Silly Grown Up, Trix Are For Kids!

Today I'd like to talk about breakfast and maybe even touch on the subject of snacks.  I jokingly tell my clients that "Muffins are just an excuse to eat cake for breakfast" but there is some truth there.  The first meal of your day could be sabotaging your good intentions.  Before I get up on my soap box and offend all of the oatmeal/granola loving folks out there, if you enjoy your breakfast AND it's working for you, then feel free to continue with your morning sugar infusion.  Food is a matter of taste and you should never force yourself to eat something that you don't like. That being said if it is broken, it's time to fix it. 

​Most of us know that "Eating the Rainbow" does not mean scarf down a bowl of sugary food colored cereal however many folks are still treating their first meal of the day like a high sugar buffet.  Bacon and sausage aside, many breakfast favorites are carbohydrate rich: granola, oatmeal, fruit flavored yogurt, juice, toast, English muffins, and cereal. I'm not saying carbohydrates are bad and I'm not saying don't eat them, however a typical breakfast usually combines several servings of carbs, very little protein and very little fat.  I'm going to provide you some ways to upgrade your breakfast as well as posit a completely different way to look at your first meal. Waking up can be a jarring experience and if you need the warm hug of carbohydrates to usher you in to the day then here are few tips to keep it sweet AND achieve your goals.

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#1 Add Protein
Whatever it is that you enjoy for breakfast, add eggs.  Notice the "s" at the end of egg, that means plural please. We're trying to get that meal up to at least 15g of protein and one egg isn't going to cut it. If you're worried about cholesterol, the US government has acknowledged that dietary cholesterol does not lead to higher levels of blood cholesterol.  Live a little, have some yolks folks! Sometimes I crack a few eggs into my stove top oats for the last minute of cooking. I simply stir as the eggs cook in and it makes for a hearty breakfast.  Greek yogurt is rich in protein, but go for the plain and add your own fruit and a little sweetener if you need it. Some cinnamon will also bring out a sweeter flavor.  You can also add protein powder to your breakfast; it goes well in oats or make some high protein pancakes and of course you can always start your day with a smoothie.

​#2 Budget Your Carbs
As I said before, carbohydrates are not the devil.  They're a great source of energy, especially if you have a very active day ahead of you.  If you're going to sit in your car then sit at a desk for 6-8 hours, chances are you don't need multiple servings of carbs to fuel a fairly sedentary day.  Choose high fiber carbohydrates such as berries, apples, whole grain breads and oats.  Rather than having granola, sweetened yogurt, berries and a glass of orange juice, ditch the juice, swap the flavored yogurt out for plain and buy or make a lightly sweetened granola.

#3 Eat Regular Food
What the heck does that mean? It means, don't limit yourself to traditional breakfast foods. There's no reason that your first meal has to be sweet or include eggs. Many people complain that they don't have time to cook breakfast. To the right is a breakfast of pulled pork, roasted sweet potatoes and salad. The pork and sweet potatoes were cooked on Sunday, then re-heated for 2 mins, meanwhile I chopped a few veggies for the salad and poured on a vinaigrette I also made over the weekend. Prep time: 2 mins.  

In fact, I may eat something like that any time of the day. People often ask what I eat for snacks, once again under the impression that snacks need to be sweet or small. I don't generally snack, I sit down and eat a moderately sized meal 4-5 times a day and it works for me.  I enjoy a full-ish stomach and 6 almonds isn't going to cut it.  If I eat something like this at 3pm, I won't inhale everything in my kitchen when I get home at night. Do you struggle with evening snacking? Maybe it's time for a mid-afternoon meal, or "Second Lunch" as I like to call it.

People have success with many styles of eating.  If you're trying to lower your body fat you can keep your traditional breakfast with a few upgrades or you can take a walk on the savory side and try out last night's left overs.  Breakfast tacos anyone?