A Breakfast of Champions: 5 Healthiest Drinks to Start Your Day With
It’s true. Eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper works.
But let’s be real. Who has time these days to prepare a full breakfast spread? Some of us even make do with just a cup of joe before heading out the door.
If this is you, you know it’s not the best thing for your health. But there is a way to make your breakfast healthier – swap coffee for the healthiest drinks you can easily make or buy.
Drink Up: 5 Healthiest Drinks for Breakfast
While there’s no substitute for a full meal, health beverages are loads better than having nothing at all. And if you get into the habit of drinking something healthy for breakfast, it may motivate you to choose healthier options as the day goes on.
With that said, check out 5 of the healthiest drinks that are easy enough to add to your morning routine.
1. Orange Juice
The healthiest orange juice is one that’s freshly squeezed. But if you don’t have time to juice an orange, store-bought options are fine.
Make sure to read the labels though. You’ll want to avoid those with extra sugars.
And if you can, try to go for OJ that’s calcium-fortified. That way, you’ll get bone protection along with an immunity boost (from vitamin C).
2. Hot Chocolate
Dark chocolates are chock-full of health benefits. They’re rich in antioxidants and can help control cholesterol levels. If you’re hypertensive, you’ll be glad to know that dark chocolates also have cardioprotective effects.
One way to enjoy dark chocolates is as a drink. If you have dark choco bars on hand, you can make a hot chocolate drink from scratch. But if you prefer the instant kind, there are many you can buy online or from your local grocery store.
3. Green Tea
No list of healthy drinks is ever complete without green tea. Unlike coffee, green tea can make you feel alert, but without the accompanying jitters or caffeine crash.
Plus, the polyphenols in green tea is great for fighting stress and anxiety. So if you’re feeling rushed in the mornings, a cup of green tea will help calm you down.
Now, if you’re feeling a bit adventurous and want to try green tea that’s not in a bag or in loose leaf form, try Matcha Matcha. The powdered form is easier to blend into a smoothie. You can even use it for baking.
4. Kale Juice
Variety is good. If you’re getting bored with your usual breakfast drinks, kale is the way to go.
Kale juice is rich in vitamins and minerals and can help make you more regular. It’s also a good way to consume your daily serving of veggies. One thing to keep in mind though if you’re buying kale juice from the store is to check for sodium content.
Bottled kale juices tend to be high in sodium. So you’ll have to stay away from those, especially if you’re trying to control your blood pressure.
5. Milk
It turns out, milk really does a body good. It can help lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. And of course, because of its calcium content, it can help protect against osteoporosis.
What’s more, you can enjoy these health benefits without having to worry about the specific type of milk to buy. Low-fat or whole-fat, milk is good for you as long as you’re not lactose intolerant.
The Healthiest Drinks Make Mornings More Fun!
Now that you know the healthiest drinks to make or buy, you can say goodbye to boring breakfasts. And if you want to take it to the next level, check out Don’t Plan to Fail: How to Meal Prep Like a Pro. For 2019, you should use this as a guide to not skip breakfast or any meal for that matter anymore.
For more articles like this, check out our other Health and Wellness posts.