Whether it’s buttered toast, tasty eggs or fruity porridge, eating a delicious breakfast is the perfect way to start the day.
Breakfast Week 2016 begins today – backed by ambassadors Nichola Whitehead, a specialist registered dietitian, and Vogue Williams, a TV presenter, DJ and model.
Organised by AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds, Breakfast Week is an annual time to discover new breakfasts, improve our favourite ones, and remember why we love our AM meal. Plus, it’s a chance to remember why we shouldn’t go without it – AHDB research has found that skipping breakfast on average makes you consume 252 calories later in the day, and makes you twice as likely to reach for a bag of crisps or a biscuit mid-morning. Bring back those oats!
Vogue and Nichola both know the importance of nutrition to fuel their busy lives – so healthy caught up with the pair to find out what eating breakfast means to them.
What time do you usually eat breakfast?
N: I’m up at around 6:30am and after a quick workout, shower and change I’m usually eating breakfast at 7:30am.
V: I eat breakfast as soon as I wake up, so usually around 8am. On the odd occasion I’ll go to the gym first, but I usually wake up too hungry to wait.
Sweet or savoury breakfast?
N: I definitely have a sweet tooth so fruit ALWAYS features. Even a cooked breakfast has to be followed by a bowl of chopped fruit with yoghurt!
V: For breakfast it’s definitely savoury.
What’s your favourite breakfast to indulge in over the weekend?
N: When I’ve got more time I love my Greek yoghurt pancakes – they use just a few ingredients (eggs, oats and greek yoghurt) and I love adding berries and cinnamon on top.
V: Definitely a cooked breakfast, I love the pudding and sausages at home in Dublin, so I eat them a lot when I go back.
What about if you need to eat breakfast on the go – what do you make?
N: You can’t beat one of my blueberry and banana breakfast muffins (baked the night before). I’ll grab a couple, wrap them in foil or kitchen paper and eat on the go – this means no empty containers to carry around either!
V: I would usually grab a porridge pot from a cafe if I was in a rush. Otherwise I would take fruit, muesli and yoghurt in a lunch box.
How do you like your eggs in the morning?
N: I love a good poached egg (with salmon and tomatoes!).
V: I eat eggs a lot so I like them every way. If I really had to choose, I would say poached.
Tea or coffee?
N: I usually have a lemon green tea.
V: I would have tea or a matcha green tea.
Finally, why is Breakfast Week important to you?
N: Breakfast sets me up for the day both physically and psychologically. It gives me the energy to both re-fuel after a workout and to fuel a busy morning (stopping me from craving a chocolate fix at 10am!) and it makes me happy in the knowledge that I’ve already achieved one or two of my five-a-day. I never miss breakfast, even if it has to be eaten on the go.
V: I just think it’s so important to eat breakfast, it’s the meal that sets you up for the day and gets your metabolism going. Breakfast Week is a push to get more people eating breakfast and show the importance of not skipping the most important meal of the day.
What’s your favourite breakfast? Tweet us @healthymag – we’d love to hear from you