Imaging: Santanu Mallick Subhendu Chaki

D you get up in the morning, rush to get ready for work/college and dash right out of the door without a breakfast? Or perhaps you can’t break the habit of gorging on luchi aloor dum first thing in the morning? While the first makes you face the day on an empty stomach, the other is clearly not the healthiest option.

It’s not been called the most important meal of the day for no reason. Eat a healthy breakfast and you’ll be setting the tone for the rest of the day. Skip breakfast and chances are you’ll be tired (and irritable) before mid-morning and looking urgently for a strong and sweet cup of coffee. That’s because by the time you are getting into the swing of work, your blood sugar levels drop low and you need an instant sugar fix.

Nutritionists say that a healthy breakfast should include carbohydrates, fibre and iron. Nutritionist Ishi Khosla says that depending on your body type, the calories consumed at breakfast should be about 1/6 of the total day’s requirements. Those on a diet won’t get too far by skipping breakfast. Dr Rekha Sharma, dietician, VLCC says: “Studies have shown that people who skip breakfast generally have a heavier meal later and are likely to gain weight,” she says.

And what about eggs and other non- vegetarian breakfast delights? While egg whites are the safest options, boiled and poached eggs are also permissible. Dr Neeru Dhingra, fitness trainer and CEO of Gold’s Gym in Delhi, says that scrambled eggs are best avoided. “Bacon and sausages are loaded with fat, so it’s okay to indulge yourself just once a week,” says Dhingra.

For the specifics, dietician and nutritionists have loads of options.

Cereal and fruit

Fahmina Anwar of Artemis Health Institute roots for a breakfast that’s high on cereals mixed with seasonal fruits and nuts

Fahmina Anwar, dietician and nutritionist of Artemis Health Institute, vouches for cereals mixed with seasonal fruits and nuts. “Cereals — with some nuts thrown in — give the body its supply of fibre,” says Anwar. What’s more, cereals (of which plenty are available off-the-shelves) tend to stay in the stomach longer and slowly release sugar into the bloodstream which keeps one active longer.

Opt for wholewheat cereals, wheat flakes, muesli, oats or bajra. A combination of cereals to which almonds, walnuts and fruit have been added provide more energy. You won’t need to add sugar if you chop fruit into the cereal.

A complete breakfast could be a large bowl of cereal mixed with a bowl of mixed fruit and a glass of skimmed milk. This could be followed by a slice of watermelon. The water content in this breakfast is high which means you won’t be dehydrated. “Make it a habit to eat small portions of fruit if you are hungry in-between meals,” says Anwar.

Weight-watcher’s breakfast

Neeru Dhingra suggests weight-watchers to start their day with a glass of tepid water mixed with lemon juice and honey

If you are on a diet, Dr Dhingra of Gold’s Gym in Delhi, offers some tips. “Being on diet doesn’t mean that you should skip breakfast. It only means that you should eat right,” says Dhingra.

Start the day with a glass of tepid water mixed with the juice of a lemon and a tablespoon of honey. For breakfast go for a bowl of mixed fruit, though avoid sugar-laden fruits like banana, chickoo, lichen, grapes and mangoes.

This can be followed by the whites of two boiled eggs, a slice of wholewheat bread and a glass of milk (minus the sugar).

“You might get hungry quickly, but will feel energetic,” says Dhingra. After two hours, you can help yourself to a bowl of sprouts or fruits or an apple.

Fat-free

Rekha Sharma recommends green soup as a pre-lunch snack

There’s more for weight-watchers. Dr Rekha Sharma, dietician at VLCC believes in a lean — but healthy — breakfast. And to achieve this she has taken the fat-free way. Sharma feels that breakfast can be wholesome even minus the honey, butter and sugar.

She recommends starting the morning with a cup of tea or coffee. For breakfast settle for 200ml of low-fat milk, which is equivalent to one cup butter milk or curd. A serving of oats or whole cereal can be accompanied with two slices of wholewheat bread or two idlis or sooji (or semolina) upma prepared with vegetables. You can round this off with one medium-sized fruit like a guava or orange or anything seasonal.

In Sharma’s chart there’s room for lots of seasonal fruits. “Stick to fruit rather than juices as the fibre in the fruit is beneficial. They make you feel fuller, prevent constipation and help in managing blood sugar and cholesterol,” she points out. If you get hungry before lunch time, help yourself to a bowl of green soup made of beans, peas or any fresh green vegetables.

Light & easy

Salony Kakkar vouches for poha and upma as lightweight breakfast options

Know this — a light breakfast does not translate into an insubstantial one (quantity-wise). Dr Salony Kakkar, dietician at Paras Hospital, roots for a light breakfast for those who don’t want to eat too much in the morning.

Upma prepared in minimal oil and with green vegetables is a healthy and lightweight option. A bowl of upma with two slices of brown bread is just fine. White bread is a strict no-no as it is made of refined flour or maida.

Alternatively, you could have a bowl of poha (puffed rice that is first soaked in water for two minutes till soft, and fried in minimum oil with some green vegetables) with a bowl of curd. The poha should be prepared with some green vegetables and onions.

Another option is chickpea flour pancakes or basin ka chilla that’s prepared on a non-stick pan in minimal oil. One chickpea pancake with a plain toast and a cup of milk without sugar should be adequate nourishment. In case you are not too fond of milk, curd or buttermilk will do the trick. Only make sure that the milk is skimmed.

In between lunch and dinner, have fruits or clear soup or salad. This is to ensure that your tummy is full to avoid eating junk food. “Follow nutritious snacking,” sums up Kakkar.