Breakfast and Weight Loss | However, breakfast truly could be the most important meal of the day, since it provides your body with the energy it needs to make it through the first part of the day and can even jump-start your metabolism.
Although many might think that skipping breakfast leads to weight loss, skipping this important meal can have devastating effects on a person’s health. When people skip meals, they tend to overcompensate later in the day, and either eat excessively large portion sizes or binge on junk foods. Skipping meals can also result in hormonal imbalance, which causes hunger hormones to make us think we’re hungry when we’re really not.
Though there’s no doubt that eating breakfast is important, it’s vital that you choose healthy foods high in nutrition that will provide your body with the energy boost it needs. Typical American breakfast foods such as pancakes, waffles, sugary breakfast cereal, donuts, and bagels often lack the nutrients your body needs, and may not support your weight-loss efforts. In fact, these types of foods may make you feel more tired instead of energetic.
Here are ideal types of breakfast meals that will help you transition into healthier eating in the morning:
- Fruit smoothie made with fresh or frozen fruit, low-fat milk, or yogurt. If you’re pressed for time, blend together fruits such as berries, pineapples, and bananas with plain low-fat yogurt or low-fat milk, and throw in a natural sweetener such as honey.
- Plain low-fat yogurt mixed with fruit, granola, or nuts. Yogurt promotes good gut health and can aid with digestion — further driving weight loss. Stay away from sweetened yogurts that contain fruit and sugar and buy plain yogurt that contains live cultures.
- Whole-wheat waffles topped with peanut butter or yogurt. If you insist on toasting up a few waffles to eat on the road, look for organic or all-natural waffles that lack sugar and are made with whole-wheat. Spread them with peanut butter or yogurt, or top with freshly sliced fruit.
- Egg and vegetable pita pockets. Purchase whole-wheat pita pockets and fill them with your favorite vegetables and slices of soft- or hard-boiled eggs.
- Healthy “breakfast” burrito. Buy whole-wheat tortillas and stuff them with either banana and peanut butter or eggs and vegetables.
