Running out the door and skipping breakfast isn’t a good idea for anyone, but for someone managing diabetes, it can wreak havoc on your blood glucose levels for the entire rest of the day. A recent clinical trial found that when people managing Type 2 diabetes skipped breakfast, their blood glucose levels were 37 percent higher at lunchtime than on the days they ate breakfast!1
There’s a lot of truth in the saying “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper”, and it’s not uncommon to see a pattern of skipped breakfast followed by erratic eating and hard to control nighttime snacking which can wreak havoc with blood glucose and weight management2.
At Dario we understand that busy mornings, long commutes, and getting the kids off to school means breakfast often takes second place. But even on the busiest of mornings, there are ways to fit in a nutritious meal. Using the Dario App helps you log and track eating patterns and carb count, keeping an eye on what and when you eat, and the relation to your glucose levels. Let’s begin with some ideas to get you and your family off to a healthy start and tune up your overall health.
First, eat breakfast!
Aim to eat breakfast at the same time every day. Remember, planning your mealtimes is important in managing your blood glucose levels throughout the day. Aim to make breakfast a balance of protein, low carbs and fat. Here are some healthy and quick breakfast ideas:
Peanut butter (or other nut butter, such as almond butter) on whole grain toast with fresh fruit.
Whole grain cereal topped with a sliced banana or berries. Old fashioned oatmeal can be made in a slow cooker the night before and leftovers refrigerated for the next few days.
Egg white frittata sautéed with olive oil and a side of vegetables and whole grain toast.
Breakfast wrap: Whole wheat tortilla spread with nut butter, fruit or a drizzle of honey. This can also be wrapped up “to go” to eat on the way to work or school if the mornings are rushed.
Any kind of sandwich, or even leftover thin crust cheese and veggie pizza is a great breakfast food. For a good protein source in the morning that helps with mental alertness try hard boiled eggs, string cheese, and cottage cheese. You can pair these with fresh or a small portion of dried fruit such as raisins, apricots or plums (prunes) for some quick energy and fuel for your body and brain.
Greek yogurt or cottage cheese topped with fresh fruit and slivered almonds or chopped walnuts – a quick, no-cook boost of protein, healthful fats, and fiber which can keep your appetite satisfied for several hours.
Get more healthy low carb breakfast recipes here.
Once you begin to make breakfast a daily habit, you’ll notice the positive influence good and balanced nutrition has on your brain, body and blood glucose levels.
The best part: all the above ideas can work for a midday or evening meal and will save you time and money as a bonus!
1 “Big Breakfast Rich in Protein and Fat Improves Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetics.” Obesity (2014). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ doi/epdf/10.1002/oby.20654
2 “Influences of Breakfast on Clock Gene Expression and Postprandial Glycemia in Healthy Individuals and Individuals with Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial”. Diabetes Care (2017) http://care.diabetesjournals.org/ content/40/11/1573.full-text.pdf
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