Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day, but what’s more important is what you have for it. Although that greasy bacon, maple-syrup soaked pancakes are just delicious, that excess sugar and fat will make you as ready as a sloth for the day ahead.Here some best foods to start on in your morning.

1. Eggs

Yummy, versatile and protein-rich, it helps with blood-sugar levels and reduces heart disease. Antioxidants in egg-yolk, called lutein and zeaxanthin help prevent eye problems such as cataracts, while its choline content promotes better liver and brain health.

2. Greek Yogurt

Creamy yet calcium-rich, its probiotic goodness keeps your gut healthy and balanced while its conjugated linoleic acid increases metabolism, reduces the risk of breast cancer and cools the body down overall.

3. Berries

Packed with antioxidants, berries such as raspberries, strawberries and blueberries, are low in calories, reduce the blood’s cholesterol levels and contain anthocyanins, which improve the heart’s functions and slower aging in the body’s cells.

4. Fruit

Rich in vitamins, fiber, potassium and water content, fruits such as oranges also provide all the vitamin C you need per day to boost your immune systems.

5. Oatmeal

For cereal lovers out there, the special fiber in oats called beta-glucan helps reduce cholesterol, fills you up faster, decreases blood pressure and is perfectly safe for those who are gluten-sensitive.

6. Nuts

This crunchy goodness, possesses the needed essential oils, decreases inflammation, promotes blood-sugar control, rich in magnesium and potassium, it is very healthy for the heart.

7. Cottage Cheese

Rich in protein, it also promotes metabolism and reduces frequent ‘hunger pangs’ caused by the hormone ghrelin. Would go perfectly with some crispy toast and eggs.

8. Chia Seeds

Known to be a viscous fiber, it helps balance the amount of food your digestive tract works with, lowers blood sugar and blood pressure and even protects cells from the free radicals i.e. unstable molecules to ease metabolism.

9. Flax seeds

Helps reduce abnormal cell-growth that causes breast cancer, with rich fiber-content, it balances the levels of insulin to reduce blood sugar levels. Just make sure you grind your flax seeds, as their hard shell makes it hard to digest.

10. Green Tea

As one of the healthiest drinks out there, it facilitates concentration, controls mood-swings, helps fight diabetes and its hormone EGCG can help protect the nervous system and heart.

11. Coffee

The caffeine from your classic morning cuppa’ jo, is said to improve the brain’s performance, by increasing alertness, improving moods, burning fat, protecting cell-lining and reducing the chances of liver disease.

12. Protein Shake

Coming in many forms from whey, soy and egg, it helps reduce those uncontrollable hunger pangs, balances blood sugar levels and promotes metabolism.