Health experts agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It starts your metabolic “engine” and supplies energy to your brain and body. Some people have learned by experience to eat a better breakfast than others—one that powers them through the morning instead of leaving them irritable and hungry by 10 a.m.

September is Better Breakfast Month, a good time to examine what you’re eating in the morning and what it’s doing for you nutritionally. You may be surprised to learn, for example, that a bowl of oatmeal can do more for your overall health than a bowl of fortified wheat flakes.

What Makes a Better Breakfast?

Nutritionally speaking, the best breakfast foods come from nature, not from a factory. Look for whole foods that provide protein, fiber, and vitamins. Here are some “better breakfast tips” to help you optimize your morning meal:

• Oats contain more protein than any other cereal, almost no fat, and an array of vitamins and minerals. Oatmeal also has plenty of heart-healthy fiber, especially the steel-cut variety.
• Steer clear of sugary, processed breakfast foods such as frozen waffles, toaster pastries, doughnuts, and candy-flavored cereals. These amount to empty calories that can cause your blood sugar to spike, then plunge a short while later.
• Yogurt is a better breakfast alternative to milk. It enhances immunity by promoting intestinal health, helps build bones, lowers blood pressure, and may have anti-cancer effects. Greek yogurt has more protein that regular yogurt, and a smooth, creamy texture that makes it pleasurable to eat.  
• Top your yogurt or oatmeal with fresh fruit rather than granulated sugar or artificial sweeteners. Fruit has fiber to fill you up and regulate digestion and essential vitamins and minerals to boot. 
• Concentrated fruit juices can add a boost of antioxidant power to your morning and make a “hurry-up breakfast” a better breakfast. Black cherry, blueberry, or acai juices are good choices.

Is Tea a Better Breakfast Beverage?

The merits of coffee as a healthful breakfast drink are still subject to debate, but tea has widely-recognized health benefits. All teas are rich in polyphenols, which detoxify cell-damaging free radicals in the body.  Studies suggest that tea reduces the risk of heart disease and may even help prevent cancer. If you’re looking for a better breakfast beverage to warm your soul, you can find black, green, white, and oolong tea in hundreds of satisfying mixtures, many without caffeine.

 Paula Detwiller, All Vitamins Plus Contributor