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After hours of sleep we need food, but many of us choose to give breakfast a miss. Nutritionist Suzannah Olivier explains why the first meal of the day is so key to our wellbeing and gives seven healthy options that are easy to prepare.

Set aside 10 minutes in the morning for breakfast.

If you want to keep in trim, it’s tempting to skimp on breakfast and save up calories for a splurge later in the day. But this could make the battle of the bulge even more difficult.

Research tells us that eating a hearty, healthy breakfast helps to keep us slim.

In fact it looks increasingly likely that obesity and skipping breakfast are linked.

Researchers at the Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge recently published results of a four-year study showing that people who ate more at breakfast gained significantly less weight than those who skipped breakfast and ate later in the day.

It’s not clear why skipping breakfast affects weight control, but Dr Forouhi, who led the study, thinks that after a long period of starving, metabolism may subtly change, causing the body to lay down more fat.

Make it a healthy start to the day

After eight hours without food, breaking-the-fast is important to get your body and brain functioning properly in the morning.

But a double espresso and a Danish is just about the worst thing. It acts as rocket fuel, giving fast energy but burning up fast – leaving you drained and hungry by mid morning.

Eating whole grains, fruit and a source of protein at breakfast means you are less inclined to snack and more likely to eat a lighter lunch.

And as long as you are sensible about your breakfast food choices, in the long run this translates to fewer calories overall in the day.

One week of healthy breakfasts

Here are seven breakfasts that are easy to prepare, including a treat for the weekend. Try to set your alarm 10 minutes earlier to sit and eat your breakfast. But if you are in a hurry, the breakfasts for days five and six can be eaten on the run.

Day 1



60g bowl of porridge (not instant types), low-sugar low-salt muesli or bran flakes, made with semi-skimmed milk and served with 25g sunflower seeds and 50g raisins.

Why is it healthy?

Oats and other wholegrain cereals have a low GI. This means they give slow-release energy that will keep you going until lunchtime.

Sunflower seeds are a protein source, and the fibre in all three ingredients helps to keep blood sugar level stable and so control appetite.

Day 2



125g plain yoghurt with half a grated apple, 50g chopped dried apricots and 25g walnuts.

Why is it healthy?

Yoghurt is a source of protein and so doesn’t adversely affect blood sugar.

Walnuts boost protein levels further and are sources of healthy omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, while dried apricots provide iron and beta-carotene.

Day 3



A small can of reduced salt baked beans on two slices of wholemeal toast (no butter or spread). Finish off with an orange.

Why is it healthy?

Beans are loaded with fibre and are low-GI, while the fruit provides vitamin C. Like all pulses, beans can count towards one of your five portions of fruit and veg a day – so this breakfast gives you two portions in total.

Day 4



Blend 80g soft fruit (eg strawberries, banana or pear) with 100g low-fat yoghurt. Top with 60g cluster cereal (granola) and chopped dates.

Why is it healthy?

This breakfast gives a satisfying start to the day and gives you slow-release energy and fibre aplenty. By eating two different fruits at this time of the day you are boosting your antioxidant levels to help your immune system.

Day 5



Two or three rye crackers, or three or four oatcakes, topped with two teaspoons of low-sugar peanut butter and two teaspoons of apricot jam. Follow with a banana.

Why is it healthy?

Peanut butter is quite high in calories, but if you eat it in moderation it’s a great alternative to butter because it’s a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids. This breakfast is high in fibre, which helps to keep mid-morning hunger pangs at bay.

Day 6



Make a smoothie from 150ml semi-skimmed milk, one medium banana and either a handful of raspberries or half a can of sugar-free red berries. Process in a blender, then tip the mixture into a plastic cup to enjoy while on your travels.

Why is it healthy?

This is a blameless alternative to high-cal Frappuccinos. Milk is a source of calcium and contains vitamin B12 and the minerals zinc and magnesium. Both fruits provide vitamin C and count towards your five a day, and bananas are also rich in vitamins A and B.

Weekend treat



Poach one egg and serve with 2 slices of grilled lean bacon, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms and a slice of wholemeal toast. Start or finish with half a pink grapefruit.

Why is it healthy?

If you grill instead of fry and keep added oil levels to a minimum, there is no reason not to enjoy a full English breakfast. It is also a source of antioxidants, fibre, protein and whole grains. The grapefruit, tomatoes and mushrooms make it count towards your five a day.

Cereals under the spotlight

Not all breakfast cereals live up to their healthy-eating promises. Sometimes, the lowest calorie options can contain hidden salt, fat and sugar.

Here are five of the worst so-called healthy cereals from a recent Which? report based on the Food Standard Agency’s ‘traffic light’ system.

1. Nestlé Fitnesse and Nestlé Fitnesse & Fruit

Both claim to be 98 per cent fat-free, but have sky high sugar levels.

2. Kellogg’s Special K

It might be 99 per cent fat-free, but it gets a red light for both sugar and salt.

3. Asda Good For You Fruit Muesli

Contains hydrogenated fat making it not so ‘good for you’ after all.

