Healthy Breakfast Tips For the Busy Man

Eating properly is a challenge for a good number of people these days, particularly men who have a lot to do when the alarm clock sounds each morning. There is the race to shower, get dressed and get on the road, hopefully before the worst of rush hour begins. For some men this may include the additional task of helping to rouse sleepy and grumpy children (and/or perhaps a spouse), and then making sure that the awakened ones prepare themselves to begin their day as well. If all goes well, everyone is off on their way in reasonably good time. As part of the race against the clock, something, anything qualifying as food that is conveniently within arm's reach is grabbed and eaten on the way out the door, or in the car, to quiet a rumbling stomach. That something might be a candy bar, a packaged snack, or something along those lines. It could even be that a quick stop through the drive through on the way to work is what is done. Does this sound like you?

There was a television ad campaign some years ago in which a cereal manufacturer exhorted customers to purchase its products with the reminder that one's best days begin with a good breakfast. This was the same thing that our mothers and grandmothers were telling us, although for different reasons than were being given by advertisers. The breakfast meal is one at the start of the day when the body receives fuel to be able to launch into the daily routine with renewed physical strength and mental alertness. This is not a bad thing to have, regardless of the work being that of a manual laborer, office worker, or student. The problem that many men have is that there is often little time to eat properly, and eat little or nothing. This is regretted before the end of the morning, when the feelings of dragging and being run down hit hard. You know the rest, where something with sugar or caffeine, or both, is reached for. This is not a good situation, especially for the man who is in a muscle conditioning or training program. Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem, one that can be found with planning, preparation, and consistency.

The way in which planning addresses this matter is in understanding what the problems are, and how to address them. The first issue being confronted in the previous description of a morning's mad rush is that of being in a hurry. It is possible that making preparations the night before the morning may help the situation in some way. It may seem silly, but simply filling a kettle with water, and laying out packets of instant oatmeal or some other hot cereal and other ingredients, can go a long way in helping bring order to the morning. All that needs to be done is to boil the water, make some toast, and the meal is ready. If other items are preferred, these can be prepared ahead of time and warmed in the microwave as necessary. There are other issues that need to be looked at, as in time management, regarding matters such as getting up a little earlier, or making sure that a shirt is ironed the night before, so that a lot of unnecessary rushing around does not have to happen in the morning.

It is easy to only talk about planning for breakfast, but it is a pointless effort if it does not cover or consider anything having to do with preparation. Here, preparation is the items that are actually on hand in the kitchen to make up the elements of the meal. It is entirely possible to do this in keeping with a healthy diet in step with a regular program of working out and training. What is on the shopping list to get at the supermarket? This includes the bread for the toast, the instant oatmeal, cereal, milk, juice, and so on. Don't limit yourself to just these items. Perhaps you would rather have a peanut butter and jelly, or sliced banana, sandwich with a glass of juice or milk. Maybe it is granola stirred into a cup of yogurt, instead, or sliced fruit mixed into some cottage cheese. If time is something that can be worked to your advantage, maybe you would like to prepare an omelette with vegetables or meat. The possibilities are endless. However, you do need to have the ingredients ready at the start of the morning, so you need to put all of these things on the shopping list to get ahead of time.

The benefits of having breakfast each day are only realized by making this a habit that is followed consistently. Consistency is the key for developing habits. Of course there are the occasions where having breakfast at home each morning is not possible or practical, as in the case when there is an earlier than normal meeting at work, or when it is necessary break from the normal routine, as in travelling. This does not mean that you have to make drastic changes in your way of doing things, only necessary adaptations. For example, at an office meeting where there is a selection of pastries and other baked goods, try to focus on those items that are not loaded with sugar. This may be difficult to do, but there will probably be a selection of coffee, juice and bottled water as well (and possibly cans of various types of soda). If you find yourself at a buffet table or at a fast food restaurant, try to stay away or severely limit the amount of bacon or sausage, if that is on the menu, and you are trying to watch your weight and calorie intake. While you should not try to starve yourself, you should not overdo it in attempting to remain consistent in having a regularly scheduled breakfast.

The morning meal is an important one for men, regardless of the type of work done during the day. In our busy and fast paced lives, it is often difficult to eat a meal that provides the proper nourishment with which to function during the day. It is possible, to get in the habit of incorporating a regular breakfast into the daily routine, and to do so requires careful and thoughtful planning, preparation, and consistency.

Additional information and tips regarding healthy eating, and muscle conditioning and training, can be found here Muscle Conditioning for Men

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