BIG Breakfast Index

Our one-stop shop to fuelling and feeding well at the start of the day

Posted: 27 January 2011

Credit: Chris Ted/ Getty Images

Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day - both for your mind and body. A nutritious, well-balanced breakfast makes you burst with energy and helps your body cope with the demands of daytime training. However, don't worry if you can't face eating before an early morning run. Just focus on refuelling afterwards with a meal packed with carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients to aid recovery.

There are also several other breakfast benefits. Concentration, memory, stress levels and weight management are all aided by eating early in the day. We know how easy it can be to skip this crucial meal, so we've brought together all our refuelling strategies and delicious recipe ideas. Now there's no excuse not to enjoy your morning food fix!

breakfast

Discuss this article

duane dibbley

hi i work a night shift and im not sure how to manage my diet?? im in the process of training for my first half marathon and need to get my diet right, help!!
Posted: 01/02/2011 at 18:19

sarah the bookworm

How long have you been working nights and what's your current routine with your diet?

Posted: 01/02/2011 at 20:55

fran stroud

Hi , yep it can be quite tricky to work out when to eat and work night shifts.

what I tend to do is to turn my whole day/night thing around, have breakfast when I get up, eat a meal midnight/1am ish then light bite at around 5am ish then supper before I go to bed.

Ive done shift work for 20 odd years and swap from days to nights frequently, this works best for me.

happy night time munching :0)

Posted: 09/02/2011 at 21:59

pegasusthefirst

Hi,

Posted: 11/02/2011 at 00:11

pegasusthefirst

Hi,

Do you currently work all nights or a day and night pattern?

I work 4 on 4 off so i'm permanently readjusting which can be difficult on my body. One thing I've found that really works for me is to plan how much food i'll need (usually in terms of calories needed for my intended runs) over a full week rather than daily. This is because sometimes my hunger will go completely, while at other times I'm so hungry I'll eat a full day's worth of meals in a couple of hours. This seems to work quite well for me, but it's definitely a personal preference I think.

I also try and have this flexibility for my running schedule as well so I run when I've eaten at my best and feel most fuelled....

Good luck!

Posted: 11/02/2011 at 00:11

lindsey wolgast

I am a swing shift worker also. I try to eat a high fiber/protein "breakfast" when i get up to help fight off late night craving fro chips and cokes. I also bring in my dinner so i dont have to rely on the vending machine for snacks.
Posted: 26/03/2011 at 20:32

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