Introduction
If you’re looking to lose weight, you may be wondering what the best breakfast habit is for weight loss. According to dietitians, the number one breakfast habit for weight loss is to eat this, not that. Eating the right foods for breakfast can help you stay full longer, reduce cravings, and give you the energy you need to stay active throughout the day. In this article, we’ll discuss the best breakfast habits for weight loss, including what to eat and what to avoid. We’ll also provide tips on how to make healthy breakfast choices that will help you reach your weight loss goals.
The #1 Breakfast Habit for Weight Loss, Says Dietitian — Eat This Not That
If you’re looking to lose weight, you may have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But what you eat for breakfast is just as important as when you eat it. According to dietitians, the #1 breakfast habit for weight loss is to eat a balanced meal that includes protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.
Protein is essential for weight loss because it helps keep you feeling full longer and helps your body burn fat. Good sources of protein include eggs, Greek yogurt, nuts, and nut butters. Healthy fats, such as those found in avocados, olive oil, and nut butters, help keep you feeling full and provide essential nutrients. Complex carbohydrates, such as oatmeal, quinoa, and whole-grain breads, provide energy and fiber to keep you feeling full and satisfied.
When it comes to breakfast, it’s important to avoid processed foods, such as sugary cereals, pastries, and white breads. These foods are high in sugar and refined carbohydrates, which can cause a spike in blood sugar levels and lead to weight gain. Instead, opt for whole-grain options, such as oatmeal, whole-grain toast, and quinoa.
Eating a balanced breakfast is key to weight loss success. It will help keep you feeling full and energized throughout the day and will provide your body with the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. So, the next time you’re looking for a healthy breakfast option, remember to eat this, not that!
The #1 breakfast habit to get into if you want to lose weight is, drumroll please… simply, eating breakfast, says Kim Rose, RDN, CDCES, a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified diabetes care and education specialist in Central Florida.
“Many of my clients skip breakfast and eat a meager lunch thinking they are ‘being good’ when that just makes losing weight harder,” she says. “By dinnertime, they are famished and graze on everything in sight and continue well into the night.”
When Rose educates her clients on why eating a well-balanced breakfast every day can help them drop pounds, and if they adopt that habit, they usually have much more success.
Related: 15 Twists on Classic Breakfast Recipes
Why eating breakfast supports weight loss.
Making a habit of eating breakfast offers a number of health benefits.
Eating a healthy, well-balanced breakfast gives you the energy to tackle the day.
First of all, breakfast refuels your body and brain after a nighttime fast. That’s why what you choose to eat for breakfast is as important a decision as choosing to have breakfast.
You want a well-balanced breakfast that includes all three macronutrients—protein, fat, and carbohydrates—to deliver energy slowly over the course of the morning.
“That sets the stage for your eating the rest of the day,” Rose says. “If you eat a substantial breakfast, you’ll modify your calorie intake the rest of the day and be less inclined to constant snacking. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to burn off those calories all day long instead of consuming them at night when your body is winding down and you’re more likely to store those calories.”
RELATED: 19 High Protein Breakfasts That Keep You Full
Breakfast fuels your brain so you can make smart food decisions.
“Contrary to popular belief, carbs are good for you; they are your brain’s preferred source of energy,” says Rose. “So, carbohydrates should be a part of every breakfast.”
Significant research done on school children has documented the negative impact not eating a well-balanced breakfast has on kids’ academic performance. And the same is likely true for us adults. A Finnish study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that eating eggs for breakfast regularly enhances cognitive function in middle-aged men.
How to build the perfect breakfast.
Since she stresses that the composition of breakfast is important for weight loss, we asked Rose to give us her favorite quick-and-easy recipe for a morning meal that contains the three macronutrients: Avocado toast with an over-easy egg on top.
“You get lean protein from the egg, healthy fat from avocado, and carbohydrates and fiber from whole-grain toast,” she says. “Easy. Mash up some avocado on the toast, add a fried egg on top, and sprinkle on black pepper, smoked paprika, and some salt. It’s quick and filling.”
But what if there’s no time to cook?
We’re busy people, especially in the morning. How do you make eating a good breakfast a habit when you’re running out the door and only have time to grab a premade muffin? “In the morning we have a lot of easily accessible carbohydrates that are low in fiber and have added sugars, so I recommend the law of addition,” explains Rose. “Ask yourself, ‘what macronutrient can I add to that muffin to make it more of a well-balanced meal?’ Maybe some no-sugar peanut butter or some fruit or a hard-boiled egg.”
Most dieters operate with the law of subtraction. Better to use the law of addition. Boil a half dozen eggs on Sunday, so you have them ready for the week.” Or blend up a whey protein smoothie for breakfast. For a full diet program based on whey and plant-based protein smoothies complete with delicious recipes, check out our book The 7-Day Smoothie Diet by the editors of Eat This, Not That!
Sign up for our newsletter!