How can I start eating breakfast?

South Africa
September 11, 2008 8:59am CST
I'm sitting with a dillemma. After more than 30 years of never eating breakfast, it has finally been drilled into my brain that it is indeed the most important meal of the day. Especially now that I'm on the path to healthy living. The problem is, I really struggle to get myself to eat any kind of breakfast before 10 in the morning, except of course if its bacon and eggs. :) What tips and advice can you guys give to help me ease into the habit of starting my day with a healthy breakfast. Please don't tell me to eat oats though. Can't stand the stuff. Hahahahaha
6 people like this
22 responses
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
12 Sep 08
[i]Hello, I am also skipping breakfast a lot since I was working in the city far from my parents and more so now that I am married! When I was single, there is no reason for us to skip breakfast because it is always a routine in the house and with my Mom's cooking, no one will say No! LOL! Anyway, this time, I am trying oatmeal when I have time but if you really think about your health, you will just do it! LOL! Or do it with anyone in the house, like a resolution! In a week, you will just list a healthy breakfast that you are going to prepare![/i]
1 person likes this
• United States
11 Sep 08
why not chug a smoothie? just some fruit ice and some juice? they are easy to down, not hard to make, and wont fill you up to much so that you can eat later say around 10 and not feel bad about it. 10 really is brunch time anyway so just eat a smaller breakfast and a big lunch and a smaller dinner... or if its to much eating find a routine that works best. Your probably eating to close to bedtime. Try to eat dinner at least 3 hours before bed... it may or may not help.
• United States
11 Sep 08
I think that would be a better idea. There's probably a reason why your system feels full in the morning. Its probably because your food isn't digesting properly. I'm not a doctor but that sounds like a very close problem since I am one who has the same problem every now and again. I am a midnight snacker hehe.
• South Africa
11 Sep 08
Thanks for the great idea. And I just happen to own a Smoothie maker! It seems though that what you are sugesting is that I should look at my eating habits as a whole and not just focus on the breakfast part.
@bbsr13 (4196)
• India
11 Sep 08
Hello,Glugster! I f you are really interested to eat brekfast after long 30 years gap yhan it is better to start with some fruits and a cup of green tea.Or you can drink a glass of fruit juice or a glass og vegetables soup.These are all nutritious and can boost your metabolism.All the best.
• South Africa
11 Sep 08
Thanks for the support. And yes, I am serious about this.
@paid2write (5201)
11 Sep 08
If you can't face food first thing, you should drink some pure fruit juice, or preferably a healthy fruit smoothie, to provide some good vitamins. A low fat yoghurt, sweetened with juice or a little honey, should be easy to digest. A banana will add many good and necessary nutriments. Wholegrain toast or bread, with a little fruit spread, sliced banana, honey or other low fat topping, can also make a satisfying breakfast. Neglecting to eat breakfast often means relying on cups of coffee to get through the morning, or it can encourage snacking on the wrong type of food. Instead you could have a healthy mid-morning snack, like a piece of fresh fruit, a few raw nuts or dried fruits, to help keep up your energy levels until lunchtime.
• South Africa
11 Sep 08
Thanks for the response. It once again re-iterates the fact that I should probably start with some form of liquid breakfast to start getting into the swing of things.
@sudalunts (5523)
• United States
11 Sep 08
Breakfast sandwich - Low fat bacon, egg and cheese on a muffin, great breakfast sandwich.
Start back slowly, to give your body a chance to adjust to having food in the morning. Maybe, you can start out with whole grain toast, and juice. The graduate to maybe whole grain toast egg white and juice, that in itself is a whole breakfast. Maybe you can change it up with oatmeal and fruit, or an omelette and toast a whole grain muffin, yogurt, turkey bacon and eggs. Try a breakfast sandwich, egg, cheese, turkey bacon on an english muffin.These are a few of my suggestions. Good luck on your new life style.
• South Africa
11 Sep 08
Wow! The options you are giving here sounds really yummy. If this is what it's like to eat healthy, I'm all for it!
• United States
11 Sep 08
You could start with Instant Breakfast or something similar. That way you are getting the nutrients you need, but not forcing yourself to sit down and eat a meal at the beginning. I, myself, get sick to my stomach if I eat in the morning. However, being a diabetic, I have to have something. So, I get the Instant Breakfast mix and just drink that in the morning. It gives me the vitamins and nutrients that I need and I don't have to force myself to eat something. It also works great throughout the day if you are on the go and don't have a lot of time to sit down and eat. The chocolate and strawberry taste really good, so it is easy to drink it.
• South Africa
11 Sep 08
Thanks for the idea. I do believe this will probably be the way to go initially, especially considering that I would have to get up a bit earlier to prepare all the mouth-watering options mentioned in the post above!
• United States
12 Sep 08
I eat a very light breakfast, but it is a breakfast none the less. I drink one DanActive and eat one Activia every morning. That is how I start out my day. I do not do anything heavy because my body cannot handle it. I cannot stand bacon. My body actually rejects bacon. I do not know why, but there is something in bacon that my body cannot stand. My brother also had this same problem, so none of us ever ate bacon, we have the same issue with greasy and fried food. I eat cereal every now and then. I make sure that I have a lot of fiber in it. I need a lot of fiber in my diet.
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
12 Sep 08
I would suggest eating in small portions. If you don't like bacon and eggs try cereal with milk. Try to eat something that you like.Try to wake up early so that you won't be in a rush to catch the bus not to be late for work.
@pillusch (1147)
• Mexico
11 Sep 08
Start with something with a lot of liquid, like cornflakes with milk, for example. You might be able to cheat your brain and make it believe it's really a drink.
