Change your Diet Starting with Breakfast

By Ryan Jennings

Breakfast is the KINGPIN of your food choices for the entire day. So how, exactly, did we become a bunch of cereal and fruit eaters when it comes to breakfast? Was it the cholesterol scares of eggs, butter & bacon or some conspiracy of breakfast cereal manufacturers to sell more refined sugar and grain? Or was it the quest for a simple meal, a la “Pour the Milk?”

Regardless of the trends, the latest research points to breakfasts that have a higher level of satiety lead to less calorie consumption over the course of the day: In a recent research study by the American College of Nutrition subjects that ate an egg based breakfast vs. a bagel based breakfast ate less food (to the tune of several hundred calories!) throughout the course of the day and felt more full. Here is a link to the abstract: http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/abstract/24/6/510 

My favorite, most satisfying breakfast is similar to huevos rancheros: Eggs, beans, & salsa. This is my go-to breakfast any time I know that lunch is a long way away and I’ll be working hard. I support the idea that any combination of eggs or meat, beans and vegetables are a great start to the day.

 

Here is a simple way to look at breakfast promoted by Timothy Ferris in ‘The Four Hour Body’ from a new perspective that places the emphasis on satiety:

 

Mix and match, constructing each meal with one from each of the three following groups:
1. Proteins:

• Egg whites & 1-2 whole eggs for flavor
• Chicken breast or thigh
• Grass-fed organic beef
• Fish
• Pork

2. Legumes (canned is easiest, but cooking a big batch in the slow cooker is very economical)

• Lentils
• Black beans
• Pinto beans
• Red beans
• Soy beans

3. Vegetables (frozen/canned OK, we also like to use up the leftovers from last night's dinner)

• Spinach
• Asparagus
• Peas
• Green Beans
• Mixed vegetables
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli

Eat until full. In all likelihood, you’ll be satisfied for 4-5 hours. If not, eat more. Actually, author Timothy Ferris recommends these exact foods for EVERY meal, EVERY day, except one day/week (eating every 4 hours). This is the epitome of simplicity, and that’s where most diet’s go bad. Too many goofy recipes.
Let’s just start with breakfast and see what happens.

Brief Disclaimer: xo fitness, LLC and employees do not claim to be dieticians and cannot render specific nutrition advice related to a medical condition or provide detailed nutritional analysis.  Individuals seeking these services should see a registered dietician. The information provided here is intended to reflect healthy eating habits as promoted by the USDA’s ‘My Food Pyramid’.