We've offered up all kinds of breakfast ideas this week – sweet, savory, beautiful, light, playful, portable and vegan.
But to get a better idea of the kind of food that will really keep us going throughout the day, we turned to an expert.
Chicago dietician Megan Tempest gave us some helpful tips for building energy and staying full. The first and most important one? It doesn't involve food at all.
Here are Megan's tips:
Water – This is one element that often gets overlooked, Megan says. If you don't feel quite right, drinking water can make a big difference. "We all wake up dehydrated because we've been fasting all night long. A lot of hunger is actually dehydration, so I recommend people drink a couple big glasses of water first thing in the morning to replenish your hydration status. It makes a big difference in how you feel for the rest of the day. The morning is the best time to consciously drink a lot of water after not drinking any all night."
Sustaining energy – "All the major nutrients provide energy – carbohydrates, protein and fat – but what's really important is the type of foods we eat. Bad for providing energy are refined carbohydrates and simple sugars found in things like juice, Pop-Tarts, donuts and even a lot of granola bars. Your body breaks these refined carbohydrates down really fast. Foods like that cause a rapid increase in blood sugar and quick energy, but you lose it quickly and feel worse. The best energy-giving foods for sustained energy are whole grains and whole fruits, which provide carbohydrates and fiber and make you feel full longer. Even healthy fats like nuts or olive oil, low-fat cottage cheese, and eggs, tofu and yogurt. These are all good multi-nutrient foods."
Healthy combinations – To get a good mix of protein, fiber, healthy fats and carbohydrates, try one of these combinations:
- Whole grain bagel or bread with natural peanut butter and a slice of banana
- Low-fat Greek yogurt with chopped nuts and chopped fruits
- Steel-cut oats with fruit, nuts and any type of milk
- Brown rice with a poached egg or tofu with salsa and low-fat cheddar cheese
- An omelette or frittata with eggs, vegetables and goat cheese, served with whole grain toast
A little indulgence – If you want a little something special for a weekend brunch, indulge in moderation. "A straight up pancake breakfast with syrup isn't going to make you feel good for very long," Megan says. "If you want pancakes, have healthy eggs with vegetables and one reasonable size pancake, or put fresh fruit on it instead of syrup."
Megan Tempest is a licensed and registered dietician. Find more of Megan's tips and recipes for healthy eating at her blog, Tempted, and at Chicagoist.
Related: Why Breakfast Is The Most Important Meal Of The Day
(Images: Megan Tempest)
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On the overnight hydration...I usually drink a couple of pints of water a night, while in bed. Yes, you have to get up to empty on occasion, but I feel horrific and get so dehydrated it will wake me up and keep me up, otherwise.
You can always use a water bottle with a sippy top (Kleen Kanteen, Sigg, etc.) if you are worried about knocking it over at night. I'm not saying it happens a lot, but I've started doing the same for my desk at work. Computers don't play well with water:)
Don't forget the benefits of Sourdough bread for keeping the blood sugar levels down. Even better than wholemeal in many cases
Sourdough Bread Has Most Health Benefits, Prof Finds
Sourdough bread: Starch digestibility and postprandial glycemic response
In my experience, a good majority of the people around me do not drink enough water. And unfortunately a big indicator is halitosis, ick :-P
As soon as a dietition/'nutritionist' (although obviously nutritionists do it more) starts talking about low-fat dairy products, I tune out.
I'm with you, RosieGreenie. I thought all savvy nutrionists knew by now that nutrients are assimilated better by eating full-fat, whole foods, rather than ones that have been altered to be lower in fat than nature intended.
Keep in mind that low-fat greek yogurts still have a considerable amount of fat in them and she also recommends pairing the low-fat version with nuts and fruit. The nuts offer a fat source (a "healthier fat" source you can argue than the very high saturated fat regular greek yogurt version) that can optimize your body's absorption of fat soluble vitamins (A and D in partiular). This is similar to how it's helpful to have some fat source on your salad to optimally absorb all the nutrients from your leafy greens, etc. I would agree that sometimes your body and mind just need that super-satisfying full fat version, but the low-fat versions of dairy products are best for everyday consumption. Or just be super-conscious of your portion size of full-fat versions, which unfortunately is not a common trait of most American consumers!
Also, love the rec about lots of water in the a.m.!
Maybe the nuts do offer a bit of fat, Goodfood, but I just generally distrust dietitions or people who call themselves "nutritionists" who recommend food that's been tampered with considerably. This means almost all non-whole foods. If you're not lactose intolerant (as a good deal of the world's population is) that means your metabolism has evolved to digest and use milk in its whole form. Skim/low-fat milk is a very novel concept when it comes to human evolution. Sure, there are some foods I eat that aren't whole (hulled flour, white rice) and I don't distrust people who use them, but dairy with the fats removed is not one of them. That's just me.
Her examples are very much along the lines of how I eat. Nice to see protein-focused suggestions that do not involve meat!