When you choose what to eat for breakfast, you are (whether you know it or not) deciding how easy it will be to stick to your diet throughout the day, says Mark Gilbert, a nutritionist for the 1:1 Diet by Cambridge Weight Plan.
“The kinds of foods you eat for breakfast determine your hunger and appetite levels for many hours afterwards,” he explains. “High-protein breakfasts have been shown in multiple studies to reduce food intake at subsequent meals throughout the day, as compared to typical, mostly-carbohydrate breakfasts, like toast and cereal.
“Research shows that the mechanism here seems to be that quality protein reduces the hunger hormone ghrelin and the blood sugar response, which may reduce cravings and boost hormones that keep you feeling full.
“So, whilst keeping calories low at breakfast is a worthy goal, it is just as important to eat a good portion of quality protein from eggs, dairy, meat, fish or high-protein soy or pea protein.” Here are Mark’s top five:
Cheesy eggs and a serving of fruit “Typically, with two eggs this works out at under 300 calories; with three eggs, it’s about 350, and it gives a punchy protein hit,” says Mark.
Whisk up two or three eggs in a bowl, throw a handful of grated cheese into a non-stick pan and stir for three minutes. Add some chopped tomato, peppers or other non-starchy veg, which have negligible calories. Add your favourite fruit, such as a handful of berries, an apple, orange or banana and serve.
Frittata “This one’s under 250 calories per serving,” says Mark. “You can prep up to seven servings on Sunday, so you are sorted for breakfast all week, as it keeps well in the fridge.”
Chop up about 50g of cooked (best to use leftovers) potato or sweet potato, 3 slices of lean chicken, ham, chorizo or salami, a bit of red onion, garlic and mushroom slices.
Brown everything in a shallow, non-stick oven pan or make individual portions in a muffin tin. Then add 2 whisked eggs, sprinkle 1 tbsp grated parmesan on top and put the pan under the grill or in the oven until it develops a warm golden colour.
Greek yoghurt “Ultra quick, easy and packed with protein. Make sure you check the label and buy the pot with the highest protein content as this can vary greatly between different brands,” advises Mark.
Add half a teaspoon of cocoa powder and a tablespoon of honey – it tastes like whipped chocolate. If you use 0% fat Greek yoghurt, this comes to just over 200 calories.
Porridge “It’s a classic winter breakfast and is digested slowly, but can be made even more filling if you add some protein, as it contains virtually zero naturally,” says Mark. You can stir in cottage cheese or high-protein Greek yoghurt for a creamier texture and added protein, while adding protein powder or a spoonful of nut butter also helps, but this does bump up the calories, so be portion savvy.”
Alternatively, The 1:1 Diet makes a healthy, pre-prepared porridge in Apple & Cinnamon, Mixed Berry, Golden Syrup and Original, which are all high in protein and contain at least one third of your daily requirement of essential vitamins and minerals.
Bagel with smoked salmon & cream cheese “Make sure you buy ‘thin’ bagels for this, rather than normal bagels, which are much more carb and calorie-laden,” warns Mark.
Toast half of a thin bagel, spread with 60g of soft, low-fat cream cheese and add 75g of smoked salmon, for a total of only 250 calories and 26g of protein. Salmon is an excellent source of healthy, omega-3 fats and will stop hunger pangs from arriving long before lunch.
