How do you feel about breakfast? Do you have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it? We’ve grown up with it being drilled into us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And, if you think of it in terms of “breaking your fast”, then this holds true for everyone.
I know that sometimes what we have for breakfast can be an afterthought, a meal of convenience. Depending on how organised or rushed we are in the morning can often dictate what we choose to eat. Do you have a short list of “go-to” recipes? Or perhaps you just run out the door and grab something on the way? This can be a dangerous to your quest for healthier eating, as often the food choices we make on the go are less than desirable from a nutrition perspective.
Do you need a bit of inspiration to start eating breakfast again?It can be easy with a few ideas on hand, and a teeny bit of planning.
Getting some protein at each meal can help with blood sugar management, metabolism and weight loss. This is because protein helps you feel fuller longer and uses up a bunch of calories to absorb and metabolize it. So I’m going to show you how to get the protein, as well as some veggies and healthy fats for your soon-to-be favourite new “go-to” breakfasts.
Breakfast Food #1: Eggs
Yes, eggs are the “quintessential” breakfast food. And for good reason!
And here I’m not talking about processed egg whites in a carton(which is a real thing!). I mean actual whole “eggs”.
Egg whites are mostly protein butthe yolks are the real nutritional powerhouses. Those yolks contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats.
Eggs have been shown to help you feel full, keep you feeling fuller longer, and help to stabilize blood sugar and insulin.
Not to mention how easy it is to boil a bunch of eggs and keep them in the fridge for a “grab and go” breakfast when you’re running short on time. (Also excellent to keep on hand for some smart snacking!)
And…nope the cholesterol in eggs is not associated with an increased risk of arterial or heart diseases.
One thing to consider is to try to prevent cooking the yolks at too high of a temperature because that can cause some of the cholesterol to become oxidized. It’s the oxidized cholesterol that’s heart unhealthy.
Breakfast Food #2: Nuts and/or Seeds
Nuts and seeds contain protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and fibre and make a great addition to anybreakfast.
You’ll find a lot of supermarket breakfast cereals will spout added nuts and seeds as part of their balanced breakfast, but don’t be fooled. These are often “candied” nuts, and these cereals contain added sugar that will wreck havoc on your blood sugar levels. Also, avoid sweetened nut/seed butters– I’m talking about the real, whole, unsweetened food here.
Nuts and seeds are also the ultimate fast food if you’re running late in the mornings. Grab a small handful of almonds, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds as you’re running out the door; you can munchon them while you’re commuting.
Not to mention how easy it is to add a spoonful of nut/seed butter into your morning breakfast smoothie.
Hint: If you like a creamy latte in the mornings, try making one with nut or seed butter. Just add your regular hot tea and a tablespoon or two of a creamy nut or seed butter into your blender & blend until frothy.
Breakfast Food #3: Veggies
You already know you really should get protein at every meal including breakfast; but this also applies to veggies too.I love trying to incorporate some veg into my breakfast.
Veggies are powerhouses of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, fibre, and water. You can’t go wrong adding them into every single meal of the day, so if you don’t already you should definitely try them for breakfast!
And no, you don’t need to have a salad or roasted veggies for breakfast if you don’t want to but you totally can! Leftover dinners make amazing breakfast – with the added bonus that they’re pre-prepared so take pretty much zero time.
Add in some protein to leftover veggies and you have a fantastic combo for any meal. Including breakfast.
Here’s one of my favourite recipes to get you started for your next breakfast.
Recipe (Eggs & Veggies): Veggie Omelet
Serves 1
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 or 2 eggs (how hungry are you?)
- 1/3 cup veggies (pretty much what you have in the fridge – some ideas are grated or diced zucchini, capsicum, carrot, sweet potato, corn, tomato, broccoli, mushrooms, kale)
- dash salt, pepper and/or turmeric
Add coconut oil to a frying pan and melt on low-medium heat (cast-iron pans are preferred).
In the meantime grab twobowlsandseparate the eggs. Beat the whites until they begin to foam, and then add in the yolks andbeatagain.
Tilt pan to ensure the bottom is covered with the melted oil. Pour egg mixture into pan and lightly fry the eggs without stirring.
On one side of the egg mixture, add your grated veg, salt, pepper and spices. Depending on the veg, I sometimes like to fry it off a bit first and put aside until I’m ready to add it. Depends if you like the crunch.
When the bottom is lightly done flip over one side to form a pocket and cook until white is no longer runny.
Serve & Enjoy!
Tip: If cheese is part of your diet, add some grated cheese too!
If you haven’t grabbed it already, pop on over and download my free ebook which is all about mastering your mindset when it comes to eating, something that we should all begin to focus on to improve our health.
Nat xx
REFERENCES:
www.precisionnutrition.com/encyclopedia/food/eggs
www.precisionnutrition.com/eggs-worse-than-fast-food
https://authoritynutrition.com/eating-healthy-eggs/
https://authoritynutrition.com/12-best-foods-to-eat-in-morning/
Love the sound of this omelette Nat. I have never tried separating the eggs before
It’s a game changer….makes the omelette nice and fluffy :-).