Breakfast is really the last thing on many people’s minds when they get up in the morning, never mind what their morning sickness (or blood sugar) may be saying. For some it is the only way to start the day, let’s just hope breakfast consists of something worth eating. Because expecting mothers should eat upon rising and because I believe in stable blood sugar levels and healthy mama bodies, I will share with you the five reasons to eat breakfast every morning:

1-To jumpstart your metabolism:

You should break your fast within 30-60 minutes of rising in the morning. If you are struggling with morning sickness, a few almonds will even do the trick. This does NOT take the place of breakfast, but will help to give you that little kick you’ll need right away. Follow this up with a very light breakfast with a good protein base once your nausea subsides.

2-Do NOT skip breakfast:

Your baby needs the calories and so do you. You will begin to burn your own lean muscle mass if you skip a meal and your blood sugar will crash. This may cause preeclampsia down the road if this is a habit, and preeclampsia often leads to induction.

3-Make quality protein choices:

Eating eggs, nuts/seeds, whole milk, organic cheeses, whole milk yogurt, lean sausage links, are all good protein choices. As much as possible, stick with organic dairy and meats to keep the quality high.

4-Utilize the many benefits of breakfast eating to support you throughout the day.

Having eaten, you will have better focus, clarity, and energy which allows you to be more productive versus feeling lethargic, weak and irritable, resulting in mood swings, protein in urine and other preventable pregnancy problems.

5-Choose low glycemic index foods:

These are mostly your whole foods…whole grains, vegetables, apples, berries & cherries, whole milk yogurt, oats, legumes. These foods will sustain you for a few hours at a time versus the quick blood sugar crash that comes with foods from refined sugars and white flour.

There are many benefits from eating breakfast as a way to support a healthy pregnancy. This is just a place to begin! Have fun with this and work on the successful implementation of one step at a time until you have it nailed. You can then reproduce this step throughout the day for a full day of great eating!