A healthy breakfast

Many of Accor’ guests enjoy an early rise and a morning workout. One of the benefits of exercising early in the day is that it gives your metabolism an extra boost. And of course, you’ll burn more calories training than by snoozing cosily next to your alarm clock. So, rise and shine! And, be sure to take in those essential nutrients with your breakfast. After a productive morning, it’s important to ensure your meals are carefully balanced. An intensive workout could see you rubbing sore muscles throughout the day. A good, wholesome breakfast can help. We have listed the top 3 essential nutrients that should not be missing from any breakfast, especially when you’re working out.

TIP: Start the day with sufficient fluid intake. A glass of water or a cup of green tea is fine. If you do crave for that coffee, take it with a glass of water and drink your coffee black. When you wake, your body has probably not had any intake of fluid for some 8 hours. Topping up on your fluid helps prevent dizziness and headaches when training.

3 nutrients that no breakfast should go without

1. Proteins

You are likely informed that proteins are good for the muscles. Extra protein is necessary to help your body recover after intensive power training. So, you need to know which foods contain the proteins your body needs. Eggs- and more eggs! Dairy food (eg. yoghurt and quark) and meats are also high on protein. If available, use low-fat variants of dairy and meat products. Iceland or lean yoghurt, low-fat quark and meats such as turkey or chicken filet, roast beef or lean, smoke-dried beef, are all good. Don’t eat animal products? You can get your proteins from products like unsalted nuts, legumes and seeds. Above all, make sure your breakfast contains sufficient proteins and supplement with wholemeal grains.

2. Fibres

Fibres make you feel satisfied quickly and the feeling lasts for hours. As a result, you probably won’t desire food for the rest of the morning. Because you’ve burnt a good deal of energy in your morning training, you can top up with, for example, oatmeal or linseed.

Prefer to stay with a sandwich for breakfast? It’s a good idea to choose wholemeal bread over white bread. Wholemeal bread almost wholly preserves the seeds and bran in the bread. That’s more energy for you. Fibres are also good for the digestive tract - important when losing weight or minding your body weight.

3. Antioxidants

Antioxidants stimulate muscle recovery. All fruits contain antioxidants, though some more than others. Red fruit, such as (blue or red) berries or fruits of the forest, contain the most antioxidants. But avocados, raw figs, unroasted nuts, pits and seeds are all good alternatives, containing the antioxidants that are essential nutrients in your breakfast.

antioxidanten — Products with antioxidants

Examples of a healthy breakfast

You can now start composing a healthy fitness breakfast. Where possible, aim for a balance of 60% proteins, 30% carbohydrates and 10% fats. Need inspiration? The examples below are healthy and practical breakfast plates, as served in most hotels:

1. Breakfast 1
- Glass of green tea
- Low fat quark or yoghurt topped with red berries
- Two wholemeal sandwiches with a topping of chicken or roast beef

2. Breakfast 2
- Cup of black coffee and glass of water
- Oatmeal with milk and handful of unroasted nuts

3. Breakfast 3
- Glass of water
- Wholemeal sandwich with topping of lean, smoke-dried beef
- Whole meal sandwich with topping of avocado and a boiled egg

Need inspiration for at your hotel gym? Read our article with 10 fitness exercises.

The swimming enthusiasts read here about the best exercises for the swimming pool.

Are you staying in a hotel without one of these facilities? No problem, because with these exercises you can do a complete workout in your hotel room.