Eating well is an important part of maintaining your physical and mental well-being in recovery. Knowing which foods support your health is helpful, but understanding how to incorporate them into your daily meals can make a real difference.
In a recent blog post, we identified five categories of food that support your ongoing recovery. They include:
- Leafy greens
- Colorful fruits and vegetables
- Lean proteins
- Whole grains
- Healthy fats
That is a great list as far as it goes, but it would be fair to wonder how those categories might be represented in actual meals you eat throughout the day. Over the course of three entries, we are going to consider your breakfast, lunch, and dinner choices—as well as providing some advice about good hydration and snacking options.
A quick disclaimer: We are not nutritionists. For specific advice regarding your eating choices and their potential contribution to your overall health, we recommend having a conversation with your doctor.
That said, this time out, the topic is breakfast—which you have probably heard called “the most important meal of the day.” Truthfully, we think all three meals are pretty important, but it is undeniable that a good breakfast can get your day off to a good start.
Let’s take a closer look at the first meal of the day.
Breakfast: Don’t Skip It. Don’t Rush It.
Let’s face it: Mornings can be hectic. If you hit your snooze button one too many times, you can throw your whole routine into chaos—assuming you have a routine in the first place. And that can lead you to rush through breakfast or skip it entirely.
Neither is a great strategy. Rushing through breakfast often means making an unhealthy choice, like something sugary that will not give you any energy as the day gets underway. Skipping the meal entirely? Well, that does not get you started in a positive way, either.
Ideally, you would make time in the morning for a healthy breakfast that contributes to your overall well-being and supports your recovery. As a rule, that means you want to eat a combination of fiber and protein as well as ensure you get plenty of nutrients. So what might your breakfast menu include?
One approach would be to have a couple of eggs (which are high in protein) and a couple of slices of whole wheat toast (which is high in fiber). Throw in some fruit (a great source of nutrients) and you have a balanced meal that gets you headed in the right direction as your day gets underway.
Here is an article that lists a dozen foods that can be a healthy part of your breakfast.
Hydration: It Is Essential. Keep It Simple.
Even those who tend to skip breakfast often make sure to grab a cup of coffee or some strong black tea soon after waking up to get the jolt of caffeine. Both beverages can be part of a healthy approach to hydration—as can white, green, and herbal teas.
But as simple as coffee and tea are, there is an even simpler beverage that is always your best bet when it comes to staying hydrated. You really cannot find a better option than water—and any and all water (assuming you have access to clean drinking water) can get the job done. That means you can hydrate with the water that comes straight from your tap or you can go a little fancier.
As a side note, there are plenty of foods that can help keep you hydrated, too. And many of them—like grapefruit, plain yogurt, peaches, and more—can be a satisfying part of breakfast.
Just Getting Started
As we noted above, this is the first entry in a series. Next time out, we will focus on good choices for lunch and your afternoon snack.
As this series progresses, we will offer plenty of good options for making the most of your meals. But we want to emphasize that you do not have to revolutionize your diet overnight. Every time you make a healthier choice and work to make that choice a habit, you are taking steps that can improve your health and firm up the foundations of your recovery.
We Are Ready to Get to Work
At Bel Aire Recovery Center—located near Wichita, Kansas—we help people overcome substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders. Whether you choose our inpatient or outpatient care option, you will receive personalized care grounded in evidence-based practices.
If you choose residential treatment, we provide medically supervised detox services that allow you to weather withdrawal in a safe environment that is free of temptations. We follow that up with a robust rehabilitation program that includes individual and group therapy sessions intended to get you ready to start your recovery with confidence. And once your time in treatment comes to an end, we continue to provide support because research has shown that aftercare is key when it comes to promoting a lasting recovery.
If you are hungry to make a change in your life for the better, Bel Aire Recovery Center is here to help.
