As the saying goes, a year's plan starts with spring, and a day's plan starts with the morning. Breakfast holds an important place in the three daily meals. Due to busy modern work schedules, it's common for people to skip breakfast or have a very simple one. How can you prepare a nutritious and delicious breakfast in a short amount of time? In the new year, focusing on a healthy diet, let's start with making a good breakfast!
Case 1: Xiao Liu is a post-90s administrative worker who works in Beijing. She starts work at 8:30 AM every day. Xiao Liu's breakfast: two steamed buns, totaling 160 grams—one vegetarian and one meat-based. She usually eats her breakfast on the way to work.
Nutrition Review: For an office worker like Xiao Liu, eating two steamed buns for breakfast is not enough in terms of energy and nutrient intake. Over the long term, this can easily lead to malnutrition or a weakened immune system. The "Chinese Dietary Guidelines 2016" (hereinafter referred to as "the Guidelines") state that vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, and are low in energy. They play an important role in meeting the body's needs for micronutrients, maintaining gut health, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. However, the vegetable intake of Chinese residents is low, and fruit intake has been chronically insufficient, which has become a major constraint on a balanced diet and adequate micronutrient intake. The Guidelines recommend that adults consume 300-500 grams of vegetables and 200-350 grams of fruit daily, with dark-colored vegetables accounting for half of the total. It is recommended to have vegetables with every meal and fruit every day.
Suggestion: For office workers who engage in a lot of mental work, breakfast should include staples, protein, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. It is suggested that Xiao Liu, while eating two steamed buns, also carry a small pack of nuts, a fruit, and a carton of milk or other dairy product. The portion of nuts should be 25-35 grams. It is recommended to consume 300 grams of milk or an equivalent amount of dairy products daily. If dairy products are not preferred, soy products can be a substitute.
Case 2: Sister Yu has a 6-year-old child. Her child goes to kindergarten at 9:00 AM, and she starts work at 9:00 AM as well. Making breakfast is her biggest headache. Her most common meal is tomato and egg noodles, with her portion being 300 grams and her child's 150 grams. Sometimes, each person drinks 200 ml of hot soy milk, Sister Yu eats 100 grams of steamed bun, and her child eats 50-100 grams. Each person also eats about 10 grams of pickles.
Nutrition Review: Although tomato and egg noodles contain high-quality protein, staples, and vegetables, the amount of vegetables is too small. A breakfast of soy milk, steamed buns, and pickles lacks sufficient high-quality protein and dietary fiber. Additionally, pickles are high in sodium, and long-term consumption may lead to constipation and malnutrition, which is particularly detrimental to a child's health. The Guidelines point out that school-age children from 6 to under 18 are in a critical period of growth and development and have relatively higher energy and nutrient needs than adults, making it even more important for them to have a good breakfast. A breakfast for a school-age child should at least include grains and tubers, meat/eggs/dairy/soy products, and vegetables/fruits. They should drink more than 300 ml of milk daily.
Suggestion: You can prepare the staple food the night before. For example, when making noodles, it's recommended to mix vegetable juice into the dough the night before, so you can directly cook colorful noodles or pasta flakes the next day, which will be more appealing to the child. It is suggested to make whole-grain steamed buns, and the more varieties of whole-grain flour, the better. Drinking soy milk is a good habit, but dairy products should not be omitted, as they provide high-quality protein, calcium, and vitamin B2. You can choose 300 ml of fresh milk or an equivalent amount of dairy products. Furthermore, adding a plate of leafy green vegetables to the breakfast would make it even more perfect.
Case 3: Grandma Li and Grandpa Zhao are both retired workers. Their pursuit is how to eat healthily. Their breakfast is: 150 grams of steamed bun per person, a small bowl of coarse grain porridge (50 grams of dry weight), 30 grams of meat, and 200 grams of vegetables.
Nutrition Review: Grandma Li's breakfast is very rich, with staples, high-quality protein, and vegetables, but the amount of staples is too much. The Guidelines suggest that a daily intake of 250-400 grams of grains and tubers is appropriate for each person. However, Grandma Li consumes 200 grams just at breakfast, which makes it easy to exceed the daily staple limit, potentially leading to metabolic diseases such as obesity and high blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar. At the same time, Grandma Li's breakfast lacks fruit and dairy products.
Suggestion: The Guidelines suggest that a breakfast for middle-aged and elderly people should include 1-2 types of staples, one egg, one cup of milk, and vegetables or fruit. Whole-grain steamed buns and coarse grain porridge are excellent choices for breakfast staples, and the combined amount should not exceed 100 grams. The breakfast includes meat and vegetables, which can supplement high-quality protein, dietary fiber, and trace elements. Anemia is common in the elderly, and the absorption rate of iron from animal foods is high, so the habit of eating meat with vegetables for breakfast should be maintained. It's even better to alternate between poultry, meat, and aquatic products every other day. Eggs are rich in lecithin, and eating one egg a day can help prevent dementia in the elderly. For convenience, the elderly can also blend vegetables, fruits, nuts, dairy products, and warm water together to make a fruit and vegetable smoothie, and have it with a homemade whole-grain steamed bun or a portion of coarse grain porridge.
In summary, a nutritious breakfast generally includes staples (grains and tubers), protein foods (meat and eggs), vegetables and fruits, and milk/dairy products. It's even better if it can include a small handful of nuts. If it includes four or more of these categories, the breakfast is considered quite perfect! You can prepare the breakfast staple the night before and always keep some nuts at home. Breakfast fruit and yogurt taste delicious together. Have you learned how to make a simple yet nutritious and abundant breakfast?