The Power of Breakfast - Why Protein is the Guide

Breakfast has long been hailed as the most important meal of the day and for a good reason.  It kick-starts your metabolism, provides essential nutrients, and gives you the energy you need to tackle the day. However, not all breakfasts are created equal. Protein is king when it comes to improving how you feel and function throughout the day!

So, if a protein breakfast makes you feel, look, and perform better, then why is it the most skipped meal? Trust me, after this one, I will have you meal prepping or setting that alarm earlier because you won’t want to miss out on this crucial component of a healthy morning routine anymore.  

 Benefits of Breakfast

Let’s dive into the importance and benefits of breakfast, shall we.

1.     Jumpstarts Your Metabolism: After a good night’s sleep, your body is in a state of fasting causing your metabolism to have slowed. Eating breakfast revs the engine, fuels the metabolism, and kick-starts calorie burning at a more efficient rate throughout the day. Skipping breakfast can cause a sluggish metabolism making it harder to maintain a healthy weight.

2.     Provides Essential Nutrients: The beginning of the day is the perfect opportunity to load up on essential vitamins and minerals that we may have lost throughout the night. By eating a well-balanced, protein-filled breakfast, you can replenish nutrients like fiber, calcium, and antioxidants to support overall health.

3.     Enhances Cognitive Function: Studies show that eating a good breakfast improves memory, cognitive function, and concentration. It fuels the brain with glucose needed to function optimally which enhances productivity and decision-making. Shoutout to my procrastinators, we need this!!!!

4.     Regulates Blood Sugar Levels: Eating a healthy breakfast helps to stabilize blood sugar levels, which controls our urges to overeat or snack later in the day. This is particularly important for people with diabetes.

 Why Protein is Key

Now that we have touched on ‘why breakfast’, let’s focus on the most important part of breakfast – why protein?

1.     Sustained Energy: Protein is a nutrient that digests slower in the body than others, meaning it provides a constant and steady release of energy throughout the morning. Protein for breakfast also prevents the inevitable crash experienced when we start our day with cereal or pastries. You will feel alert and full for longer!

2.     Supports Muscle Health: Protein is king when it comes to muscle growth and repair. By consuming it first thing in the morning it helps to build our muscle mass which is crucial for overall strength and metabolism.

3.     Appetite Control: Calling all snackers (myself included), this one is for you!! Protein is essential for regulating hunger hormones helping you to feel more satiated after meals for longer. This is a great tip if you are on a weight loss journey, or are looking to control your inner cookie monster that appears late at night.

 Yummy Recipes

Convinced?! I hope so. Now that we know why we need protein to start our days, let’s talk healthy recipes because there are so many to choose from!

1.     Greek Yogurt Parfait: Greek yogurt is packed with protein and gut health probiotics. Top that with some berries, honey, low-sugar granola and you will be set for hours!

2.     Omelette or Egg-Scramble: Eggs are a classic source for morning protein. Add veggies, cheese, and herbs and that is a well-balanced breakfast.

3.     Cottage Cheese & Egg Toast: Don’t knock it before you try it! Cottage cheese used to scare me, but is actually delicious and a great source of protein, especially when paired with eggs. Use whole wheat or grain toast if possible, and top with scrambled eggs and cottage cheese, red pepper flakes, and maybe some avocado if you’re feeling crazy! Now that is a delicious protein-filled breakfast.

4.     Protein Smoothie: Blend some protein powder (whey or plant-based), Greek yogurt, your favorite frozen fruits, and spinach for some hidden veggies for a delicious and refreshing start to your morning. If you don’t have protein powder or are like me, or don’t have it on hand, almond butter or any kind of nut butter is a delicious substitute.

5.     Overnight Oats: I will share my personal favorite recipe that is a lifesaver when it comes to meal-prepping breakfast. ½ cup steel-cut oats, 1 cup oat milk (sunflower oil-free, Trader Joe’s brand has a good one), 2 tablespoons almond butter, 1 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoons chia seeds, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. A bonus you can add is a scoop of powdered collagen. Stir that up, let it sit in the fridge overnight, and add berries the next morning before eating! This recipe has over 15 grams of protein and gets me out of bed in the morning.

Eating a healthy breakfast is an important part of supporting a healthy metabolism, cognitive health, and strong muscle mass. Hopefully, you learned some interesting facts and recipes with this. Trust me, there will be more blogs to come on this topic, with other perspectives, so stay tuned. But for now, let’s start our days off right with a nutritious, protein-packed meal so we can conquer the day by feeling our best.