With the fast pace of modern life, liquid nutrition has gained popularity. Liquid nutrition is a quick way to get your nutrients and calories. Is coffee a healthy form of liquid nutrition and should you use it as a substitute for breakfast?
The Coffee Habit
Drinking coffee is a habit for many people. When you wake up in the morning, turning on the coffee machine may be the first thing you do. You may be in a hurry and take your coffee with you or stop at a coffee shop on the way to work for your favorite cup of flavored coffee. Or, you may drink only coffee in the morning because you believe it will help you to lose weight.
The Nutrition of Coffee
Breakfast is an important meal because your body has gone for many hours without fuel. To promote health, your body needs a solid and healthy breakfast. To carry you through your day with full energy, you need a well-balanced meal in the mornings. Coffee offers no nutrition. It can act as a diuretic and make you urinate more often. Some people also find that drinking coffee in the morning fills them up and suppresses their appetite. In terms of the type of nutrition that you need in the mornings, however, coffee offers little benefit.
Ways to Replace or Add to Coffee
Many people drink coffee with cream and sugar, which adds calories and no nutrition. If coffee is a must-have for you in the mornings, consider drinking it black. If you do not like the taste of black coffee, maybe replace the cream with low-fat or non-fat milk or a milk substitute such as soy milk, rice milk or almond milk. These alternatives offer some nutrients without the calories and fat of cream. Instead of sugar, maybe use a low- or no-calorie sugar substitute.
If you are going to drink coffee in the mornings, consider also eating a piece of fruit, maybe a banana. Experts recommend making breakfast the most important meal of your day. You are better off making time for breakfast and eating foods that offer you healthy fats, complex carbs and proteins. Skim milk, whole grain cereal and your favorite fruit are all good breakfast options.
If you are interested in healthier forms of liquid nutrition, consider making healthy shakes in the morning with your favorite fruits, milk or milk substitute. Protein powders make for a healthy addition to morning shakes. They are especially helpful if you will be working out in the mornings. Exercising on an empty stomach and coffee alone will likely not give you the energy you need.
Conclusion
In short, coffee is not a healthy substitute for breakfast. You need the nutrition of a well-balanced breakfast to carry you through your day, to give you energy for your workout regimen and your daily tasks. If you must drink coffee in the mornings, consider making it a part of a larger breakfast and not your sole source of morning nutrition.