4. Tesco Healthyliving Bran Flakes

Gets red lights for both sugar and salt.

5. Nestlé Golden Grahams

Contains 0.75g of salt per serving – the same amount as you’d find in a 50g serving of KP salted peanuts.

Reviewed by Dr Neal Uren, consultant cardiologist and Dr Reginald Odbert, GP

important: this is a brief guide to the emergency help that can be given in the event of a heart attack or cardiac arrest before the arrival of emergency services. It is not intended as a replacement for a first aid or resuscitation course.

What should you do if someone has a heart attack?

If someone has a cardiac arrest or heart attack, there are only a few minutes to act before it is too late. It is vital to know what to do beforehand.

To perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and artificial respiration (mouth to mouth resuscitation) effectively, training and frequent practice on resuscitation dummies are essential.

First aid courses are offered all over the country at night schools or by voluntary organisations such as St John Ambulance or The Red Cross.

How can you tell if someone is having a heart attack?

If the person is unconscious:

• are they breathing? Look at the patient’s chest to see if it is rising and falling.
• do they have a pulse? Place two fingers on one or other side of the person’s voice box in their throat to feel if they have a carotid pulse.

If the patient has a pulse but is not breathing:

• could it be because of suffocation? Feel inside the mouth with a finger to see if there is anything blocking it or the windpipe and remove any food or other objects. Provided that dentures are not broken, it is better not to remove them.
• call for help immediately, stating that the casualty is not breathing, and provide resuscitation (see below) until the patient begins to breathe or the ambulance arrives.

If there is no breathing or pulse, the patient has had a cardiac arrest.

What help is needed?

• If possible, raise the legs up 12 to 18 inches to allow more blood to flow towards the heart
• Immediately place the palm of your hand flat on the patient’s chest just over the lower part of the sternum (breast bone) and press your hand in a pumping motion once or twice by using the other hand. This may make the heart beat again.

If these actions do not restore a pulse or if the subject doesn’t begin to breathe again:

• call for help, stating that the casualty is having a cardiac arrest but stay with the patient.
• find out if any one else present knows CPR.
• provide artificial respiration immediately (see below).
• begin CPR immediately (see below).

How to give artificial respiration

• Tilt the head back and lift up the chin.
• Pinch the nostrils shut with two fingers to prevent leakage of air.
• Take a deep breath and seal your own mouth over the person’s mouth.
• Breathe slowly into the person’s mouth – it should take about two seconds to adequately inflate the chest.
• Do this twice.
• Check to see if the chest rises as you breathe into the patient.
• If it does, enough air is being blown in.
• If there is resistance, try to hold the head back further and lift the chin again.
• Repeat this procedure until help arrives or the person starts breathing again.

How do I perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)?

See if there is breathing. If not, start artificial respiration as described above. Checking for a pulse in the neck (carotid artery) may waste valuable time if the rescuer is inexperienced in this check. The procedure is:

• place your fingers in the groove between the windpipe and the muscles of the side of the neck. Press backwards here to check for a pulse.

If there is no pulse, or if you are unsure, then proceed without delay thus:

• look at the person’s chest and find the ‘upside-down V’ shaped notch that is made by the lower edge of the ribcage. Place your middle finger in this notch and then place your index finger beside it, resting on the breastbone. Take the heel of your other hand and slide it down the breastbone until it is touching this index finger. The heel of your hand should now be positioned on the middle of the lower half of the breastbone.
• now place the heel of your other hand on top of the first. Keep your fingers off the chest, by locking them together. Your pressure should be applied through the heels of the hands only.
• keep your elbows straight, and bring your body weight over your hands to make it easier to press down.
• press down firmly and quickly to achieve a downwards movement of 4 to 5cm, then relax and repeat the compression.
• do this 15 times, then give artificial respiration twice, and continue this 15:2 procedure until help arrives.
• aim for a rate of compression of about 100 per minute. You can help your timing and counting by saying out loud ‘one and two and three and four …’ etc.

Artificial respiration and CPR should both be performed at the same time

• If possible, get someone else to help – one person to perform artificial respiration and the other to perform CPR. (This is not easily done without prior practice and it is well worth attending sessions on CPR training to become familiar with the technique.)
• The ratio of chest compressions to breaths is 15:2 for both one-person and two-person CPR.
• Continue until the ambulance arrives or the patient gets a pulse and starts to breathe again.
• If the pulse returns and breathing begins but the person remains unconscious, roll them gently onto their side into the recovery position. This way mucus or vomit can get out of the mouth and will not obstruct the patient’s breathing. It also prevents the tongue from falling back and blocking the air passage.

Make sure the patient continues breathing and has a pulse until the ambulance arrives

• If you succeed in resuscitating the person who has been taken ill, he or she may be confused and alarmed by all the commotion. Keep the patient warm and calm by quietly, but clearly, telling them what has happened.

Again, it needs to be emphasised that the only way to provide proper first aid and resuscitation is through learning the technique, then regular practice and guidance.

Based on a text by Dr Henrik Omark Petersen