We’ve all heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
I agree, not because of the nutritional impact is has, but because I’ve found that when the first think I eat is healthy, the rest of the day meals are healthy as well.
Here’s 5 of my favorite healthy choices for breakfast to get your day started on the right foot.
Healthy Breakfast Tips
#1 Fruit and Nuts
This is my favorite breakfast and one I turn to over and over when I am trying to lean out. I don’t so much eat breakfast, but rather graze here and there when I feel a bit hungry throughout the entire morning. Apples are my staple and I’ll eat as many as three before noon. Bananas, pears, and melon also find their way into my morning meal time.
For nuts, I almost always stick to almonds and walnuts because they are easy to find raw and transport well. Try eating only fruit and nuts before noon for a week and see how you feel.
#2 Smoothie
If I work out at my house before I leave for the workday, I’ll often have a smoothie after training. No crazy magic powders or potions here, just 4 ounces of milk/water/juice plus berries and a banana. That’s it.
Here’s a few that work really well…
– Strawberry/banana – 8 frozen strawberries, 1 banana – splash of either oj/water/milk
– Blueberry/banana/pineapple – Add frozen pineapple and blueberries and 1 banana – then put in a splash of oj/water/milk
As a side note, stay away from smoothies at most “smoothie shops“. They’re usually loaded with sugar and premade mixes. Making them at home is easy, cheaper and healthier. If you buy frozen fruit, you’ll have the ingredients to make a smoothie anytime you want.
#3 Eggs and Veggies
If you have the time for cooking and clean up in the morning, scrambled eggs with assorted vegetables are a great way to start the day. Heat some olive oil (or butter) in a pan and then add onion, peppers, spinach, and other vegetables that you like. Saute them for a bit and then add beaten eggs – yolks and all – to the mixture and scramble until done. Eggs-excellent! (I know cheesy, but I couldn’t resist.)
#4 Left-Over Omelette
As eggs are a breakfast staple, let’s give another option for your morning meal. Left over stir fry that you had for dinner the night before makes a great omelette filler. Chicken and broccoli wrapped up in a 3 egg omelette
#5 Dinner
It’s what’s for breakfast. If you free your mind from convention and don’t feel locked into the standard breakfast stuff – you know eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, etc. – anything you can eat for dinner, you can also eat for breakfast. Spinach salad with grilled chicken? Sirloin with asparagus and sliced almonds? Why not? When you look at food as fuel and nothing more, the options for breakfast shoot wide open.
Those are some of my favorites…..What are some of your favorite breakfast meals? Let me know in the comments below.
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Hey Vic! Question…on the eating only nuts and fruit before noon when you’re trying to lean out…do you worry about the amount of fat you’re getting from the nuts? do you pre-measure a certain amount and then graze from that or just grab 6 at a time, or what? I’m curious to try, but don’t want to go overboard.
I use the center of my palm as a guide. That ends up at 6 – 8 almonds or about 4 walnut halves. So yes, I do pay attention to the quantity of the nuts.
When I have time I love to make my own hash browns. Peel a potato, wrap it in a paper towel or wax paper, microwave for 4 mins. Let it cool a bit then shred it into a skillet and brown it, serve with eggs. Can cut up onions or peppers and throw in with it as well when frying.
Sounds delicious, especially if weight gain is your goal.
I always have time in the morning, after my training but before I go to work. I eat 3 eggs everyday whether its scrambled with peppers and onions, hard boiled or just plain over medium. Normally I try and have some mixed berries on the side.
Vic my question is should I cut down on my egg consumption or do you think 3 eggs a day is fine?
My guess is that 3 eggs a day are fine for you, Ray. Even once you get down to a lean mean fighting machine, you are going to be a big guy and there are only about 70 calories in one large egg. If you see a plateau in your weight loss, I’d look for other culprits before the eggs.
I like your fruit & nut idea & will have to try it out this week. I usually eat nuts/fruit in between lunch & dinner. As for trying to eat like a grilled chicken spinach salad for breakfast, well I cannot see myself doing that. 🙂 I may try it out but I don’t know.
GREAT Question! I use the Paleo Diet. RIGHT after I work out, I fast for 1 hour and during this time I chop up Kale, Iceberg, and Mustard Greens as well as soft boil two or three eggs and let cool down while I shower, etc. When my 1 hour fast ends, I mix oil/vinegar into the greens, and shell the eggs. Good to GO!
I like the omelet idea. I’ll start to implement that.
All these are pretty good. What I do myself sometimes as a variation on the above is poached a couple of eggs (hence cooked without any fat) with left over veggies (lentils, brocoli, zucchini…) or if I do an omelet or fried egges I use one or two yolks for three white. As much as I hate wasting food, you still have the nice taste (plus yolk provides all the vitamins exept C) and less fat/cholesterol plus all the protein from the white.
Egg white is a very good source or protein, it just taste like nothing…
Jean-Maurice
Don’t waste the eggs!! You need the fat, and dietary cholesterol won’t hurt you, that myth is busted. Remember, fat is good..
Thanks for the reminder Alan!
I like some of your suggestions. Here is mine.
I love breakfast sandwiches and have found a healthy way to entertain my weakness for them.
Ingredients:
1 egg
1 Miltons (or similar) multigrain english muffin
1 slice of lean ham or turkey (I actually prefer the turkey)
Optional…. 1/2 slice american cheese
Throw the muffin in the toaster to warm while you cook one egg. Break the yolk unless you want a juicy sandwich. Use Pam spray to keep the fat content down. I throw the meat on the pan to heat up as well. Throw it all together and enjoy. This meal is high in fiber and protein, low in calories, and sticks with you through the morning.
Hey great post VIc,
I eat all of your suggestions regularly 🙂
only problem with having dinner for breakfast (which i do all the time) is leftovers are the best to bring to work (in my case school) for lunch.
unrelated:i find whenever i do over head presses i have trouble breathing, have you ever heard of this problem? or do i just have to tough it out?
I’d never “tough out” having trouble breathing. And I’ve never experienced that problem with myself or my clients. Consider talking to a doctor about it.
I agree that breakfast is essential. So essential in fact that I admittedly eat junk sometimes just to make sure that I have at least some calories in that precious hour after I wake up.
How do you feel about
-whole wheat peanutbutter toast
or
-Balance Bars
or
-egg biscuits?
I know there are tons of carbs in those but calorie wise, they are all around 400 or less.
Biscuits, bars, and toast. . . all too much grain based carbs for my liking. The more important question to ask is are you reaching your fitness goals with this diet.
Awesome post! Glad im not the only one who can do leftovers for breakfast! Keep up the great info!
-Mike
Hello Vic! First off Happy New Year to the man who has been an invaluable help in my weight loss goals! Hope you have a rocking 2010. I started losing weight after I started reading various excellent blogs here on the net. I have lost 14 pounds and hope to lose more. Thanks for a really great blog!
Great post as usual! My favourite is the eggs and veggies except I spice it up with pinches of pepper, cinnamon, cumin powder and cloves and also ginger and garlic.