentially, it (fruits for breakfast) affects your body by not giving you all the vitamins and minerals you need to make it through your day."

On the other hand, when you have a complete breakfast you not only get vitamin C, but you also get calcium, fiber, and protein. This helps better prepare your body for the day's activities.

This leads us to staying powerful throughout the day. If a piece of fruit doesn't have enough nutrition, how could it possibly keep you full until your next meal? It's only when you combine fruit with high fiber breakfast foods such as oatmeal, wheat, or even bran, you will stay full longer.

When you add more fiber to your breakfast, you're able to better ward off hunger pains. When you combine these high fiber foods with fruit, you get a breakfast that has more of the nutrition your body needs.

Of course, the most important reason a breakfast of fruit isn't enough is because you aren't consuming sufficient calories or protein. Breakfast is the most significant meal of the day.

By consuming more calories first thing in the morning, you are better able to work off those calories throughout the day. This is a much enhanced option than consuming most of your calories in the evening.

Protein is essential to keeping you full for longer as well. A breakfast that lacks protein will have you feeling hungry by noon, even earlier.

So save fruits as mid-day snacks or add-ons for meals, but avoid using fruits as breakfast substitutes. Find 5-10 minutes to eat a nutritious well-balanced healthy breakfast, and you'll be in better control of your weight and health.