What makes a healthy breakfast?

When I see clients in my clinical practice, one of the things I look at is their diet. Often, there are adjustments we can make to the way a client eats that will help them achieve their wellness goals. But changing your diet is not easy, and trying to change too much at once can set anyone up for failure. Instead, I like to start with small, manageable tweaks that are doable and yield quick results in the way a person feels. This encourages them to keep going, making the new changes habits that endure over time.
​
More often than not, I will start with breakfast. The first meal we eat in our day has a big impact on how we feel for the next several hours and sets the tone of our relationship with food for the entire day. Being intentional about how we eat our first meal can affect our energy levels, mood, focus, and even our likelihood of reaching for snacks before lunch. And all of these results can often be experienced from the very first day of changing our approach to breakfast. If we can sustain healthy breakfast choices over time, we can often see our blood sugar levels improve, leading to improved metabolic health and just feeling better overall. 

So, what do I recommend clients focus on for breakfast? Here are my most often recommended changes…

1. Eat enough to fuel the first half of your day. Often I see very small breakfast meals… a piece of toast with peanut butter, or a piece of fruit and a cup of coffee. No wonder folks are reaching for a snack an hour later. Our first meal of the day should be large enough to keep us satiated for the next 4 hours, and our energy levels steady.
2. Choose a savory breakfast over a sweet breakfast. We have somehow been tricked as a culture to think that breakfast should be cereal, pancakes, or oatmeal, when in fact all of these foods tend to spike our blood sugar, giving us quick energy, but then often leading to a crash shortly after. It’s why we often feel an energy crash before lunch and want to reach for a candy bar. I’ve heard clients tell me they were hypoglycemic but then saw all their symptoms vanish after switching to a savory breakfast.
3. Get enough protein in your first meal. How much is enough protein? Well, it depends on who you ask, but in my experience, most people just do not eat enough for their individual needs. A good starting place is 20 grams of protein with breakfast. This is often enough to see a real difference in sustained energy well into the day. If you like to work out or have a very active lifestyle, 30 grams might be a better goal. 
4. Add some healthy fat. Avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, some nuts and seeds (whole), or cheese if you tolerate dairy can all help you feel more satiated and support brain function and productivity. 
5. Keep carbs and sugars limited to whole fruit. If we can avoid any food that will spike our blood sugar for our first meal of the day, we can set ourselves up for a healthier metabolism and just feel better for the next 4 to 5 hours. It doesn’t mean you need to avoid all carbs, just save them for later in the day. 

What about timing? Do you need to eat early? Is it ok to skip breakfast if you are not hungry?

I think this depends on what works for each person individually. If you aren’t hungry in the morning and eat your first meal around lunchtime, then I would say that is your breakfast… that is when you break your fast. However, if you do get hungry before that meal and tend to reach for a piece of fruit or a muffin, then it might be best to move your first meal up a little. In other words, it is best to eat breakfast before we are really hungry and will be driven to make poor choices as a result. Paying attention to how you feel throughout the morning can help you determine the right time to eat for you. 

Another factor that should be taken into consideration is lifestyle. If you will be rushing off to work in the morning and won’t get a chance to eat a meal until well after you start to feel hungry, it might be best to make sure to eat an intentional breakfast before you leave, even if you don’t feel hungry yet. Often, our internal clock will adjust if we are consistent over time and it is better to eat before you are hungry than to grab something that could sabotage your health goals because you can’t make it to the next meal time. 

Now, of course, each person is different. And so I am always working with each individual client and making suggestions that make sense for them and their unique situation. However, I do think that the above recommendations can be applied to the majority of people looking to improve their breakfast choices for improved wellness throughout the day.

I am currently accepting new clients in my clinical herbalism practice. If you are looking for one-on-one support to reach your wellness goals, click the button below for more information.

consultations