Breakfast reboots the body and brain with fuel after a night of fasting. Nutritionists advise for breakfast to be taken within two hours of waking and with good reason. Whoever makes this first meal of the day a routine enjoys reduced high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and obesity. This good habit will also see to restoring glucose levels and carbohydrates, improve memory and concentration levels, and is more likely put you in a better mood too.

One look at the make up of breakfasts all around the world and you will notice that the majority of them are heavy in carbohydrates and protein. But as much as a full breakfast may be better than skipping it entirely, you should be conscious about the type of foods you put into your body first thing in the morning.

What Breakfast Should Include

Soluble Fibre

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), soluble fibre has a high water-holding capacity that creates gels in your stomach, keeping you from feeling hungry quickly. And unlike sugary foods and drinks, your body digests this fibre type at a slower pace, which keeps blood sugar levels steady and energy aplenty! This means you can enjoy a full breakfast without wanting to head straight back to bed.

Numerous studies have also identified a particular fibre known as beta-glucan that is found in oat milk has proven to have an exceptionally special effect on cholesterol levels. Equipped with the ability to bind excess cholesterol from ingested food with its thick gel, beta-glucan prevents your body from absorbing substances that can be harmful to the heart. It does the job so well, that it leads this unwanted cholesterol to be excreted as part of waste.

Iron

One of the oldest and most well-known micronutrient is iron. It is a key ingredient of hundreds of proteins and enzymes in your body and aids in transporting sufficient oxygen into your bloodstream and muscles.

Iron is also equipped with intelligent functions like growth, reproduction, healing and immunity in muscles and tissues. So when you pump iron into your body during breakfast, what you’re really doing is giving muscles and tissues a great big boost and healthy head start to the day.

For those with anaemia, iron is an especially important nutrient that needs to be included in the morning meal.

Calcium

Even before the explosion of Got Milk? advertisements, we were all well taught that calcium is beneficial for bone and dental health. According to the Health Promotion Board (HPB), the recommended daily calcium intake for adults aged between 19 to 50 years is 800mg. Apart from that, calcium controls blood pressure, protects cardiac muscles, reduces the risk of colon cancer and helps maintain optimal body weight.

Carbohydrates

This is exactly why nutritionists and fitness trainers recommend breakfast to be the heaviest meal of the day – because it gives you energy. An intake of carbohydrates after a night of “fasting” is essential to get your mind and body going and can even motivate the body to be more physically active. Having carbohydrates in the morning is also one sure fire way to boost your metabolism.

Protein

Protein is a crucial building block for bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood; and is utilized for the growth and repair of tissues. Unlike fat and carbohydrates, protein is not stored in your body and therefore needs a constant new supply from your diet.

It all sounds impossible and almost impractical to put together a meal comprising dietary fibre, iron, calcium, carbohydrates and proteins. Fortunately, there’s oat milk. Made with fresh milk and nutritious oat, with less than half the fat – but 67% more calcium than regular milk¹, two glasses of oat milk a day is all you need! Since time is of the essence for most working adults, oat milk also makes a convenient, fuss-free breakfast option instead of skipping the most important meal of the day.

In addition, oats contain fibre that promotes satiety, keeping you full for a longer time.

Make Sure Your Oat Milk is Fresh

Now it’s one thing to have your fridge stocked with an endless supply of oat milk, but another to ensure that it is fresh and safe for consumption. While milk is pasteurized to make it safe to drink, the nutrient-laden creamy beverage still remains a delicate fresh produce. Once a carton of milk is opened, it is exposed to oxidation, loses quality and begins to lose its freshness rapidly.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) recommends that milk when opened should be consumed within two to three days².Milk opened any longer than this runs the risk of becoming infested with unhealthy bacteria. This can affect the your digestive and immune systems and lead to food poisoning.

1.The description for oat milk is only in reference to Magnolia’s Lo-Fat Hi-Cal Oat Milk

2.https://www.ava.gov.sg/explore-by-sections/food/food-safety-quality/good-food-safety-practices