5 changes to make to your morning, according to dietitians

ARTICLE

27 June 2022

3 mins read

Wellness

If the idea of a total overhaul to your eating habits seems overwhelming, start with a simple change at the start of your day.

For those of us looking to improve our health, the idea of making a drastic change to our diets can seem overwhelming. If you’re scrolling through endless picture-perfect plates of food on Instagram, it’s easy to assume that any effort to improve our health must be on absolute terms.

But according to two accredited dietitians, a few simple tweaks to your morning routine could be all it takes to create lasting change in your mission to eat well.

1. Make your first meal a “piece of cake”

Figuratively, not literally, of course. Breakfast is one of the easiest meals to do successfully – especially if you’ve prepared in advance.

“If you’re usually time poor in the morning, get out the breakfast bowls and cereal the night before,” says Clare Collins, a Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Newcastle.

Having healthy choices ready to go can stop you from being tempted to skip breakfast or from picking up that sugary muffin on the way to work.

2. Top up your greens

As for what you eat for breakfast, “If you usually have sugar on your cereal, learning to live without will save you 96 kilojoules (23 calories) for every heaped teaspoon you ditch. That’s over two kilograms of sugar per year,” says Clare.

Instead, try packing in some of your daily servings of veggies as soon as you wake up. “Almost all of us fall short of meeting our vegetable requirements,” says accredited dietitian Joel Feren from Hearty Nutrition. “In fact, only six per cent of us eat our five recommended serves each day.”

Try incorporating vegetables into your breakfast by preparing a zucchini breakfast loaf or cauliflower muffins the day before. Alternatively, chop and throw a few of your favourite vegetables into an easy omelette.

All or Something

If you’re struggling to get more fruit and veggies into your diet, try streamlining the process. Put a fruit bowl into an easily accessible place (like on your desk) or cut veggies up on Sunday and store them in the fridge for your meals ahead of the week. Your body will thank you later.

All: Make sure to have fruit and/or vegetables as part of every meal.
Something: Have a piece of fruit as a snack today.

Proper nutrition plays a huge part in our holistic wellbeing, and can also protect us against the five non-communicable diseases that cause over 90 per cent of deaths in Australia. Each small step we take (even if it’s just an apple a day) counts towards a Healthier, Longer, Better Life. Remember, All or Something!

3. Map out your day

Make sure you carve out enough time in the morning to set yourself up for a healthy day. Even ten minutes is enough to pack a lunch box with healthy leftovers and snacks.

“By taking food with you to work each day, you’ll be less tempted to buy takeaways and/or hit up the vending machine in the afternoon,” says Joel. “Also, packing healthy treats like nuts, fruit, yoghurt or muesli bars is a great way to stay on track.”

4. Take some shortcuts preparing lunch

Just because canned and frozen food is more convenient, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s unhealthy.

“It’s totally acceptable to use tinned legumes, pre-packaged salad bags, frozen vegetables and cans of tuna,” Joel says. “Most of us, including myself, don’t have time to cook meals from scratch, especially in the morning.”

“Making use of easy-to-use ingredients will make your life a little easier when it comes to meal preparation.” If you’re using canned food, just check the ingredient list for any added salt.

5. Eat mindfully, one breakfast at a time

There are multiple studies that suggest meditation and mindfulness are a great way to improve our mental health. But meditative practice doesn’t have to be restricted to the yoga mat or your bedroom before you sleep.

According to The Centre for Mindful Eating¹, preparing and consuming breakfast while distracted has strong links to anxiety, stress and overeating².

All in all, staying present and listening to your body is the most impo

rtant takeaway here. If you can, try to stay away from work emails or distractions during breakfast time, and make the most of a 15-minute breather at the beginning of the day.

Footnotes

¹ https://www.thecenterformindfuleating.org/

² https://www.thecenterformindfuleating.org/Resources/Documents/TCME_2014_introbrochure.pdf

Staff Writer

Staff writers come from a range of backgrounds including health, wellbeing, music, tech, culture and the arts. They spend their time researching the latest data and trends in the health market to deliver up-to-date information, helping everyday Australians live healthier lives. This is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances. The information in this article is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstance

Disclaimer:
This is general information only and is not intended as financial, medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a financial adviser, or medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.

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