For the most important meal of the day, breakfast can be surprisingly difficult to do right.
), but you also shouldnt treat it as a total afterthought.
But there are some breakfast bad habits that can stop you from making the most of that meal.
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For starters, you skip breakfast completely.
Meaning: You need fuelfoodASAP to replenish those stores and supply the energy you need for your day.
This could cause you to make food choices later on that might not be ideal, according to Young.
If you dont feel like something super hearty, asmoothieorprotein shakemight be more palatable.
Just see to it the final product still has the right balance of macros!
Or if youre already a scrupulous breakfast-eater, you dont go quite big enough.
In fact, its likely only going to last you halfway through the morning, Nguyen says.
to tackle everything on your to-do list.
You have two options here: Try a more substantial meal in the first place.
Theres no right answer here, and Nguyen is a big believer in playing with the cards youre dealt.
If you’re able to have a bigger breakfast, great, she says.
You skimp on protein.
It provides a longer-lasting energy boost, warding off sugar crashes and keeping you full and alert for longer.
However, low protein is a problem for manysweetbreakfast options, including the ones we called out above.
But you dont need to ditch your beloved breakfast pastries entirely!
Think about what we can add versus take away, Young says.
You might even be able to make swaps or additions to incorporate proteindirectlyinto the dish, according to Nguyen.
Youre stuck on the fact that it has to look a certain way.
They only speak in the language of carbs, fat, and protein.
So if this labeling isnt serving you, do your own thing.
Dig into that leftover lasagna or chicken cacciatore for breakfast if you wantno ones stopping you.
You drink a cup of coffee and call it a day.
In fact, sugar could even compound the blow.)
Drinking coffee on an empty stomach may also be more likely to cause gastric distress, Nguyen says.
Others might find themselvesfighting loose stools or diarrheathe infamous coffee poops.
When morning arrives, you just wing it.
One of the main challenges with breakfast is that people tend to not have enough time, Nguyen says.
Scroll through these15 meal-prep-friendly breakfast recipesfor some tasty ideas that wont derail your morning.
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