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What To Eat For Breakfast To Lose Weight
You’ve probably heard it before and it’s true: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And if you’re trying to lose weight, it’s EXTRA important. When it comes to reaching your weight loss goals it’s of vital importance that you know what to eat and what amount to eat. Despite what you may believe, getting a healthy, filling breakfast is easy to do and doesn’t require a drive-through.
It’s very important that you not skip breakfast. While eating a healthy, well-balanced meal is ideal, we sometimes are unable to do that. So if you find yourself at a loss for time then try and eat something quick. A banana, a bagel with peanut butter, toast with peanut butter, cold cereal and milk, an English muffin, or even instant oatmeal is better than nothing at all.
Not eating breakfast can effect your metabolism and will also result in you eating more throughout the day. Research has shown that people who skip breakfast often eat more for lunch and dinner.
When you wake up in the morning you’ve gone without food for approximately 7 to 10 hours, which means your system is really low on gas. This starts a weight gain cycle that has a negative impact on your blood sugar levels which causes you to crave foods during the day that are higher in carbohydrates.
Also if you eat breakfast you rev up your metabolism and it runs higher for the rest of the day which means you burn more calories. If you’re trying to lose weight, that’s exactly what you want.
Breakfast Foods To Lose Weight
One of the best times of the day to eat carbs is in the morning. They will give you the fuel you need to make it through your day. You want to eat carbs like whole-grains that contain lots of fiber. Fiber is important because it not only regulates your digestive system but it also takes longer for your body to process which means it keeps you fuller longer. So with a nice hot bowl of oatmeal with blueberries, you will stay full until lunchtime (and there’s no need for that mid-morning snack). Always opt for the whole fruit instead of fruit juices. Orange juice and apple juice is good but you should really have the whole apple and/or the whole orange. Bananas are great for breakfast because they are filling and contain many nutrients that keep your body going throughout the day.
Some people may tell you to avoid certain fruits because they are high in sugar but if you are active throughout the day then any and all fruits are welcome and are a much better alternative to the pancakes or the biscuits and gravy you may get at the drive-through. Plus whole fruits like apples are packed with fiber and other nutrients that your body needs so that you can perform at your maximum ability.
Try skim milk, skim milk cheeses, yogurt (unflavored), Greek yogurt (unflavored), or eggs. Skim milk is high in calcium and recent studies have shown that calcium actually helps you burn fat. Greek yogurt and yogurt contain active cultures that help with your digestive tract and eggs contain protein that you need to keep you full and fuel your muscles. Also try Eggo Fiber Plus Calcium Buttermilk Waffles. For only 160 calories you get 9 gm of fiber. Try topping them with peanut butter instead of syrup for a big protein bump.
What To Avoid For Breakfast To Lose Weight
Try, try, try to avoid eating on the go. Set your alarm clock 20-30 minutes earlier and go to bed 20-30 minutes earlier so you can prepare a nice, balanced breakfast. If you can’t do this and you HAVE to eat prepacked, restaurant, or fast-food then pay close attention to what it is you are eating. Avoid anything that has sugar in the top 3 ingredients (sugar can be listed as sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, evaporated cane juice, cane sugar, corn syrup, barley malt, dextrose, fructose,etc.).
Try to eat packaged foods that contain less than 8 gm of sugar and 5 gm of fat per serving. If you’re eating at a restaurant try foods that are steamed, baked or grilled. Avoid anything breaded or deep fried. Try to avoid eating fast-foods at all but if you have to try and get something small (don’t super size it) and drink water instead of juice or soda. Here’s a neat website that provides locations of healthy restaurants in your area: HealthyDiningFinder.com
Here’s a list* of healthy breakfast alternatives from the top fast-food and sit-down restaurants:
Starbucks – Protein Artisan Snack Plate
Cosi – Spinach Florentine Breakfast Wrap
Au Bon Pain – Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Jamba Juice – Berry Topper Ideal Meal
Denny’s – Scrambled Egg Whites, Chicken Sausage, and Fruit
McDonald’s – Fruit And Maple Oatmeal
International House Of Pancakes (IHOP) – Simple And Fit Veggie Omelette
Subway – Western Egg White and Cheese Muffin Melt
Dunkin’ Donuts – Egg White Turkey Sausage Wake-Up Wrap
Panera Bread – Breakfast Power Sandwich
*From Health.com
Skip the coffee shop. Believe it or not that latte that you get from Starbucks has a lot of calories in it. Plus caffeine triggers a response in your body that may cause you to gain weight. So if you can cut back on coffee. Maybe brew ONE small cup of black coffee in the morning. Pour a little skim milk in it and enjoy. Better yet, have some green tea. Research has shown that green tea actually boosts your metabolism by 4%.
So try these breakfast dieting tips and remember that it IS the most important meal of the day so you should treat it with the respect it deserves. Try to eat whole-grains (oatmeal or whole-grain cereal), fiber, fruit, skim milk or water, and avoid sugars, fats, and processed foods. If you do you won’t believe the difference it will make!
