Our parents nagged at us for years about the importance of eating breakfast. I guess we didn’t listen because it still seems to be an issue for a lot of us. Somewhere along the line we decided that we didn’t have time, weren’t hungry, or didn’t need the extra calories. It may surprise you to learn that a lot of people still skip this most important meal of the day, and seniors are no exception.
People who move into care facilities are generally given the option of sleeping in and eating breakfast when they want to, which is fine (just like being a home). Freedom of choice is highly valued, but it doesn’t take long for the staff members to notice that people who do not get up for breakfast do not do as well as their early bird contemporaries.
For a long time it was thought that older people were resistant to dietary changes because they were too set in their ways to try anything different. Resent studies challenged this assumption. They found repeatedly that seniors in general are quite motivated when it comes to adopting a healthier lifestyle. Many hours lapse between an early dinner and a late breakfast, so it isn’t hard to imagine that the body might run out of fuel. The good news is that breakfast doesn’t have to be eaten at the crack of dawn and it doesn’t even have to consist of traditional breakfast foods. It just requires adjusting to a new routine. Think about eating breakfast as a quick fix for dealing with problems like weight control, energy lapses, and blood sugar swings.
If you feel nauseated or don’t feel hungry first thing in the morning, it is okay to wait an hour or two. A slice of high fiber whole wheat toast with peanut butter, a bowl of high fiber cereal, a little fruit and a glass of milk will go along ways toward making you feel better. If traditional breakfast foods are not your cup of tea it is okay to eat anything that you like (there is absolutely nothing wrong with a sandwich, a bowl of soup or last night’s leftovers). The only reason traditional breakfast foods get so much hype is that they are easy to prepare and can even be eaten on the run. You can microwave a bowl of oatmeal in 2 minutes or pour cold cereal into a bowl in a matter of seconds and still end up nutritiously satisfied. Most breakfast foods are nutritious, easy to prepare and light enough that they don’t sit on your stomach like a stone. Still don’t care for the idea? How about a smoothie or an energy bar with a cup of yogurt?
Once your body gets used to eating breakfast you will find that it likes it. You will even get to the point where you wake up feeling hungry, and oh that first cup of coffee in the morning is pure ambrosia.
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