With trends like intermittent fasting becoming more popular, you may be wondering “should I even have breakfast at all?!” In this post I'm going to explain why I, as a registered dietitian, recommend breakfast for most people. I’ll also share how to build a balanced breakfast and give you some of my favorite easy breakfast ideas.
Benefits of Breakfast:
The point of breakfast in the morning is literally to “break your fast”. What time you eat in the morning is up to you and will depend on your schedule. However, I usually recommend eating within 1 hour of waking or even earlier if you’re hungry right upon waking. If you exercise, I recommend eating about 30 minutes after your workout.
Starting your day with a balanced breakfast can help increase energy, meet nutrient needs, prevent cravings later and support a healthy metabolism. There are so many different delicious ways to enjoy breakfast (which we’ll get into later), but generally speaking I recommend your breakfast follows this formula below:
How to Build a Balanced Breakfast
High Fiber Carbs. Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred energy source. High fiber carbs like oats, fruit, whole grain bread, quinoa, oat bran and whole grain waffles/pancakes provide you with nutrients that support digestion and balance blood sugar levels for sustained energy.
Quality Protein. Adding protein to your breakfast helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer and can support optimal metabolic function. Protein is also important for maintaining lean muscle mass. My top protein sources for breakfast are eggs, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, turkey sausage, smoked salmon, tofu, beans, protein powders and high quality protein bars.
Healthy Fats. Fats are an essential nutrient that support nutrient absorption, hormone function and provide satisfaction when eating. For breakfast, the best fats to choose are avocados, nut butter, nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews), seeds (like chia, flax, sunflower or hemp) or cooking oils like avocado or olive oil.
A Boost of Color. This means adding in a variety of fruits and veggies. The more color you have in your day, the better. Most people opt for fruit in the morning, which is fine, but if you can sneak some veggies in too, that's great! For example, try a fruit and veggie smoothie, an omelet with veggies or savory oatmeal.
Now that we have the formula, let's review some ideas. One of my favorite go-to breakfast options lately is a yogurt bowl topped with my favorite protein bar, Zing Bars. Check out the recipe below:
Dark Chocolate Cherry Yogurt Breakfast Bowl
Ingredients:
1 cup yogurt of choice (I like plain greek yogurt)
1 Dark Chocolate Cherry Zing Bar, broken into pieces
1 cup cherries (fresh or frozen, pit removed)
¼ cup granola of choice
Optional: Drizzle of honey or agave
Directions:
Add yogurt to bowl
Top with Zing Bar pieces, cherries, granola and honey
Enjoy!
This recipe is filled with high quality protein from both the greek yogurt and the Zing Bar. The Zing Bar and almond granola also provide extra healthy fats and low glycemic carbs.
Some other easy options include sweet lemony overnight oats, smoothie bowls, savory zucchini oats, or avocado toast with scrambled eggs. If you’re super short on time, grab a healthy bar, like a Zing Bar, which provides you with protein, fat and carbs and pair it with a piece of fruit. Remember, breakfast doesn't have to be complicated.
P.S. If you want to try these bars head to their website here and use NOMADISTA20 for a discount! Comment below some of your other favorite balanced breakfast ideas!