Breakfast Matters
You probably have a morning routine if you're a student or a working individual. It may include waking up at the sound of your alarm, heading to the bathroom, then to the kitchen for a coffee and something quick for breakfast before you get ready to run out the door or to your in-home office. Some of you may hit the gym and then begin your day. Others may wing it, hit snooze three times, and hope for the best when that last alarm goes off. Whatever you do, your breakfast matters.
Breakfast, typically eaten in the morning, is the first opportunity to set ourselves on the right track for the day. This meal is your first chance to hit a quarter to a third of your daily protein intake. Protein is a macronutrient needed to manage weight, build and repair tissues, feel full after meals, stabilize blood glucose levels, and decrease cravings.
I don't follow any particular diet, but I eat mostly whole foods and prioritize protein. Aside from health and body composition benefits, starting my day with the optimal nutrients also impacts my productivity, alertness, and focus for the next 8-10 hours. Indeed, these are things most people want to improve on.
To those who do intermittent fasting, or are considering it, consider why you may want to do it. If your goal is weight loss, you may not have to. A 2020 study from the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity notes that a high-protein diet "reduces body weight (BW), but also enhances body composition by decreasing fat mass while preserving fat-free mass (FFM) in both low-calorie and standard-calorie diets." This conclusion is excellent news for those who wake up feeling hungry like myself or struggle to reach optimal amounts of daily protein.
If you work or attend classes outside your home, convenience, and temptation may cause you to pick up breakfast on the go. This might work occasionally, but if your goal is improving your body composition, you'll want to optimize every meal to achieve that goal. That means eating meals that keep you full for hours, allow you to feel satisfied, are nutrient-dense, and stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
I eat at least 120g of protein daily, with no limit. I must have 3 to 4 meals or snacks with 30g to 40g of protein in each to hit this target. My minimum protein intake is slightly less than my body weight. Roughly 1g of protein per pound that you weigh (give or take 10-20g) is a good number to reach for.
Of course, you can eat steak for breakfast if you wish (and I do sometimes), but here is a list of high-protein breakfast foods and resources that can help you find options to keep you satisfied and stay on track:
Eggs
Egg whites
Pemeal bacon
Cottage cheese
Plain Greek yogurt
https://www.joeywellness.com/home/about-me.html (See Joey’s Instagram for recipe ideas or download his cookbook!)
With this list in mind, let's compare the less bang-for-your-buck breakfast options most people know. A bowl of Frosted Flakes without milk is 130 calories (I'd bet most people would naturally pour a bowl much greater than the actual serving size listed) and has 2g of protein. With milk, this meal may reach 14g. A McDonald's sausage and egg McMuffin has 430 calories and 20g of protein. The same item from Tim Hortons has 500 calories and 19g of protein. These numbers may sound acceptable to you now, but my typical breakfast (200g of egg whites, two whole eggs scrambled with 15g of feta cheese, and rye sourdough toast) is about 410 calories and has 39g of protein.
Cereal
Little nutritional value and is easy to overconsume. Doesn’t help you stay full for very long, increasing the likelihood of snacking (which can hinder your fat loss goals).
Fast Food Breakfast Sandwich
Higher calorie with some nutritional value. Not much volume of food so you may still feel hungry. Processed food is not ideal for overall health when regularly eaten.
Homemade Breakfast
High protein, made with whole foods, and carbs or sides can be adjusted easily based on what you enjoy!
In addition to its better macronutrient profile, my breakfast is a larger volume of food, has fewer additives and preservatives, and takes less than 10 minutes to make.
Now, you don't have to have what I eat for breakfast. I don't recommend you copy anyone's diet. Still, I recommend finding what works for you within the optimal nutrition recommendations for changing and maintaining your ideal body composition and improving overall health.
So what the hell should you eat? Ideally, you skip the sugary cereals and fast food, aim to eat a high-protein breakfast and cook food at home so you know what's in your food. You will likely make it several hours before wanting a snack or another meal. Just in time for lunch!
Remember that adherence and sustainability are most important. To help you adhere to your routine, try to prepare things in advance. Refer to the resources I've provided and others to find and create an enjoyable and optimal way to fuel up in the morning.
The information in this blog is based on anecdotal evidence and researched information. This blog’s content is not meant to be prescribed to any one person and dietary changes should not be followed without consulting your primary healthcare providers.
Gannon, M. C., Nuttall, F. Q., Saeed, A., Jordan, K., & Hoover, H. (2003). An increase in dietary protein improves the blood glucose response in persons with type 2 diabetes. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 78(4), 734–741. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/78.4.734
Moon, J., & Koh, G. (2020). Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss. Journal of obesity & metabolic syndrome, 29(3), 166–173. https://doi.org/10.7570/jomes20028
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