Today we talk about eating a healthy breakfast, and mainly how to choose the right macronutrients to ensure you have energy and vitality throughout the day.
Is Eating Breakfast Healthy?
First of all, I’m not saying that you SHOULD eat breakfast. If you’re not hungry in the morning and cannot fathom the idea of getting something down your throat, then please don’t !
We all function in a different way and you should listen to your body.
However if you do eat breakfast because you are hungry, there are a few things to take into consideration. What you eat for breakfast can either give you energy and vitality for the day, or it can make you crash and burn.
What you need to keep in mind is that your first meal of the day, whether it’s in the morning or at lunch time, is here to break the fast of the night.
So let’s dive into what’s going to serve you during the whole day when you break this fast.
Let’s Pay Attention to Macronutrients
Macronutrients are the categories that you probably know better under the names protein, fat and carbs. You will have heard of them, hopefully already have a general understanding of them.
What is important to know is that you need protein for breakfast. Studies show that when you eat protein for breakfast, it helps satisfy the hunger hormones, and will release energy in your body throughout the day.
It also keeps your blood sugar levels balanced, which is crucial to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Having your hunger hormones and sugar levels in check ensures that your body doesn’t crave sugary foods during the day, or have that mid-afternoon slump. And you won’t obsess over food, or binge late at night.
On the contrary, you will feel satisfied and crave healthy foods, and have great levels of energy.
When you know that how you feel is all down to biochemistry, it becomes easier to make good choices, right?
Another macronutrient that is great for breakfast is fat. I mean good fats of course, like avocado and olive oil, nuts and seeds, and who knows, fatty fish for breakfast?
Fats help with the absorption of nutrients and feeling satisfied. Your ideal breakfast is therefore protein and fats.
What to Avoid During Breakfast
Now that we’ve seen what will keep you fuelled and energised for the whole day, let’s have a look at a couple of foods that are best to avoid during your first meal of the day.
We want to avoid highly-sugared and -processed foods, like cereals, white bread and pastries. They are full of sugars and usually additives, and that’s a combo you don’t want for breakfast, trust me.
Unfortunately that also means fruit juices. Fruit juices are full of sugar when you buy them in a bottle, even if it says it’s healthy, one of your five a day, etc. When it’s a fresh juice, well, fruits are high in sugar so even if it’s natural, it’s still sugar. Hello insulin spike ! When juicing, you remove the fibre of the fruit that helps slow down the absorption of the sugar in the blood.
There are fruits that are low in sugar like all the berries – blueberries, blackberries, gooseberries, raspberries, etc. – so you can use them in a smoothie. Make sure to add vegetables as well to balance your blood sugar levels.
One last thing, is coffee. Never on an empty stomach, or it will spike your blood sugar levels and your cortisol, the stress hormone. It’s better to drink coffee after breakfast really. Or an alternative to coffee for your morning drink, like a matcha latte.
Healthy Breakfast Ideas
Here are my favourite breakfasts, and they’re ready in between 5 and 15 minutes, apart from the banana bread, that you can make ahead of time.
Cacao Smoothie: 1/2 ripe avocado, 1 tsp chia seeds, 1 tsp hemp seeds, 1 tbsp nut butter, 1 tbsp raw cacao powder, 1 cup of almond milk, handful of ice cubes. Blend all the ingredients into a powerful blender until smooth.
Eggs on Toast: toast a slice of rye bread (or sourdough, or German type bread). Heat some olive oil in a pan, crack a couple of eggs in the pan and cook them for a few minutes. Spread 1/2 avocado on the toast, season, and lay the fried eggs on top of it.
Banana Bread: find the recipe here.
Don’t Overthink It
Obviously there are many “guidelines” to remember when making breakfast if you want to keep high energy levels and your hunger satisfied. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t eat pastry from time to time and special occasions.
When I go for brunch with my French family, there will be buttered bread with jam and croissants. And my partner loves fruit juices. I will not feel guilty but in order to not crash and burn in the afternoon, I will also eat vegetables and fats to balance my blood sugars, and drink herbal tea. It’s about balance and enjoying food, not restricting yourself.
For more breakfast recipes, check out this gorgeous Homemade Chocolate & PB Granola.
Have you noticed a difference when you ate protein and fats for breakfast? Let me know in the comments!
