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Simply mix up a cup of strawberries and a banana in your blender, add some crushed ice, and you’ve got an instant healthy breakfast full of antioxidants, which guard against cell damage that can cause cancer and heart disease. If you slosh in some plain yogurt, you’ve added a bone-strengthening dose of calcium. If you prefer your smoothie to be dairy-free, whizz up the strawberries with fruit juice. When fresh berries aren’t available, use frozen.

You can make the first meal of the day fun as well as wholesome by letting everyone in the family mix and match the different elements of their breakfast. Set out cereals (you can even create your own sugar-and-fat-free muesli with porridge oats and dried fruit), sliced fruit, yogurt, low-fat soft cheese, wholemeal toast and get everyone to choose their own toppings.

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This is one cuppa that will warm the cockles of your heart, not just because it’s hot and comforting, but because there’s evidence it can boost health in a whole host of ways. Green tea has heart protective benefits, may guard against cancer, slow mental decline and even lower your risk of water infections. Plus it’s lower in caffeine than traditional teas.

Vegetarian versions of sausages and bacon are high in protein but lower in saturated fat than the real thing. And if you still want to stick with the meat option, bear in mind that bacon—especially lean back bacon with the rind and fat cut off—contains fewer calories than your average sausage.

It delivers a burst of vitamin C and antioxidants, but that’s not the main reason to slug a glass of the stuff in the morning. In fact, juice is rather full of sugar while falling short on fibre, but it could substantially cut your risk of Alzheimer’s, according to several research studies.

If you prefer your fruit in solid form, opt for these luscious red berries. They are packed with vitamin C, which brings many health benefits. One of these is that they have a protective effect on the eyes, according to various studies. One US study of 247 women found that those taking vitamin C in supplement form were 77 per cent less likely to develop cataracts. Getting vitamin C from food is even better. And strawberries are also high in antioxidants and low in calories. What’s not to love?

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Get your day off to a great start by making sure you eat fibre in the first meal of your day, otherwise you’ll struggle to get to the 30g daily recommended amount. Plus, fibre is filling without costing you more in calories. So how to pack in that 5g? A few bites of a large apple, a small bowl of high-fibre cereal or 80g of blackberries will do the trick.

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