We've all heard it before- don't skip breakfast if you want to be healthy. There are a number of health benefits that breaking your fast after rising is said to bring. It is said to reduce risk of developing diabetes, improve metabolism and even keep blood pressure and body weight under check. Although the jury is still out on whether or not breakfast is absolutely essential for good health, there seems to be a general consensus about the fact that making your first meal of the day healthy and nutritious is a good dietary habit. So if you must eat breakfast, you should also know how to make it healthy. Two of the most popular choices for preparing a quick breakfast meal are eggs and breakfast cereals.
While eggs are extremely versatile and can be incorporated in an easy pick-me-up or an elaborate meal equally easily, breakfast cereals are certainly more convenient as a working morning meal option. All you have to do to get breakfast cereals ready is to dunk them in a milk of your choice and then grab a spoon and chow it down, before rushing out for school or work. But are they healthier as compared to eggs for the first meal of your day?
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Breakfast Cereals Versus Eggs: The Health Comparison
Eggs are incredibly nutritious, but there is something to be said about breakfast cereals too. There are a number of options in the market and deciding on a good breakfast cereal can be difficult. A good rule of thumb is to look for the one with the lowest amounts of added sugars and calories, and highest amount of fibre. Don't let the colourful packaging and the 'healthy product' marketing strategy confuse you and, make sure you check the label on the packaging to know the nutrition facts of every breakfast cereal. Avoid breakfast cereals with refined grains and instead opt for whole grains like oats and brown rice.
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Skip the breakfast cereal that has too many artificial flavours or even too much sodium content. When you've zeroed in on a breakfast cereal that seems to have all the markers of nutrition, you can still easily improve the nutrition of your cereal bowl by adding in some nuts and fresh or dried fruits to it. A bowl of healthy breakfast cereal can deliver a good mix of nutrients for you including fibre (from the cereal), natural sugars and vitamins (from fruits and nuts) and protein (from the nuts and milk). As compared to that, eggs contain no fibre, but good amount of healthy fats (in the yolk) and protein (in the yolk and whites). However, you can pair your eggs with a piece of whole wheat toast and make up for the lack of good carbs.
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Bottom Line: There is no clear winner when it comes to breakfast and you can take your pick from among a bowl of breakfast cereal or eggs in the morning, provided you prepare the meal in a healthy and conscientious manner. It also depends on what you want to gain from your breakfast meal. If you're looking to boost muscle gain and weight loss, go for the eggs, but if it is convenience and satiety you're chasing, you may want to opt for that bowl of breakfast bowl.
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