Healthful breakfast tips to keep you fueled all day.

By Nicci Micco

More than any other meal, breakfast is an investment in good health. Eating in the morning helps you stay focused and energized through busy days. Breakfast increases the likelihood of meeting recommended daily doses for essential vitamins and minerals that help prevent disease. And recent research makes the idea of a morning meal even more appetizing. A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that individuals who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight — and more likely to exercise — than non-breakfast eaters.

If your breakfast includes protein, which is digested at a slower rate than carbohydrates, you’ll feel satisfied longer.

“Starting the day with a healthy meal may help keep your appetite in check, resulting in healthier food choices overall,” says Suzanne Phelan, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown Medical School and co-investigator for the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks the eating and exercise habits of “successful losers.” “Nutrients consumed at breakfast also may lead to a better ability to perform physical activity later in the day,” says Phelan.

Preparing a healthful breakfast is easier than you might think, no matter how busy your schedule. Just aim to incorporate the following five elements of better breakfasts into your morning meal.

HAVE GREAT DAY!!!