Girls’ Life – July 2019

64 GL AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2019

THINKING OF SKIP-

PING BREAKFAST?

THINK AGAIN! WE’RE

BREAKING DOWN

YOUR BIGGEST

BREAKFAST EXCUSES

SO YOU CAN RISE

AND SHINE THE

*RIGHT* WAY.

BY JESSICA D’ARGENIO WALLER, CNS

In an ideal world, we’d all make time

for a well-balanced breakfast. But in

reality, nearly 30 percent of teens

pass on the bacon and eggs on a regu-

lar basis. No big deal, you say? Not so

fast: Science shows that not nosh-

ing ’til noon can negatively affect

everything from test scores to mile

times. Read on for all of the bennies

of breakfast—plus expert advice on

making over your morning meal.

{ YOUR EXCUSE }^

❝

I’M NOT HUNGRY

IN THE MORNING

❞

Just not feeling food first thing? It might

be because you’re stuck in a cycle of eating

too late in the day. Research shows skipping

breakfast throws off your timing for the

rest of your meals. This causes you to keep

snacking well into the night...leading to you

still feeling full when you wake up, says Dr.

Dyan Hes, medical director of Gramercy

Pediatrics in New York City and a director of

the American Board of Obesity Medicine.

Try to curb your midnight munchies and

instead prep a smoothie base for the next

morning: Add frozen berries and pineapple

to a container and stash in the freezer.

When you wake up, all you have to do is add

some coconut milk and protein powder and

hit blend before you bolt for the bus.

{ YOUR EXCUSE }^

❝

THERE’S NO TIME—I’VE

GOT A TEST FIRST PERIOD

❞

We get it: You’re busy, overtired and not

focused on food, especially when you’ve

got a chem quiz to prep for. But research

has shown that students who ate breakfast

out-performed their peers who didn’t eat

before an exam, says Dr. Hes.

Breakfast has brain-boosting benefits,

especially when packed full of the right

stuff. Think: Omega-3 fatty acids found in

walnuts, flax and salmon. Get smart about

prep by whipping up a batch of overnight

oats with walnuts and blueberries in the

evening (spy the recipe on p. 75). Or slather

a bagel with cream cheese and top with

smoked salmon. Need to do a little last-min-

ute cramming while you chow? Stock up on

quick and portable foods like string cheese,

yogurt tubes, packs of trail mix or protein

bars (we love RXbars). A banana or an apple

also will do the trick.

{ YOUR EXCUSE }^

❝

BREAKFAST FOODS

BORE ME

❞

It’s 7 a.m. and you’re staring down wheat

toast for the millionth time this month

while feeling...uninspired. What to do? Get

creative. “Breakfast doesn’t have to consist

only of things like cereals, muffins and

sugary juices,” says nutrition specialist

Dr. Nicole Beurkens.

Broaden your breakfast horizons by

making a quick PB&J; noshing on a plate of

cheese, crackers and dried fruit; topping an

everything bagel with turkey, tomato and let-

tuce or even reheating dinner leftovers (cold

pizza is a classic, but think brown rice and

broccoli, too). Branching out on ways to start

the day will open up a world of possibilities

you never considered before—and might even

allow you to pack more nutrients into your

usual morning meal.

Continued on page 75

Breakfast of

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