Don’t neglect that protein-rich breakfast

We live in a fast-paced world and the older you get, the less time you have to focus on the important things that matter for you and your family.

Nutrition is one of them and if we delve deeper into that, breakfast is quite frankly, the most important meal of the day.

I did a little survey of about 400-odd athletes and breakfast stood out as the most critical part of their diet that needs fi xing and it was unanimous, dinner was awarded the title of the most nutritional rich meal of the entire day.

Some of the excuses for not eating a good breakfast in the morning was waking up late, not being a big eater in the morning, will only eat popular sugary cereals, don’t like the textures of certain foods and no time.

Cereals have made their way into the hearts and bellies of millions of people due to convenience, addiction and great advertising on the boxes. After all, how hard is it to grab a box of cereal from the cupboard, pour it into a bowl, add milk and wait 30 seconds for it to turn chocolate? You will agree, it takes a little more prep work than to make bacon, eggs and low-GI toast and thus households opt for convenience.

Starting off the day sets the tone and pace for the rest of the day. Breakfast high in sugar constant will contribute to poor concentration and erratic behaviour. Instead you need to focus on taking out the simple sugar and aim for at least 20 grams of protein for breakfast. Protein takes longer to digest and this allows a steady release of nutrients into the blood stream which doesn’t allow for spiking on of blood sugar levels. Moods will improve, stress levels will decrease, concentration will improve and all of this will have a positive effect on productivity and grades.

Sean van Staden

I fully understand how busy people are, and I fully understand there are not enough hours in the day to fit everything in, so I too subscribe to the philosophy of simplicity, but with a twist.

There are various forms in which you can tackle your breakfast morning debacles and I will share with you one of my personal top tips to start off the day.

The answer is the powerful protein smoothie.

Consider smoothies a blessing from the heavens because it solves most of your problems. The beauty of a smoothie is that you can hide just about anything in it and it will still taste fantastic. If you are worried about the texture and small lumps, make sure you invest in a solid blender which will literally smooth out your problems.

Here is a one of my favourite powerhouse morning smoothies that my wife whips up for me. Grab your blender’s glass jug, add a half a cup frozen mixed berries which is known as a superfood and has powerful antioxidants and cancer-fighting properties.

Woolies I find has the best and, surprisingly, more affordable non-frozen berries. Add a small palm full of mixed nuts for protein and natural oils (our nuts must consist of almonds, walnuts and cashew nuts). If you really want to be clinical, add four of each.

Take a teaspoon of natural peanut butter, two teaspoons of cocoa powder. Why? Because who doesn’t like a bit of chocolate in their drink.

Throw in a handful of spinach leaves. Trust me when I say this, you and your children will never see, taste or smell the spinach leaves and it is packed with protein, fibre, potassium, Vitamin C, A, B6, calcium, iron and magnesium. That is why it is a critical ingredient.

Add three tablespoons of full cream Greek yoghurt for your probiotics, add one banana, and a half a teaspoon of cinnamon which helps stabilise blood sugar levels. Last, but not least, add 300ml of milk and some crushed ice. Switch your blender on full blast, step back and watch your marvellous creation come to life.

A top tip: sometimes, fruit is not always as sweet as we would want it to be, so taste, add a bit of honey to sweeten it up or just add an apple.

This smoothie is so jam-packed with goodness that there is not telling what super stronger geniuses will create over time.

Try it out and tweet me if you like it or not