What’s for breakfast?

I'm sure we all know...that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But how many of us really ensure we take a good breakfast each day? Lack of time, wake up late etc...are all reasons for skipping breakfast or delaying breakfast. This can lead to subsequent health problems, small or big. Hence, as a start to good health, it is important to make that small change...to have breakfast everyday. This applies to children too. It is a good practice to teach our little ones.

Another important point, is to have our breakfast, within the first 30 min of waking up. Our previous meal (I'm assuming we don't take any supper the night before) before breakfast, would have been hours ago. That empty stomach must be all super-ready to process new foods in the morning, to give us our energy for the day. Our bodies would start to burn off muscles if there is no food for it to burn into fuel. Burn muscles...why would we want that, right? We would rather burn fat than muscles. Afterall, it is quite difficult to build that muscle in the first place. :)

So, breakfast is important. And to have it as soon as we wake up.

Some have asked me, how do I add the 1-portion of vegetable into my breakfast?

Carbs is easy - carbs are every where! bread, chee cheong fun, bao, bee hoon etc...

Protein is less easy - and I'm talking about good, rich sources of protein like fish and chicken.

Vegetables - for breakfast? how?

Fruits is easy.

I’ve been meaning to list this down, but never got to doing it. Hehs. So finally, here it is...

This is what I typically have for breakfast  – during and post-TRA. Up till today. I prepare my own (and the kids') breakfast, so sometimes, I prep the food the night before.

Note: It is “typically”. Meaning, I occasionally do take foods like fried bee hoon (add veggie) from Golden Shoe Market, porridge for breakfast too.

Most mornings: (at about 7.30am)

·         Oatmeal + cranberries / raisins + 7 to 8 almonds + some sunflower seeds + 1 large tomato

·         Tuna sandwich (home made) – canned tuna flakes in water (not in oil) with 2 slices of wholemeal bread (no butter) + 1 large tomato

Some mornings: (usually this would be at around 8:30am when I don’t eat at 7.30am, but I would always have half a slice to 1 slice of wholemeal bread.)

·         Subway sandwich or wrap – Roasted Chicken Breast + with veggies + some Honey Mustard sauce.

·         Yong Tau Foo, with no noodles. Just the ingredients – mostly vegetables, tou fu. Sometimes, a sausage.

·         Kaya toast with 2 half-boiled eggs and a teh-o siu dai (tea with less sugar, no milk) – the Yakun or Coffee & Toast types

·         Sweet corn kernels (the pre-packed and frozen types, just microwave 1 scoop) + hard boiled egg (yes, I eat the yolk as well) + 1 large tomato (eat it just like that)

·         Ham sandwich (ham with 2 slices of bread, no butter) + 1 large tomato

·         Scrambled eggs with mushroom + sausage + 1 large tomato

When I have morning meetings at venues that provide scrumptious breakfasts, I usually pick the healthy breakfast set. My favourite is the set that has: egg white omelette (the size is equivalent to 2 large eggs), roasted tomato, salad, granola in yoghurt, fruits + fruit juice. A hearty breakfast. I try to replicate this over weekends.

At about 10:30am or 11am, I would eat my fruits. I would either bring cut apples or guava from home, or if I don’t have the time in the mornings, I would just buy guava from the fruit stall downstairs. It is usually apple or guava (with the powder…hehs).

Lunch would follow, at about 12.30pm. J

Is TRA for busy people?

Along the way, as I shared with others about TRA, the question that pops up often is: “I have a busy lifestyle, what with kids, housework and office work. Will I be able to keep to it?”

Admittedly, when I started TRA, it did seem like a tough challenge. I have lunch meetings (work-related), meetings with friends, dinner with the kids (who sometimes, don’t finish up their food and the "mommy-dustbin" will move into action. We don’t want to waste food right?). There’s this “saying”, that if you have spent that amount of money, you would want to make it work. Well, not me. I’m the sort who, will only spend that money, if I know it will work.

I was sure it would work (the extent of which, I wasn’t sure, but, it will work) as there have been many successful stories (varying degrees of success, but, success nonetheless). And, it was probably the easiest programme to implement (based on what I have read and heard from others). The only thing I had to do was, tweak my habits (cook less so I don't have to be "mummy-dustbin" so often). The benefits of TRA actually flows down to the kids too. As I plan healthier meals of the right proportions, the kids also end up eating right.

So, my answer to that would be: Yes, it is for busy people too. :)