• South Africa
11 Sep 08
Good point. I really don't have a problem having a cup of coffee early in the day.
@cream97 (29087)
• United States
12 Sep 08
You can start off with some fruit that can be light in texture.... Drink some Apple juice.. Eat lightly in the mornings, and then you will gradually build an appetite from then on..
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
12 Sep 08
If you really are in the path of healthy living, I suppose you should stop eating bacon and any processed meat and some processed food as well. Do you know how unhealthy those are? Processed meats like bacon, hot dogs, bologna, sausage, ham and other packaged lunch meats may increase your risk of colorectal, kidney and stomach cancer because they contain sodium nitrate, trans fats, saturated fats, and large amounts of sodium and sugar. Or maybe you know already but you are just disregarding because you like them anyway. And oats, you dislike? I also don't eat instant oats either but I think the rolled oats are great! Have you tried that? Anyway if you can't really stand, then there are healthier alternatives anyway. Right, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and we should not skip that at all. Eating breakfast seem to be so hard for you. Why my dear? It does not necessarily need to be heavy. You can eat bananas and toasted wholewheat bread with fresh fruit juice and that's it. You've given your body enough reason to be healthy already! Fruits in the morning make a good breakfast. Even if you eat only apples or veggie salads with some whole grain bread then that is already worth one breakfast. It does not need to be so heavy. Just something healthy to put inside your stomach after a long time of fasting. You are breaking the fasting that you've done because you've not been eating while you were sleeping. In a way you were fasting...so when you take your breakfast you've broken the fasting.
@aboutus (27)
• Philippines
12 Sep 08
Everyone tells us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that it should be a substantial meal. Yet, some people awaken not feeling hungry and have no desire to wolf down bowls of stodgy cereal and plates of dry toast. For such people, breakfast is more easily skipped until they feel their stomach has "woken up" later in the day. Whatever your reason, the breakfast supporters do have a point- breakfast fuels us for the day. Read on for some tips for theless-than-keen breakfast folk. Steps 1.Get enough sleep 2.Map out a variety of choices for breakfast. 3. Vary the advice on substantial breakfasts. 4. Take care with the main meal. 5. Check your lunch and dinner calories. 6. Exercise before breakfast. 7. Allow enough time for breakfast. 8. Drink juice at the very least. 9. Don't snack at night. If you like how to cook soup visit http://cooker-soups.blogspot.com
• Malaysia
12 Sep 08
The first thing you must do is to control your mind and tell it that you want to have breakfast, or that breakfast is good for you or even tell yourself that you are hungry. THis way, your mind and body will work towards what you want, i.e. to feel hungry and to have the desire to eat breakfast. Then comes the most hard part, i.e. to choose the food to eat..;) have you tried eating eggs and mushroom, or mashed avocado with eggs, bread and butter/jam. Try all the healthier options as you are trying to live healthily. Do a bit of research over the internet for healthier food options and you will eventually learn to love them. Smoothies are not bad either. Its a combination of milk, yoghurt, fruits and perhaps oats if you cant eat it blandly. Oats are good for you but if you cant eat it blandly, try adding something sweet to it i.e. fruits, dried mixed fruit, or add yogurt, some sugar. I will do wonders to your colon(internal stomach) as it contains lots of fiber. It helps to cleanse your colon and keep you fuller longer.
@thinksf (152)
• United States
12 Sep 08
Try whole foods, like fruits, nuts, and grains. A banana is filling in the morning and has lots of potassium. Since you've never eaten breakfast, something small like a piece of fruit might be good to start out with.
@jammyt (2818)
• Philippines
12 Sep 08
I was just like you before. When I ate something before 10 am, I would feel really woozy. What I did was start slow. I ate a little cereals, or bread until I got used to eat. I also drank something warm to "heat" my stomach. Slowly I started increasing my food intake in the morning until I got used to it. Same here, I can never eat oats. I tried and attempted so many times. I just don't like the gooey stuff. LOL!
@underdogtoo (9579)
• Philippines
11 Sep 08
Fortunately, it has been drilled into my brain that eating breakfast is important to get a good head start on the day's work. My wife does not eat breakfast so that is kind of a contrast on how the day's work gets started. Bacon and eggs is good for me and I suggest you start with that and work yourself into the more exotic stuff later on. Cheers!!
• United States
12 Sep 08
Skip dinner at night and I bet you're ready for breakfast by the time morning rolls around! Or you could just brave it up and eat when you're hungry and to hell with anybody else's opinion about when and what you should eat and how you should prepare it.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
11 Sep 08
Find food you like. If that means bacon and eggs, then eat bacon and eggs. Maybe smaller portions with a bit of fruit or something. Don't try to force yourself to eat food that you don't like, it just won't work in the long run.
@yenwie84 (1344)
• Malaysia
12 Sep 08
Maybe you can start your day with a cup of hot chocolate or fresh milk. Slowly you can get used to it then you can change your menu. For me,I find it very hard to take breakfast before noon. I don't have the appetite like everyone is having. I only manage to force myself to get some biscuits or a slice of bread. I think no point forcing yourself to take breakfast if your mind does not want it. Enjoy your day!
• Philippines
12 Sep 08
I had the same dilemma a while back. I really didn't enjoy eating breakfast. My girlfriend introduced me to the joys of eating breakfast. I started small but heavy. Oatmeal with some chocolate in it or some fruits is a really good way to start. I know you don't like it but if you try mixing in some fruits and some chocolate, it actually tastes good hahaha. I've also tried eating tuna sandwiches in the morning. It's also a good heavy and healthy breakfast. I suggest you start with small portions that are heavy. Some pancakes maybe with some light syrup is another good idea. Again, it is also good with some fruits.