Whose mother hasn't told them that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? As it turns out, there is some pretty good science backing up this old adage. Starting the day with a nutritious meal is critical for both children and adults. If you're skipping breakfast to save time, you will more than make up time spent for breakfast by thinking and working more efficiently. If you're skipping breakfast to lose weight, research shows that you tend to actually gain weight when you skip breakfast (usually because you eat even more later on when you get hungry).
Breakfast can be a difficult meal for carbohydrate watchers because so many traditional breakfast foods have high carb counts. Breakfast cereals, bread and oatmeal have a strong, fast effect on blood sugar levels. As you might imagine, pancakes and waffles drenched in syrup are off the list as well. And you already knew that donuts and sweet pastries were bad choices, didn't you?
One way to counteract the carbs in breakfast cereals is by opting for high fiber varieties. Although fiber doesn't completely offset the effect of carbs, it can slow down their absorption by the body. Because of this, most carb counting formulas allow you to subtract grams of fiber from grams of carbohydrate. Some cereals are also available in low-carb versions.
Going for high-fiber whole grains has another benefit. In addition to avoiding a spike in your blood sugar levels, they will provide a controlled release of energy throughout the morning. This means you won't have to deal with a mid-morning crash that is likely to send you to the vending machines for a snack.
Other low carb options include eating eggs and meat for breakfast. From a purely low-carb diet point of view, these foods fit the bill nicely. If you tend to have high cholesterol, you may want to limit your intake of eggs and breakfast meats. Also avoid meats with too much fat or meats cured with nitrites. Stick to egg preparation methods that don't add lots of fat. You can also consider adding vegetables to your morning omelet and even introducing tofu into some breakfast recipes.
Finally, you should be able to locate some relatively low-carb varieties of yogurt. Mixing high-fiber granola into your yogurt yields a high-protein breakfast that will help you attack your day with vitality and energy.