An analysis of the breakfast habits of 30,000 American adults highlights the role of breakfast in meeting your nutrition needs. The study, which was published in April 2021 in the journal Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, suggested that people who skip breakfast miss important nutrients, including folate, calcium, iron, and select vitamins. What’s more, the study found that people who miss nutrients at breakfast are not consuming them later in the day.
If you’re one of those Americans who sometimes or always skips breakfast and you have MS, consider trying these quick, easy, and tasty strategies to make breakfast a more regular part of your day — and make sure you’re meeting your daily nutrition needs.
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What Should You Include in Your Breakfast?
Breakfast is a great time to include a variety of key daily nutrients:
- Complex Carbohydrates These nutrients are found in whole grains, beans and legumes, colorful fruits, and vegetables. Tip: The developers of the MIND diet specifically identified leafy greens and blueberries as foods that support brain health, which is important for MS.
- Proteins You can get your morning protein fix from eggs, Greek yogurt, milk or soy milk, tofu, tempeh, nuts, nut butters, and seeds.
- Heart-Healthy Fats Nut butters, avocados, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds are great options.
- Calcium Meet your daily calcium needs by drinking low-fat or skim milk. Tip: If you abstain from dairy for any reason, make sure that your alternative is fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
- Folate Start your day by working folate-containing foods like leafy green vegetables, folic-acid-fortified cereals, wheat germ, and orange juice into your breakfast menus.
- Iron Fortified breakfast cereal, tofu, quinoa, and leafy greens like spinach are all sources of iron.
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Quick and Flexible Breakfasts to TryWhen You Have MS
If you have MS, consider giving one of these simple and speedy breakfast ideas a go:
- Smoothies Blend together colorful berries, frozen banana chunks, leafy greens, Greek yogurt, chia seeds, nut butters, and milk or a fortified dairy alternative.
- Whole Grains Prepare a whole grain such as oatmeal or quinoa with milk, or part milk and part water. Serve it with berries and walnuts for flavor and a nutrient boost.
- Toast With Avocado or Guacamole Buying guacamole in single-serving cups, such as those from Wholly Guacamole, will save you time.
- Cereal Dry cereal with low-fat milk is as easy as it gets — but not all breakfast cereals are created equal. Look for products that provide at least 3 grams (g) of fiber and have fewer than 6 g of added sugars per serving. Top with colorful berries or sliced fruit for more nutrients.
- Breakfast Sandwiches There’s more than one way to whip up a breakfast sandwich:
- Scrambled eggs or tofu with leafy greens, bell peppers, and onions
- Egg salad sandwich or tofu salad sandwich
- Peanut butter and jelly. Tip: When made with whole wheat bread, this old-school favorite is easy to make, travels well, and makes for a balanced breakfast. And for a change of pace, replace the jelly with a sliced banana.
If you prefer to get a head start on breakfast, you may wish to try a make-ahead breakfast:
- Repurposed Leftovers If you like savory foods in the morning, consider a repeat performance of last night’s dinner. For example, baked sweet potatoes topped with sauteed greens and an egg would be a colorful way to start the day. Or if you have leftover salmon, add it to scrambled eggs or scrambled tofu, or include it in a sandwich.
- Preportioned Smoothie Bags Add your favorite ingredients to a resealable bag, date it, and store it in the freezer until it’s smoothie time in the morning.
- Baked Mini Frittatas or Egg Muffin Cups Use a muffin pan to prepare your favorite frittata recipe, and enjoy them throughout the week.
- Breakfast Quesadillas or Taco Fillings Prepare the fillings for these dishes in advance. You could include eggs, tofu, tempeh, beans, and lots of colorful vegetables.
- Overnight Oats There are so many overnight oats recipes out there! Using milk or yogurt to make overnight oats provides a boost of protein — and be sure to add fruit, nuts, and seeds for texture, fiber, and more nutrients.
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Tips to Make Breakfast Easier When You Have MS
Although MS symptoms like fatigue can throw a wrench in your plans, these strategies can help stop them from derailing your morning meal:
Write Down 3 to 5 Quick and Easy Breakfasts That You and Your Family Enjoy
Once you’ve selected some go-to meals, make a list of all the foods required to make them. Display your list on the refrigerator, on a bulletin board, or wherever it will be easy to see. Whenever items get used, add them to the grocery list to be replaced to ensure you always have what you need in the house.
Simplify Breakfast Time
Look for breakfast dishes that take 30 minutes or less to make and require very few ingredients. Tip: If you like to use a slow cooker or pressure cooker, find breakfast recipes that utilize these time- and energy-savers.
Have a Backup Plan
Life is busy, schedules change, and MS symptoms can show up and zap your energy when you least expect it — so plan for it by keeping some foods that require little to no preparation on hand. Meal planning is simply anticipating your needs in advance and developing a strategy for what to do when the inevitable happens. Do your best to keep your backup plan simple.
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What the Research Shows About Diet and MS Fatigue
It’s difficult to explain how it feels to live with a chronic illness like MS, especially when it comes to symptoms like fatigue. At least 80 percent of people with MS experience fatigue, notes the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and that often means they start the day with less energy, even after a good night’s sleep.
And getting all the nutrients they need to boost energy can be a big challenge for people with MS, as research has noted. One study, which compared the daily intake of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients in people with MS versus a healthy control population, found that the MS group was deficient in several important nutrients, including folate, magnesium, and vitamin E.
While there’s no one diet that universally improves MS symptoms, research has shown that a variety of diets can improve fatigue levels in people with MS.
One study that involved a controlled trial showed that a very low-fat, plant-based diet was associated with significantly improved fatigue levels in people with MS. And another study with a controlled trial concluded that the paleo diet may help lessen perceived fatigue in people with MS. In each study, though, the number of participants was relatively small.
A larger meta-analysis from 2023published in Neurologyfound evidence that a few approaches, including the paleo and Mediterranean diets, may reduce fatigue and improve the quality of life for people with MS. The authors noted that the growing body of research on diet and MS would benefit from more large, controlled trials to further solidify the connection.
While the paleo and Mediterranean diets are different in the foods they include and exclude, they are similar in calling for a higher vegetable intake than a typical American diet, and both emphasize whole, unprocessed foods. Those are changes anyone can make, even without following a specific diet.
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The Bottom Line on BreakfastWhen You Have MS
Breakfast matters. It’s an opportunity to fuel your body and support your brain health — and maybe more important for people with MS, a chance to start your day withmore energy.
If you find yourself skipping breakfast because of a diminished appetite, be sure to share this with your doctor. And if MS is creating roadblocks that make it challenging to navigate your kitchen easily, consider asking your doctor for a referral to an occupational therapist (OT). For any nutrition-related questions, your doctor can refer you to a registered dietitian for help.
