Breakfast is a meal that people unfortunately often skip. It’s been drilled in our heads that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and for good reason. Not only does breakfast “break the fast” in which our bodies go through while we’re sleeping, it sets us up for success for the rest of the day. Have you ever skipped breakfast and had a hard time focusing at work, or didn’t have the energy to do simple tasks? I know I have. That’s why having a balanced breakfast every single day is one of the best decisions you can make in the morning.

So how can you make sure your morning meal will set you up for success? Below are five tips to help you balance your breakfast.

1. Pack it with protein: I remember I used to always have a bowl of cereal for breakfast and an hour later feel hungry again. The problem with my breakfast was that it was low in protein and high in carbohydrates. Protein not only helps keep us feeling full, it also helps support our metabolism, energy levels, brain, and muscles. Always make sure to include high quality protein sources at breakfast such as organic eggs, plain Greek yogurt, natural peanut butter, or protein powders using whey, pea, or rice protein.

2. Eat within one hour of waking up: Since breakfast literally means “break the fast,” eating within one hour of waking up helps to wake up the body and turn the power switch on your metabolism. Not hungry right away in the morning? This brings me to my next point…

3. Start small: If you aren’t currently a breakfast eater then focus on starting small. Having a small snack such as half a banana with some natural peanut butter, or a hard boiled egg with fruit are good options. Once you start eating something in the morning your metabolism starts to rev up; helping you burn more calories throughout the day. I often find that people who want to lose weight will skip breakfast. Unfortunately, all that skipping meals will do is slow down your metabolism and lead to more weight gain in the long run.

4. Add vegetables: Wait, what? I know vegetables aren’t really something you think about when you hear the word breakfast, so let’s change that. Adding vegetables in the morning is a simple change you can do to add more nutrients to your morning meal. Try adding spinach or kale to a protein smoothie, sautéing broccoli or asparagus in an omelet, or having a “breakfast salad” with salad greens topped with eggs or nitrate-free sausage. The more vegetables you can incorporate throughout the day, the better, and why not start with having them in the morning too?

5. Get in color: What does toast, oatmeal, bagels, and cereal all have in common? A lack of color. Think beyond the traditional breakfast foods and incorporate color from foods like organic eggs, fruit, and vegetables (I’m back to talking about vegetables!) I always tell clients to try to have at least three different colors on your plate at meals to ensure variety. So think beyond brown, and incorporate some color in the morning.

So there’s five simple things you can do start your day off right. What do you do to make sure your breakfast is balanced? Comment below!