What to eat for breakfast to stay slim

How big should breakfast be?

Many people do not feel hungry in the morning and easily go without breakfast. If you are one of them, but at the same time you do not have problems with being overweight and feel great, you can not change your habits. Science does not have enough evidence to declare the absence of breakfast as the cause of obesity or diabetes.

If you are trying to lose weight or are afraid to gain extra pounds, it makes sense not to skip your morning meal, or even better, make it as satisfying as possible.

Firstly, this option increases food thermogenesis, the process of producing energy that the body spends on processing and assimilation of food. In one study, men who ate a hearty breakfast and a meager dinner consumed twice as much energy to digest food than those who ate a light snack in the morning and a large meal in the evening.

Secondly, a hearty breakfast reduces the level of the hunger hormone ghrelin, increases the concentration of the YY peptide responsible for feeling full, and helps to reduce the number of snacks in the evening.

So, if you want to go longer without thinking about food and reduce cravings for sweet and fatty snacks, make breakfast a full meal for 350-500 kcal. Just keep in mind that dinner in this case will need to be cut so as not to exceed the calorie content of the diet.

What macronutrients should breakfast include?

Try to include at least 30 grams of protein in your morning meal. Such a breakfast has a better effect on appetite than similar in calories, but with a large amount of carbohydrates.

What's more, protein in the morning will help your body better manage your blood sugar even four hours after eating. This means that carbohydrates for lunch will not cause a sharp release of the hormone insulin, and satiety will last longer.

Fats are equally important. One study found that if 45% of breakfast calories consisted of this macronutrient, during the day the body would burn much more lipids, which would have a good effect on the figure.

When it comes to carbs, it makes sense to choose low-glycemic, high-fiber foods as they boost fat oxidation after breakfast and promote satiety.

What is better to eat for breakfast

Given all of the above, several options can be proposed.

Eggs

They contain enough protein and fat to make them the perfect breakfast. In addition, this product goes well with both meat and vegetables, so you can easily replenish the missing nutrients with these ingredients.

For example, you can fry scrambled eggs with minced meat or make a whole-grain bread sandwich with egg and avocado. Add a source of fiber, cucumbers, tomatoes, greens, canned legumes to the dish, and you will have everything you need.

Curd and yogurt

Both products contain enough protein and fat. You can also add fruits and nuts to them, as a source of fiber, vitamins and carbohydrates with a low glycemic index.

Porridge with meat or eggs

Some cereals, such as buckwheat, pearl barley, oatmeal, brown or red rice, and millet, have a low glycemic index and provide enough fiber and vitamins.

True, they have little protein and no fat. To add these macronutrients to breakfast, porridge will have to be made with meat, or at least boil an egg for it. You can cook something interesting in the evening, then only to warm it up.

If in the morning you don’t feel like eating at all, but you intend to accustom yourself to breakfast, try homemade protein shakes. Drinking this is much easier than stuffing scrambled eggs or porridge with meat into yourself.