Recent research shows that a morning meal that's 400 to 500 calories helps you feel full and may make it easier to stick to your healthy eating. The secret ingredient: approximately 200 calories of lean protein, like eggs. "In this study, people who ate extra protein in the a.m. felt more satisfied," says study author Heather Leidy, PhD, an assistant professor of dietetics and nutrition at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.
"Protein keeps you fuller longer than carbs, so eating it for breakfast helps you cut calories all day." Taking time for breakfast is one of the smartest things you can do for your health.
Women who eat it every day are not only at a healthier weight, but they also have lower cholesterol levels and less risk for type 2 diabetes than those who skip it, research shows. That's because breakfast foods tend to be high in health-boosting nutrients like fiber.
Not the morning-meal type? "A lot of people don't have time for it, but they pay the price by overeating later," says Leslie Bonci, RD, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "It's crucial to have something healthy!"
If you think about it, your body has been in a fast for anywhere from 8-10 hours! That is a long time for your body to go without food.
The most common phrases: “I am not hungry”, “I just forget”, or “I don’t have time”. The reason you are not feeling hungry is because your metabolism has slowed down. If you make breakfast a more regular thing, you will wake up feeling hungry! Set a reminder on your phone or put up a sticky in your kitchen until you make it a habit. If you are short on time, choose something quick and easy.
What is metabolism and why would we want it to be working?
Metabolism is the amount of energy (calories) your body burns to maintain itself. Whether you are eating, drinking, sleeping, cleaning etc… your body is constantly burning calories to keep you going, and this is what we want to have happen to reach our fat loss goals. When we burn calories, our body looks to food to fuel itself and without proper nutrients, it will begin to eat away at our muscle instead of our fat.
By adding breakfast in the morning, we are giving our bodies a jump start to fat burning and helping it to maintain the muscle we already have. This in turn helps us to burn more calories throughout the day. And isn’t that what we all really want? Of course we do!
Why is breakfast the most important meal of the day?
Wake Up Your Morning Appetite
Nearly one in five women skips breakfast, according to surveys. Try these tips from Susan Bowerman, RD, a nutritionist at California State Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, to break your no-nosh habit.
- Divide and conquer. Start with something small, like yogurt, and eat a handful of almonds an hour or two later.
- Make a fast break. When you're in a rush, grab a piece of string cheese for a dose of protein and some fruit for fiber and vitamins.
- Treat yourself. Trade breakfast-prep duties with your partner to make it less of a chore.
- Put it off. "If you just can't eat first thing, have an energy bar mid morning for fuel," Bowerman says. "Otherwise, you may overeat at lunch."
Good Breakfast Ideas....
EGGS -- 2 whole eggs, 2 egg whites, some veggies (use things such as spinach, red peppers, green peppers, broccoli, zucchini, squash, or black beans), and either cheddar cheese or feta cheese. You can also make fritattas, hard boiled eggs, or add a tortilla to the mix!!
Oatmeal is another great staple for breakfast. I usually add some fresh strawberries or blueberries, soy milk and some protein powder.
If you like cottage cheese, add some fruit and/or yogurt! Yumm…this one is delicious and quick!
A lot of people like to have their cereal in the morning. That is fine as long as you are choosing cereals that are low in sugar and high in fiber. Kashi has a great variety of high fiber cereal, but just make sure to choose the ones lower in sugar. All Bran is also another good, high fiber cereal. Add some soy milk or skim milk and some fruit! To get in your protein, add a protein shake on the side, or protein powder to the milk. If you don’t have protein powder, just scramble up a couple eggs to get your protein!
The "I don't want to eat before I work out" excuse...
Whip up this filling smoothie or grab a similar one at a juice joint. Save the nuts for a post-workout snack that has extra protein and some healthy fat.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces low-fat vanilla yogurt
- 1 scoop whey protein powder
- 1/2 cup berries
- 1 ounce of nuts for after workout
Total Calories: 439
Santa Fe Egg Scramble
Ingredients
- 1 egg plus 2 egg whites
- 2 tablespoons canned green chilies, dried
- 2 tablespoons cheddar cheese
- 1 whole wheat tortilla, heated
- 1/2 grapefruit
Make it: In a pan over medium heat, scramble eggs, chilies, and cheese together. Once cooked, place egg mixture in tortilla and fold. Eat with grapefruit.
Citrus Smoothie
- 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup of ice
- 1/2 banana
- 2 tablespoons quick-cooking oats
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1/2 cup skim milk
- 2 large fresh strawberries, thinly sliced
The skinny:
466 calories per serving, 5 g fat (2.7 g saturated), 90.9 g carbs, 4.4 g fiber, 20.1 g protein
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