The first meal of your day can influence how much fat you burn for the rest of it. A good breakfast provides valuable nutrients, keeps you satiated and wards off food cravings. Your breakfast needs to carry you through lunch without you succumbing to hunger pangs and binge-eating unhealthy food. Include more of these five things in your breakfast to get a jump-start on weight loss.
1. Add Plenty Of Protein
Protein is arguably the most important component of a healthy breakfast. If you’re trying to lose weight, cravings are your biggest enemy. When your brain sends you hunger signals, you make impulsive food choices which can wreck your diet goals. Protein can actually be very useful in completely stopping hunger pangs. It prevents your brain from sending out hunger signals that make you want to eat more. Protein is also an essential compound for muscles to rebuild and repair themselves. Your muscle mass directly influences your metabolism, which helps you burn calories faster. To make a breakfast fit for a champion, include plenty of whole eggs which are one of the best quality protein sources you can find.
2. Veggies Deserve A Place In Your Breakfast
For some reason, vegetables aren’t usually considered breakfast food. One of the best ways you can revamp your breakfast is by adding a cup of veggies to it. Adding boiled vegetables to your eggs or just eating them on the side will go a long way in helping you lose weight. Not only do they give you a nutrition-boost, but they also contain important fiber. Fiber in vegetables keeps you full for a long time. It also helps your body digest and eliminate food better. When your digestion improves, you’re able to break down food easier and avoid the dreaded bloat.
3. Don’t Be Afraid Of Fat
Good quality unsaturated fats go a long way in helping you lose weight. Fat makes you satiated, preventing you from eating more than you actually need. It is also a valuable source of energy and helps you kickstart your day (not that we need a reason to eat fat). Unsaturated fats like coconut oil, avocados and nut butters are delicious ways to add fat to your breakfast. However, you need to remember that fat is only beneficial to you when taken in small quantities. Don’t exceed more than 2 tablespoons of fat per meal or you will be putting on more weight instead of losing it.
4. Skip Sweet Breakfasts Completely
Pancakes, muffins and french toast are classic breakfast foods, but it’s time you gave them up. Sugar is your worst enemy regardless of when you eat it, but it’s especially bad for you in the morning. Eating a sugary breakfasts spikes your blood sugar levels, which gives you an instant burst of energy. However, your insulin levels come crashing down soon after, making you hungry and sluggish. This mid-morning slump makes you unproductive at work and very likely to give in to unhealthy food cravings. Instead of sugar, make sure your breakfast has complex carbohydrates. The molecules within them take longer to break down, which gives you a sustained supply of energy.
5. Eat Steel Cut Oats Instead Of Rolled Oats
As far as breakfast foods go, oats are one of the best choices you can make. They soak up cholesterol, provide you with antioxidants and keep you feeling full until lunch. There are usually two types of oats that are popularly sold: rolled oats and steel cut oats. While both kinds are undoubtedly good for you, steel cut oats have an advantage. Rolled oats are oat groats that have been rolled flat to reduce cooking time. However, their diminished bulk means that they won’t keep you full for as long. Steel cut oats on the other hand are oat groats which have been cut into smaller sections to make them easier to cook. Because the oat grain is still intact, they keep your stomach full for much longer.
