Breakfast Nutrition Nugget: Don’t Take a Break from Breakfast
Bite-Size Reads for Your Health and Your Waistline
The alarm goes off. Snooze. Seven minutes later it sounds again. UGH, do I have to get up? If I skip breakfast I can lay here for a few more minutes. Eventually, we motivate ourselves to get up and get dressed, thinking “what about breakfast?” Sometimes we just don’t feel like eating in the morning, let alone figure out a nutritious breakfast (think before we need to? Hard pass!). So we just pour a cup of coffee and move on. But then, starvation, lack of focus, and low energy kick in before noon.
I am here to tell you that these instances are almost always the cause and effect of one another, but there is one way to feel energized and be fueled throughout the day — breakfast (cue confetti).
I want you, yes you, to take a second to think about how you feel on the days you don’t eat breakfast. Be honest. Now, think about what you DO eat on those days you manage to squeeze in a breakfast, and how do you feel after? These two questions are fundamental to discovering your personal best practice and what fuels you the best.
Even though different early morning food choices can have varying effects on all of us, protein and fiber are always the top priority for what to eat, even in the morning. I know many of you don’t like to eat in the morning but we need to get our body going. I always suggest my clients eat something within an hour of waking up. Going beyond this threshold, signals to the body it needs to work without fuel which is a sign of famine to our archaic physiology. Your body then goes into starvation mode and stores fat, rather than burning it (which is pretty much what we are all trying to avoid).
But what exactly constitutes good protein and fiber? Unlike those oh-so-appealing commercial breakfasts, we should stay as far away as possible from the cereals, toasts, and juices of the advertised breakfast world. Rather, incorporating our fruits and veggies is always a good idea.
Whether these are veggie omelets, egg bites, plain greek yogurt with some almonds, walnuts, and berries on top, or a breakfast salad, there are many tasty and nutritious breakfast options out there. On the days you want to indulge, consider a couple of my favorites — add some turkey bacon or even feta cheese.
At the end of the day, you have to find what works and feels the best for you. Pay attention to how you feel on the mornings you fuel yourself compared to the days you don’t. We can also make a note of how we feel when we choose different foods for breakfast. Check-in with your energy, focus, and when you get hungry again. A great way to log these feelings is by writing them down in a journal or log them on your phone in the calendar or notes app!
If you don’t believe you can become a full-on morning eater, I encourage you to do an experiment to see what happens if you do. At the very least get something in your system (from the protein and fiber categories) within an hour of waking up. Maybe there is something you’re willing to make and be excited to eat in the morning. Eventually, you feel the benefits not only in the mornings but throughout the entire day. Challenged by afternoon snacks or late-night eating? Check-in with your breakfast. For real. Because what’s better than long-lasting energy? Especially, when the cure is through food!
