Starting your day with a healthy meal sets the tone for your energy levels and focus. Whether you're rushing out the door or have time for a slow morning, what you choose to eat for breakfast matters. It’s the meal that fuels your body after a long night’s rest and helps keep those mid-morning cravings at bay. If you’re looking to stay on track with your health goals, here are 7 practical diet tips for breakfast to get you started.

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1. Don’t Skip It!

I’ve already said it, but I’ll say it again: don’t skip breakfast! This meal, if done properly, can jump-start your metabolism and give you the energy you need to face the day. According to Harvard Health experts, eating breakfast can help stabilize blood sugar levels throughout the day. If you struggle with consistency, check out these ways to make sure you eat breakfast every morning. One more time: don’t skip it!

2. Make It Light

If you’re just not a big breakfast eater, no worries. Breakfast doesn’t have to be big to be beautiful. Make it light and simple and quick, and you’ll be more inclined to eat and enjoy it, and more inclined to reap the benefits from it. Low-fat organic yogurt with a handful of home-made granola and a banana sounds perfect! Here are a few light options:

Greek yogurt with berries
A single hard-boiled egg
Whole-grain toast with a thin layer of almond butter

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3. Keep It on Hand

What good is making a plan for breakfast if you never actually have any of the menu items in your pantry and fridge? Keep a list of all the things you need for a diet-friendly breakfast, and as you run low, replace them. Then you’re not scrounging for something in the morning, which means you’re a lot less likely to make a bad breakfast choice… like chocolate donuts or a big blueberry muffin.

4. Make It Portable

Always in a rush? Then opt for a diet-friendly breakfast you can take with you and eat (or drink) on the go. There are lots of tasty, low-cal breakfast replacement drinks you can try for the days when you’re in a hurry: popular options like Special K Protein Shakes are great to have on hand. Also, consider bananas, oranges, berries, granola bars, and drinkable low-fat yogurt. For those who like to prep ahead, these make ahead breakfast recipes are a lifesaver.

5. Add Fruit

According to the USDA MyPlate guidelines, we’re supposed to get several servings of fruits and veggies every day, but many of us fall short. Why not get one or two of those important servings out of the way at breakfast? Grab a small banana and a handful of strawberries, or drink a low-cal mixed veggie drink to wash it down. See? That’s easy… and that’s a diet-friendly breakfast!

6. Experiment

While you’re at the grocery store, you may have the best intentions for making your own whole-grain, low-fat muffins every morning, but in the real world, you just won’t always have the time. Experiment in the morning and find a routine, and a meal plan, that works for you, in your real world. All the diet tips for breakfast won’t be any good if they don’t work for your lifestyle. You can find more fast and easy breakfast ideas here.

7. Keep a Journal

If you’re not convinced that any of these tips are working for you, keep a journal to track what you’ve eaten and how you feel. Even after just a week, you’ll notice a big difference in your energy level, and maybe even in your weight. Eating a diet-friendly breakfast followed by balanced meals throughout the day will keep your metabolism rocking and your belly full so you don’t make hunger-fueled late afternoon snack missteps. Write it all down and see what your journal reveals!

Here is a quick comparison of some common breakfast choices to help you decide:

| Breakfast Item | Calories (approx) | Key Benefit || :--- | :--- | :--- || Greek Yogurt & Berries | 150-200 | High protein & antioxidants || Oatmeal with Fruit | 250-300 | High fiber & sustained energy || Avocado Toast | 250-350 | Healthy fats & satisfying |

Now that we've covered these breakfast tips, I'm feeling ready to tackle the day! Which of these diet tips for breakfast will you use tomorrow, or maybe today? Or do you have another diet-friendly breakfast idea to share? Do tell!

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Anonymous
2012-07-20T19:01:15.000Z
I often eat Oatmeal for breacfast, expecially now that there are fresh strawberrys sold here in Finland. I often put a bout 2ts of shugar ontop of my oat meal, but during the summer I just add strawberries and blueberries that I picked off of the forest while walking my dog. Oatmeal is a great sourse of energy for the day and keeps me full for a long time. Its easy to make in the microwave and I like the taste of it. (but just to get more fiber, I eat one piece of Rye bread with it, just to get something more solid in my mouth. Rye bred is high on fiber and very popular amongs finnish people. Its a lot healthier than white bread, and it is often recommended to eat Rye bread instead of white bread anyways.)