Begin With Breakfast—Try This!
Jan 13, 2022
Want to shed body fat? Feel strong and focused? Build muscles? Begin with breakfast!
Science backs this up. People who make a habit of eating a “power” breakfast shed body fat more easily.* Best of all, we’re at our peak willpower in the morning… so this can be as easy as eating … wait for it… breakfast.
So, what makes up a “power” breakfast? Ample protein and slow burning carbohydrates. Protein sets you up to build and repair muscles, but more importantly for fat loss, leaves you feeling satiated. Whole carbohydrates feed the gut bacteria with soothing fiber and provide a slow-drip energy source that keeps blood sugar levels steady. Choosing soothing whole plant foods will boost nutrition with the added benefit of keeping inflammation in check (More on this topic soon!)
Okay, sounds promising, but what does this look like?
One of my all-around favorite breakfasts is rolled oats with plant protein powder**, blueberries, chia seed, raisins, and spices. I tweak the amounts of all ingredients depending on my current fitness goals, all the way from skinny oats to bulking oats! To give you an idea, skinny oats have 20 grams of oats, while bulking oats have 75 grams! Protein ranges from 35 grams in the skinny oats to 25 grams in the bulking. (For bonus points, post below why the lower amount of protein is for bulking up). Do you need to be so precise? Absolutely not! I have clients getting great results by simply adding a scoop of plant protein powder to their morning oats. If you want more control, get a cheap kitchen scale, and measure away!
When I got into serious dieting (“cutting” is the preferred term in bodybuilding) to shed the last few pounds of body fat for my bodybuilding show, I joined my partner Vicki in her favorite breakfast, Salad with Savory Protein. Though reluctant at first to eat salad for breakfast, I came to appreciate the crunchy, juicy, flavorful textures and colors of the fresh veggies, combined with hearty chunks of warm, savory seasoned tempeh (soybean protein). And, yes, the last fat melted off of me! After the show, when I wanted to build again, I went right back to the oats.
You might also try seasoned tofu or tempeh scramble (think stir-fry) with cooked veggies like mushrooms, cabbage, and spinach. Delicious and satisfying, it can be batch cooked and reheated for several days, and served with veggies, a tortilla, or whole grain like brown rice or quinoa. Combining the plant protein with slow burning carbohydrates is a winning formula. The protein part of this can be tofu, tempeh, beans, or seitan (wheat protein). The carbohydrate part can be vegetables (raw or cooked) or a whole grain.
How much protein for breakfast? Although it varies by bodyweight, 30 grams is a good all-around amount to shoot for. The amount and source of your carbohydrates will depend on your goals and training schedule. In general, eat more veggies when dieting, and more concentrated starches (whole grains, potatoes, yams) for heavy training.
How about fruit? Fruits are low in protein and high in simple carbohydrates that break down fairly quickly. Snack on fruits for quick energy! I used to eat a lot of fruit in my spaced-out, skinny-fat past (anyone remember the popular “fruit until noon” diet?)! Now I enjoy the strong, steady feeling of eating protein and slow burning carbohydrates most of the time. My favorite time to enjoy sweet fruits is right before, during, or after a workout. Combined with physical exertion, I can use the spike of fruit sugar for immediate energy, or to replenish muscle glycogen stores. At breakfast, I prefer berries, which are super-nutritious, high in fiber, and low in calories.
*RECOMMENDATION ALERT!!*
Come up with a high protein “power” breakfast that you like. Stick with it for a while, say a few months, to see how you feel, and what results you get. Always have the ingredients on hand, and if the need arises, make several days of it ahead of time. If this is something new for you, I won’t be surprised when you contact me to thank me for such an easy change that had so many profound benefits. And, by all means, share your recipe!
References:
*Here’s a scientific video from a doctor I like:
Dr Gregor on Importance of Breakfast for Weight Loss
**The “skinny” on protein powder: Pick a vegan protein powder that has a range of non-soy plant proteins to get the best amino acid profile (stay away from isolated soy protein). Eat your soybeans in delicious tofu and tempeh! Make sure that your protein powder has no added carbohydrates! Maybe just 1-2 grams, with most of that being fiber, no added sugar! If it’s a sweetened protein powder, the sweetness should come from stevia or erythritol (a sugar alcohol). The unsweetened one I use everyday is from Complement. I am linking their website below. I also have some nurturing “treat” protein powders that I will use after a workout. Lots of good options here, but check the Nutrition Label to make sure there aren’t added carbohydrates. The one I am using right now is from Clean Machine, vanilla chai flavor. Other brands I like are Orgain and Vega (Read Labels!) Chocolate shakes, anyone? I am serious, these can be delicious, healthy treats. Why not become a connoisseur of vegan protein powders? It’s kinda fun!
Complement Website I buy their plain protein powders online.
