Champions make time for breakfast. Breakfast is probably the most vital meal within a sports diet. If you currently skip breakfast, you could be sabotaging your athletic performance. However, unfortunately, you are not alone. Many people do, including non athletes/sportsmen.

A nutritious, high carbohydrate breakfast will indefinitely help set the stage for a high-energy day! If you make time for breakfast you will be more likely to concentrate better in the late morning, be less irritable, work more efficiently, and feel nourished and energized! More importantly, you will have enough energy to power through an afternoon workout. Your goal should be to eat a third of your daily calories in the morning within at least two hours after you wake up.

Your body burns calories all night long and by morning time your energy stores are ready to be replaced. You do not get fat from eating breakfast, but if you skip breakfast you might get too hungry and overindulge later! Therefore, in order to prevent a roaring tummy and bottomless pit appetite, try to make time to fuel your muscles and mind with a healthful breakfast before you walk out the door!

Here are some useful breakfast ideas;

• Ready-to-eat whole-grain cereal (e.g. cornflakes, weetabix) with milk (preferably low fat) and an orange.
• Tea/ Cocoa/Malted beverages with milk (where necessary) plus bread (add some cut up tomatoes & onions) and one finger of banana.
• Oats (or other unstrained porridges) with milk, if desired and bread with a thin spread of butter, soft margarine or cheese. (Remember low fat products are preferable). A boiled egg could replace the spreads.
• A small ball of kenkey or banku with fish and ground pepper with tomatoes and onions. If you still have room you could top up with an orange, otherwise carry it forward as a mid morning snack.
• Beans and fried ripe plantain(red-red) plus a tangerine.
• Rice, waakye or jollof with tomato gravy and cut-up vegetables with meat or poultry (with all visible fat and poultry skin removed) plus 1/8th a slice of a big watermelon.

With regards to amount, if you are of healthy body weight and do not have any underlying diet-related chronic disease, the keyword is moderation. Eat enough just to satisfy. Fruit do not necessarily have to be eaten with breakfast. They could well serve as a mid morning snack.

So our sports loving readers, the ball is now in your court, start your day off right and see the difference eating breakfast can make!

By Laurene Boateng

Reviewed by Dr. Edward Owusu Nyarko

Adapted from www.webdietitian.com