Eating Protein Rich Breakfast In The Morning

These days a couple of toasts plus a cup of coffee or a glass of juice have become a standard breakfast for many. A research study published in a 2009 issue of the “British Journal of Nutrition” observed that the participants who ate a breakfast containing high protein, in comparison to those who had a breakfast high in carbohydrates, testified greater feelings of fullness and well regulated food intake afterwards during the day.

Moreover, a high protein breakfast is absolutely necessary after morning workout as the amino acids help with muscles repair, their recovery and building up lean muscles. Although, it takes a little bit more time to make a protein-containing breakfast, but the payoffs do last throughout the day in the form of enhanced energy and productivity.

Benefits Of Eating Break Fast High In Protein

When you eat enough protein in the morning, you nurture your body with vital nutrients like amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

(i) According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, protein helps the body build and repair tissues.

(ii) It also helps your system to combat infection, producing hormones and creating enzymes.

(iii) When you eat protein in the morning, as compared to when you eat only cereal or toast, you feel fuller and stay satiated for a longer period of time.

(iv) The bonus point is that you feel more energetic with improved focus and concentration throughout the day. You will likely to be more productive and finish your tasks more efficiently when you have included protein in your morning meal.

Ideal Protein Rich Morning Foods

You have many options when it comes to picking quality protein foods to eat in the morning.

1. Eggs – Classic Option: An egg contains 6 grams of high quality protein. You can have variety of options such as scrambled, omelet, poached or hard-boiled. Along with protein, it provides your body with B vitamins, iron, choline and antioxidants, like lutein and zeaxanthin.

The cholesterol contained in egg yolks has very little impact on your blood cholesterol and moderate intake causes hardly any effect on your risk of acquiring heart disease, unless you already have high cholesterol or diabetes, reported the Harvard School of Public Health.

An egg breakfast helps out in losing weight as well. A study published in the “International Journal of Obesity” in 2008 observed that an egg breakfast boost up weight-loss efforts in participants who were restricting calories to lose weight more than as compared to a bagel breakfast of equal calories.

2. Dairy – Ever Green Option: Low-fat dairy products are another quality source of complete protein. They are easy to grab if you have to rush in the morning. It offers good amount of calcium, potassium and vitamin D too. Plain Greek yogurt provides 17 grams per 6-ounce serving; 2 percent cottage cheese contains 12 grams of protein per half 1/2cup; and part-skim ricotta cheese offers 14 grams of protein per 1/2 cup. You can eat them with fruit or use them to top whole-grain waffles or to mix into hot cereal. Whey protein, a derivative of milk, provides 15 to 25 grams of complete and easily digestible protein per scoop — depending on the brand — and blends easily into a fresh fruit smoothie.

3. Lean Meat – Get Lean Option: Avoid too much and regular eating of processed meat such as ham, sausage and bacon. Try to get your daily dose of high quality protein on some of the days by making sausage or patties with fresh, ground turkey or chicken, minced onion, fennel seeds, oregano, salt and black pepper. A 4-ounce patty will provide as much as about 22 grams of quality protein. You can also try options of other unprocessed meats to get your daily dose of protein at breakfast time.

Consider baked flounder — with 13 grams of protein per 3 ounces — as a companion to eggs; wrap 3 ounces of flank steak and salsa in flour tortillas for breakfast tacos with about 24 grams of protein; or prepare a hash with 3 ounces cooked salmon, potatoes and onions to infuse about 22 grams of protein to your meal.

These high-protein choices are lesser in fat — with the exception of salmon which is rich in heart-healthy fats — and chemical preservatives than processed meats.

4. Nut And Seeds – Nutty And Buddy Option: A mere 1-ounce helping of nuts strewn over cereal or simply eaten out of hand supplement about 6 grams of protein to your morning meal, varying upon the type you choose. Almonds, cashews and pistachios are among the higher protein options. Nut butter steal a march on other bagel and toast toppers, such as butter, jelly and cream cheese, when we consider protein content – providing about 7 grams per 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter. Nuts have heart-healthy fats and B vitamins too.

A research study published in a 2013 edition of the “British Journal of Nutrition” observed that a morning meal that incorporates peanut butter incites the body to emancipate an appetite-repressing hormone, with the effects enduring 8 to 12 hours. Further this study found that eating peanut butter at breakfast also maintained blood sugar levels at moderate levels, even after some participants were pampered with a high-carbohydrate lunch.

Family Fitness Tips:

(i) Eating whole foods as protein sources is much healthier than processed, packaged foods, like protein powders.

(ii) The best to eat protein in the morning is as soon as possible after you wake up in the morning and preferably by 10 a.m. This will support and strengthen the adrenal glands that are part of your endocrine system and create the body’s stress hormones. The adrenals can get stressed when you skip breakfast and wait too long to eat.

(iii) Include some healthy fat and carbohydrates as well along with quality protein in your breakfast to get full benefits of the protein. For instance, you can cook your omelet in your heart-healthy oil and add into the dish vegetables like broccoli, onions and peppers. Another option is to have turkey sausage with steamed spinach on the side sprinkled with olive oil. You can also delight in some fresh mixed berries, possibly on top of yogurt, along with your breakfast.

(iv) If you don’t have sufficient time to prepare a protein-containing breakfast in the morning, do some of the morning-meal preparations (as much as possible) the night before.

Useful Related Posts:

(i) High Protein Breakfast Foods And Ideas

(ii) Healthy Breakfast Foods On The Go

About Author: Renu Bakshi, AKA Fitness Buffhq, is ISSA Certified Elite Trainer. He passed Personal Fitness Trainer Course, Nutrition Health Coach course & Specialist Exercise Therapy course from ISSA, USA obtaining + 97% marks. He shares his experience and knowledge about nutrition and effective workouts to get you in the best shape of your life, no matter how old you may be. The author says: “For me age is just a number!”