Shift-Ready Bites: Breakfast Plan for Nursing Students (Part II)

For those students who opt for a more traditional breakfast, as compared to the previous blog containing information about overnight oats and recipes, this blog is made specifically for those students. Nursing nurses require plenty of nutrients and vitamins coming from their meals in order to ensure proper growth and development and for them to be able to care for others, especially during duty or clinical hours. These needs emphasize the importance of having a balanced diet, and in order for this to be achieved, it must start with the first meal of the day, which is breakfast. Breakfast is what powers and fuels student nurses throughout the day; it allows them to function optimally. Traditional Filipino breakfasts are already, in a way, nutritious. However, it still lacks balance. Typical Filipino breakfasts often do not contain that many greens, which is important, especially now that colon cancer rates are increasing rapidly worldwide. Fiber is essential, and because of that, this sample breakfast would incorporate plenty of vegetables. 

Ajinomoto, 2020
https://www.cookmunitybyajinomoto.com/10-all-time-pinoy-breakfast-recipes/

Examples on how you can enhance your everyday Filipino breakfast:

1. Garlic Fried Rice

• Add fiber:

• Use brown rice or black rice instead of white rice.

• Mix in chopped spinach, malunggay (moringa), or grated carrots.

• Add chia or flax seeds while frying for a mild crunch and fiber

2. Egg – typically fried or scrambled

• Add fiber:

• Scramble with chopped kamote tops, malunggay, or pechay.

• Serve with a side of sliced avocado or grilled tomato.

3. Tapa, Longganisa, Tocino, or Milk Fish (Protein)

• Add fiber:

• Pair with atcharang papaya (pickled green papaya—already fiber-rich!)

• Serve with a small side of ensaladang talbos ng kamote (sweet potato leaves salad)

4. Lugaw / Arroz Caldo (rice porridge)

• Add fiber:

  • Mix in grated kalabasa (squash), malunggay leaves, or chopped green beans.

  • Serve with a side of fermented vegetables or lumpiang gulay (veggie spring rolls)