Whenever we fix our minds to go on a diet, we are setting ourselves up to fail. Being overweight (unless there’s some type of thyroid challenge) happens when we allow our eating habits to get out of control, and as we get older we have to pay closer attention to what goes into our mouths.

Losing and keeping unwanted pounds off for good means changing our mindsets, and getting a firm grip on our eating and exercise habits. (Oatmeal photo by cuppycake)

A good place to start reforming our bad habits is to eat a good hearty breakfast every morning.

Remember when we were children and the elders made us eat a breakfast that “sticks to our ribs”?  It had to be something hearty like meat, potatoes, eggs or porridge (as they called it), and there was no such thing as skipping breakfast.

And our grandmothers were right when they maed us eat foods like oatmeal, which is filling and full of nutrition, first thing in the morning. And I’m not talking about instant oatmeal from the microwave, either. I mean good old fashioned rolled oats that are cooked on top of the stove.

In our house growing up, we never ate sugary cereal for breakfast. Those very few times (and I do mean few) that our mother allowed us to have cereals like Sugar Pops or Frosted Flakes, she also insisted that we also eat real food.

Back then, mostly women made sure that we ate a good breakfast, but with so many of us working in full-time professions these days, lots of kids are lucky if they get a frozen waffle or an Egg McMuffin before they leave the house. Sadly, many eat nothing at all. For the most part, I’ve carried my mother’s breakfast habits into my own home and send my own children off to school every day with a hot meal. They like eggs, turkey bacon and French toast, but I prefer more simple foods like oatmeal.

I particularly love oatmeal that’s topped with honey and fresh fruit, and I’ll even order it if I’m eating out at a  restaurant. (Oatmeal photo by Robert)

Hot breakfast, not cold cereal, was Mom’s mainstay throughout my childhood, and even today, when we get together for coffee she is concerned if I don’t eat something for breakfast - even if it’s only a piece of whole-grain toast. Every morning, she sent us out with a full-course meal under our belts: eggs, bacon, grits, popovers, creamed chip beef, French toast. Made-from-scratch waffles on Sundays were her regular routine. 

And she’s right, we do feel much better when we eat a hearty meal for breakfast, because it makes us think and perform better in everything we do.

Related posts:

1. Breakfast at Fatimah’s
2. Breakfast on the run
3. Blender drinks for breakfast
4. Feeding our families well
5. A tisket, a tasket – blue eggs in a basket