A balanced breakfast: simple ideas to start the day

Why eat a proper breakfast?

After a night without food, breakfast is a chance to start the day with water, energy and a variety of nutrients. A well-balanced morning meal helps you get to lunchtime without snacking, and it is also a quiet moment for yourself before the day takes off.

That said, it is not compulsory: some people simply aren't hungry when they wake up. In that case, a later breakfast or a snack to take with you is better than forcing a meal. Listen to your hunger.

Breakfast is also a ritual. Sitting down for ten minutes, drinking a glass of water, enjoying a hot drink and good bread: it is a gentle way to start the day at your own pace, before the messages and obligations. For children and adults alike, it is often one of the few meals families can share during the week.

The basics of a balanced breakfast

A balanced breakfast ideally combines several food groups:

• A drink: a large glass of water, tea, coffee or a herbal tea. In the morning, we often need to rehydrate.
• A cereal product, preferably wholegrain: wholemeal or granary bread, oats, no-added-sugar muesli.
• A source of protein: yoghurt, fromage frais, an egg, cheese, a fortified plant-based drink or a protein shake.
• A piece of fruit, ideally whole, fresh or as a no-added-sugar compote.
• Some good fats: a few walnuts or almonds, a spoonful of nut butter, a little butter.

You don't need to tick every box every morning: what matters is balance over the week.

A simple example that ticks every box: a large glass of water, a cup of tea, two slices of wholemeal bread with a little butter, a plain yoghurt and an apple. Nothing complicated, yet it has everything.

Think about hydration as soon as you wake up too: after a night's sleep, a large glass of water before your coffee is an excellent habit.

Balanced breakfast ideas, sweet or savoury

Sweet

• Porridge: oats cooked in milk or a plant-based drink, with a banana and a few walnuts.
• Yoghurt bowl: berries, no-added-sugar muesli, pumpkin seeds.
• Wholemeal toast: almond butter and apple slices.
• Overnight oats: oats, yoghurt and fruit mixed the night before and kept in the fridge.

Savoury

• Scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast, with a few cherry tomatoes.
• Avocado toast with lemon and sesame seeds.
• Granary bread with soft cheese and cucumber.

Vary with the seasons: apple and cinnamon compote in autumn, citrus fruit in winter, berries in summer.

A quick breakfast for rushed mornings

On days when you are rushing, go for things you can prepare the night before or in two minutes:

• A smoothie: a banana, a handful of berries, a plant-based drink or yoghurt, and if you like a scoop of protein shake. Blend, pour into a bottle, done.
• A jar of overnight oats made the evening before.
• A grab-and-go kit: a piece of fruit, a handful of almonds, a drinking yoghurt.
• Sliced, frozen wholemeal bread that goes straight into the toaster.

And in the evening, take two minutes to set the table or your bowl for the next day. In the morning, everything is ready.

Another tip: on Sunday, make a big batch of homemade compote or muesli to use all week. A little organisation, and breakfast takes only five minutes.

Morning pitfalls to avoid

A few habits to watch:

• very sugary cereals and “breakfast” biscuits, best kept as an occasional treat;
• shop-bought fruit juice instead of whole fruit: you lose the fibre;
• pastries every day: a treat to save for the weekend;
• coffee on its own, without eating anything or drinking water;
• breakfast gulped standing up in two minutes: even if it is short, take the time to sit down.

What about food supplements?

Breakfast is first and foremost a meal. The supplements I present below can be added to it, but they don't replace food.

Food supplements should not replace a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Do not exceed the recommended daily dose. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, taking medication, or unsure, ask your doctor or a healthcare professional before taking them.

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