- Boosts Your Metabolism- Eating breakfast plays a huge role in metabolism. This kickstarts your body and helps you to burn more energy throughout the day, which plays a huge role in weight maintenance and/or weight loss.
- Gives You Energy- After a night of sleep, your body needs something to get it going! Think about it. What energy do you have to run on after at least 7 hours of no food. And calories=energy! Yes, it matters what calories you pick, but you get the point:) Coffee may work for a minute, but food is what's gonna last through the day.
- Weight Maintenance/Weight Loss- Starting your day with a good breakfast is a huge role in these two things. It keeps your blood levels normal and prevents binges later on in the day from being extremely hungry. With a good and balanced breakfast, you will be satisfied until your next meal. It will also prevent you from having a huge meal at lunch or lots of snacks to make up for the fact that you skipped a meal.
- Mood and Concentration- Nobody likes to be hungry. You know the feeling when your stomach is growling...it just puts you in a bad mood ( a.k.a. hangry ). And how can you truly focus if your brain has no energy to run on and you are just thinking about how empty your stomach feels?!
There are so many options for a healthy breakfast!!! But my rule of thumb, like I have said before, get a good mix of carbs, fats, and protein. This is key to a good breakfast. Be sure to get a source of complex and simple carbs such as oats (complex) with fruit (simple). The simple carbs will give you an instant energy boost and the complex carbs will continue to provide your body energy as they break down. Avoid carbs from non-whole grain sources such as white bread, non whole grain cereals, and pastries. Carbs after a workout are crucial in replenishing glycogen storage. Also, avoid foods with lots of added sugars or artificial sweeteners. These sugars will leave you feeling tired and hungry later on. I like to buy products that are not processed and then sweeten them myself with things like stevia or honey! There are some good cereals out there, but you need to check the labels as many companies that advertise whole grain, etc. are not and are filled with sugar and saturated fats. Fats are crucial in keeping you full and aid in digestion. Some great options for this would be eggs, seeds, nuts, nut butter, coconut oil, or avocado. I would aim for at least 1 serving of fat at breakfast, but don't overdo them either. I usually have about 2-2.5 :) If you are eating breakfast after a workout, it is okay to do lower fat in order for the carbs and protein to get to your muscles faster, as fats have a slower breakdown and can slow down the speed at which your body can use the carbs and protein. Personally, I don't worry about this too much and still do a few fat servings after a workout as I don't think it has a big impact on progress, but it is good to know. Protein is important at breakfast as it also aids in keeping you full, as well as continuing to build your muscle. If your breakfast is after a workout, be sure you are getting PLENTY of protein. You need to feed those muscles in order for them to grow.
Meal Ideas ( These are just a couple, but there are SO many others as well. Check out my instagram @syd_healthynfit for many more breakfast ideas!! )
- Overnight Oats- These are great for people who need a quick breakfast when they don't have time to make one in the morning. Just put 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup non-dairy or dairy milk, 1 tbsp chia seeds, a little protein powder or greek yogurt, and any flavor you want ( cinnamon, stevia, cocoa, etc) in a container and cover overnight in the fridge. Top it with whatever you want in the morning and there ya go! I love topping mine with fruit and nut butter :)
- All in One Smoothie- This is also great for those of you who need something on the go. The night before put some protein powder or yogurt, your desired fruit, a handful of spinach, oats, and a source of fat ( like coconut oil/avocado/nuts/nut butter, whatever you like ) in a baggy. In the morning, dump this in a blender along with ice and milk or juice of your choice. Blend and take it to go:)
- Eggs and Toast- Top a piece of whole grain toast with nut butter and fruit and cook 1 egg + 2 egg whites with some spinach for a perfectly balanced breakfast!
- Yogurt- Be sure to pick a yogurt with all natural ingredients and then top with fruit, granola, nuts, or whatever you like! Get creative!
- Protein Pancakes- Check my breakfast page for a great recipe :) You could add protein powder to the recipe or add a protein shake on the side!
I hope this helped some of you see that picking a healthy breakfast is very important and skipping breakfast is not gonna get you the results you want. If anything, it will slow down progress. Breakfast is by far my favorite meal, and maybe it will be yours now too :)