Start your day with the right foods.
Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?
Even though that gem of a phrase came from John Harvey Kellogg as a way to sell more cereal, it turns out what you eat for your first meal can set you up for success for the rest of the day.
(Hint: It’s not corn flakes.)
When you break your fast, your body needs to refuel. It’s been 10-14 hours (or more) since you last ate, and you're running low on glucose. You just spent your sleeping hours building muscle, repairing tissue and clearing out waste, so you need protein and minerals. To keep yourself energized and powered up for the day ahead, you need starch, fat and protein that satiate you and prevent a blood sugar crash.
You’re not gonna get any of that from a bagel and venti oat milk latte.
Prioritize protein for breakfast
You probably know the grumpy, pissed-at-everything feeling you get when your blood sugar crashes about mid-morning. You’re tired, unfocused, and everything annoys you. That’s because you ate nothing but sugar for breakfast, your insulin stuffed it all away in your liver, and now you have no fuel to burn.
So how do you keep that from happening? Start with protein.
Research shows that getting at least 30g of protein in your first meal refuels the body and provides material for building new muscle. Turns out the timing is important - eating the bulk of your protein at dinner doesn’t work as well for muscle repair.
Because of the satiating properties of protein (it makes you full faster) eating at least 30g of protein for breakfast reduces your appetite throughout the day, reduces carb cravings, improves gut health, and will even help burn more calories.
Pair that protein with whole food sources of fiber and fat to make the ultimate nutritious breakfast.
But maybe getting enough protein at breakfast is tough, and you need some ideas to get out of your rut. Don’t sweat, I’ve got you.
High protein breakfast ideas
Savory oatmeal
1 cup of rolled or instant oats
2-3 eggs, any style
1 turkey sausage patty
Drizzle of olive oil + pinch of salt
Who says oatmeal has to be sweet? Add your favorite eggs (hard boiled, scrambled, over easy) and a turkey sausage patty or two for a hearty, filling breakfast.
Make-ahead egg & sausage cups
This one takes some preparation, but will pay off with a quick and easy breakfast. The idea is to whip up a dozen egg and sausage cups in a muffin tin at the beginning of the week so you have a couple for breakfast each day. There are hundreds of great recipes online, try some out and find your favorites. Here are a few places to start:
Egg & sausage sandwiches
This is a favorite in my house. Essentially, you’re using the egg patties as the “bread” and sausage and cheese as the filling. Quick, filling and super portable. You’ll need a couple of egg rings to help the eggs hold the right shape.
3 eggs + a splash of milk, whipped together
2 turkey sausage patties
1 slice of your favorite cheese, cut in half
4 egg rings
Spray the egg rings with avocado or olive oil and set in a skillet. Heat skillet to medium. Once hot, pour egg into the egg rings evenly, filling about ½ way up.
In a second skillet or toaster oven, heat up the sausage patties.
After about 2-3 minutes, carefully flip the egg rings. Use a paring knife to cut egg away from the rings. Add a ½ slice of cheese to 2 of the egg patties to melt.
Turn off heat.
Finish by putting a sausage patty onto one egg patty, and top with the egg patty with cheese.
Makes 2 sandwiches.
Put an egg on it
This doesn’t have to be complicated. There are no rules about what a “breakfast food” is. Have some leftover rice and taco meat in the fridge? Great - warm it up, and put an egg on it.
Reheat last night’s chicken curry, and put an egg on it. Warm up a burger patty you meal prepped, throw it on some salad greens, and toss in a couple of hard boiled eggs. Top 2 pieces of whole grain toast with avocado, add slices of hard boiled egg and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper flakes.
Getting at least 30g of protein at breakfast can take some intention and a little work, but there are easy ways to squeeze it into your routine.
When in doubt, put an egg on it.
Hey guys, helping you find easy ways to get more protein into your day is just a small part of my 1-on-1 coaching program. Once you start getting more protein into your day, I know you’ll notice a boost in energy, better all-day focus, fewer carb cravings, and better mood. If this is the kind of coaching you’re looking for, the best way to get started is to set up a FREE 15 minute consult.
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