Nutrition | Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day – HS asked nutritionists what their own breakfast consists of

Quite coffee is first brewed.

Licensed nutritionist Katja Nissinen start their morning like hundreds of thousands of other Finns.

“I can’t remember a morning when I didn’t drink coffee. On weekdays I drink one mug, but on the weekends I can have two mugs while reading the newspaper. I don’t need coffee so much because of the caffeine, but I like its taste,” says Nissinen.

Nissinen tries to ensure that the breakfast includes all the elements of a full meal, in addition to coffee. There is something with carbohydrates, a source of protein and vegetables, fruit or berries.

As a source of carbohydrates, breakfast usually contains a couple of pieces of rye bread with margarine and cheese on top. Nissinen pays attention to the amount of salt in the bread he eats.

“I would like to choose low-salt bread, but when it comes to rye bread, the selection is unfortunately small.”

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When eating vegetables, berries and fruits, there is never a risk of overdose.

On weekends, you can have a fried egg on top of the bread, which provides a nice protein. Nissinen’s breakfast also includes dairy products, such as yogurt, cold or curd. As a topping, he puts berries or fruit according to what is available in season.

“I eat at least a handful of vegetables, berries or fruit at every meal of the day. There is never a risk of overdose when eating them.”

On weekdays, Nissinen usually enjoys his breakfast around seven. He eats lunch between 11 and 12.

“My meal rhythm is classic: breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and evening snack. I try to eat regularly and sufficiently every 3-4 hours. If the intervals get longer and the hunger gets too big, I notice that I’m suddenly in company.”

Regular and a licensed nutritionist also aims for adequate eating Marianna Hölttä. He has found that breakfast is of great importance in terms of controlling eating for the rest of the day.

“If the breakfast is weak, the hunger does not want to be satisfied by anything in the evening, but wants to eat everything. Not even a nutritionist is immune to this phenomenon,” says Hölttä.

Höltä’s good breakfast is ensured by advance planning. His nightly routine includes preparing breakfast for the next day. On weekdays, breakfast is often only eaten at work.

“I pack breakfast already in the evening.”

Höltä’s breakfast always includes either porridge cooked from flakes or, in the summer, fresh porridge made with yogurt or curd. He likes to sprinkle nuts or seeds with the porridge. The source of additional protein can be, for example, cottage cheese or boiled egg. Berries crown the breakfast set.

“Berries are an important part of my breakfast. In the summer I follow the seasons, but at other times my favorites are black currant and lingonberry.”

Hölttä says that he is a former barista, so coffee also has its rightful place as part of the ingredients of a good breakfast. Coffee is not absolutely necessary in Höltä’s morning, because it can also be replaced by a cup of tea, depending on the mood.

According to Höltä, a working breakfast routine has required learning. However, learning the routine has paid off, as it gives you more time to eat breakfast.

“I strive for planning because I enjoy calm mornings. In a hurry, you often end up eating worse.”

Legalized a nutritionist Jan Verho already liked breakfast as a child, which he still eats with pleasure even in his late fifties.

The cornerstones of Verto’s breakfast are oatmeal and skim milk. He mixes them into a morning meal similar to fresh porridge, which can be eaten as is.

In addition, Verho’s breakfast includes a portion of about 250 grams of unflavored milk curd, fruit and a couple of cups of coffee to wake up.

“There is no situation where I don’t eat in the morning. I try to follow the guideline that there should be five meals a day,” says Verho.

Verho, who confesses to being an early riser, eats breakfast already at six o’clock. That’s why he often divides his breakfast into two parts: milk, oatmeal and curd at home before going to work, and fruit a couple of hours later at work. With this system, you can usually manage well from 1 pm until lunchtime.

“If lunch is delayed because of that, you’ll start to feel sweet in the afternoon.”

Verho, who works out at the gym four times a week, tries to pay attention to the fact that the meals of the day accumulate enough protein necessary for an active person and carbohydrates needed for recovery. It is also good to have them for breakfast.

“If breakfast doesn’t contain protein, it’s hard for me to get enough of it during the day,” says Verho.

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“I don’t train if I don’t have the opportunity to eat afterwards.”

Milk curd is a tasty protein food for him not only for breakfast, but also for snack or evening snack.

Verho schedules the meals of the day so that they support physical activities.

“I don’t train if I don’t have the opportunity to eat afterwards.”

After a workout in the gym, he eats something rich in carbohydrates, so that the body’s carbohydrate reserves depleted during the workout are filled again. The meal after training can contain, for example, potato, pasta, rice or bread and fruit. In addition, Verho drinks a protein drink after training.

“It raises the daily protein intake to the target level.”