Are you looking for a healthy breakfast to aid in weight loss? You’ve come to the right place! In this post, you’ll discover why eating breakfast is not only sensible but also crucial for your weight loss journey. Additionally, we’ll share 5 practical tips to kickstart your day on the right note.
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- Is breakfast even beneficial for weight loss?
- 5 Breakfast tips for weight loss
- 1. Quark, Skyr, or Cottage Cheese
- 2. Oats as brain food
- 3. Take time for breakfast
- 4. For morning grumps: Smoothie or shake
- 5. Freshen up your morning
Is breakfast even beneficial for weight loss?
Mornings can be hectic, and many of us wake up not feeling particularly hungry. This often leads to skipping breakfast as a first step in weight loss efforts. But hold on! Before you entertain this idea further, let’s take a look at the scientific facts. In fact, there are several points that argue against skipping this meal:
- Performance Boost: A well-fueled stomach in the morning is like brain fuel. Studies show that a balanced breakfast supports your memory. So why miss out on this mental power?
- Avoiding Cravings: Skipping breakfast can lead to intense hunger by noon. Resisting sweets then can become a real challenge. Moreover, overeating during lunch can be the consequence as your body’s natural satiety signals are ignored. Over time, you may lose touch with your body’s natural hunger cues.
- Stable Blood Sugar Levels: A balanced breakfast helps maintain stable blood sugar levels throughout the day. This is invaluable when aiming for weight loss. A good morning meal ensures a steady rise and fall in blood sugar levels, translating to fewer cravings and better control over your diet.
Why breakfast with a gastric balloon is essential
For those with a gastric balloon, the importance of breakfast for weight loss becomes even more evident. Only with regular meals can the daily caloric needs be met in a healthy way. A balanced breakfast further contributes to providing the body with all essential nutrients and preventing cravings.
5 breakfast tips for weight loss
A balanced breakfast should always include a source of protein, as protein aids in weight loss. It protects muscle mass from breakdown and provides satiety without delivering many calories. Good carbohydrates from whole grain products should also not be missing from your diet. They ensure a slow rise in blood sugar levels, preventing rapid hunger after eating and providing you with the necessary energy for the day. Additionally, whole grain products contain fiber, which is beneficial for your gut and promotes good digestion. Fresh foods like fruits or vegetables complement your healthy breakfast for weight loss ideally.
1. Quark, Skyr, or Cottage Cheese
As mentioned earlier, protein is one of the key components for successful weight loss and should not be absent from a healthy breakfast. Dairy products are a good source of protein. Quark, Skyr, and cottage cheese are particularly high in protein and can be incorporated into breakfast in various ways. Here are some recipes suitable for both savory and sweet breakfast lovers:
- Whole grain bread + quark + vegetables: Season low-fat quark with salt, pepper, paprika powder, and herbs of your choice (e.g., cress, parsley, chives), grate carrot or radish, mix with a little mineral water, and spread onto whole grain bread or rolls.
- Crispbread with cottage cheese + raw veggies: Spread crispbread with cottage cheese, season with salt and pepper, and top with raw veggies such as cucumber, carrot, radish, kohlrabi, or avocado, according to your preference.
- Quark or Skyr + muesli + fruit: Mix low-fat quark or Skyr with a little mineral water until creamy, cut seasonal fruit into bite-sized pieces, and serve together with muesli (sugar-free basic muesli, oats, cereal mix, or similar). Optionally, you can add chopped almonds, flaxseeds, and more.
For those who are fans of low-carb for weight loss, starting the day with quark or Skyr with a few fruits or raw vegetables is a good option. By replacing whole grain bread with lentil or chickpea waffles in the first recipe, you’ll save some carbohydrates and add an extra portion of protein to your plate.
2. Oats as brain food
Oats are rightly referred to as local superfood. They are packed with filling fibers, contain several B vitamins, as well as minerals like zinc, magnesium, and calcium. Especially the B vitamins make them brain food, as these vitamins contribute to the normal function of the nervous system and can partly reduce fatigue. The complex carbohydrates provide a stable blood sugar level, laying the foundation for a hunger-free day.
Oats, as well as oat bran and barley flakes, contain the fiber beta-glucan, which can lower cholesterol levels – another advantage for your health.
That sounds like a great way to start the day, and these recipes can make it even tastier:
- Porridge: Heat oats in milk or plant-based milk and refine with cocoa powder (sugar-free), fresh fruits, and nuts to taste. Extra tip: Stir in a little low-fat quark after cooking for extra protein.
- Overnight oats: If you don’t have time in the morning, prepare your muesli the night before and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. The oats will swell up and be particularly delicious and digestible the next morning.
- Classic muesli: Mix oats, flaxseeds, almonds, fresh fruit (frozen fruit or small amounts of dried fruit like raisins are also possible), and serve with milk, yogurt, or a plant-based alternative.
- Savory egg porridge: Toast 100 grams of oats in a pan without oil. When they start to smell fragrant, add an egg, season with salt and pepper, and add some water. Let it simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Serve garnished with fresh herbs. Raw vegetables like carrot or cucumber make a great side dish.
3. Take time for breakfast
The secret ingredient for a healthy breakfast for weight loss isn’t a food, but time. Because communication between the stomach and brain takes about 20 minutes. Only then can we perceive if we’re full. This knowledge is crucial for any diet and a healthy diet.
If mornings are rushed, you can save time by preparing breakfast the night before. However, when it comes to eating, don’t skimp on time. Good chewing, focusing on breakfast, and enjoying it consciously help you feel full.
This aspect becomes even more important with a gastric balloon. Eating too quickly can lead to discomfort such as an unpleasant feeling of fullness.
4. For morning frumps: Smoothie or shake
Do you belong to the group of people who sit at the breakfast table more asleep than awake? Then a smoothie is just right for you. Because a smoothie or shake is already pureed, so intensive chewing is not necessarily required. Even if this is not the optimal solution, a drink can also be consumed on the way to work if the morning is too short.
Here are some recipe ideas:
- Berry-Skyr-Drink: Puree about 1 handful of berries (frozen or fresh) with 200 grams of Skyr and some water in a blender until smooth.
- Almond-Banana-Shake: Blend 1 banana, 150 milliliters of milk, 80 grams of low-fat quark, and 1 tablespoon of chopped almonds.
- Savory Pepper-Shake: Blend 75 grams of cottage cheese, 1–2 tablespoons of low-fat yogurt, 150 ml of milk, ½ pepper, and spices to taste.
- Vegan Shake: Puree 100 grams of silken tofu, fruit as desired (e.g., 100 grams of strawberries or 1 banana), 1 tablespoon of rolled oats, ½ teaspoon of flaxseed, 1 tablespoon of coconut flakes, and 150 milliliters of soy drink.
- Green Smoothie: Shake 15 grams of flavorless whey protein powder with 125 milliliters of almond milk. Blend with a ripe banana and about a handful of fresh spinach until creamy.
If you want to enjoy your shake cold, you can freeze the fruit beforehand or add 1–2 ice cubes while blending.
5. Freshen up your day
Crunchy fruits and vegetables bring freshness to your morning. A simple rule for a healthy diet is: 5 a day – meaning 5 portions of fruits and vegetables. To achieve this, each meal should include vegetables or fruits, including breakfast. These plant-based foods have a high water content and fill the stomach without bringing many calories. Fiber ensures long-lasting satiety. Fruits and vegetables provide you with vitamins and minerals right in the morning.
Fruits go well with muesli, yogurt, or cottage cheese. If you prefer to start the day with bread, you should also include raw vegetables or a piece of fruit. Vegetables as a bread topping are also ideal.
We hope you enjoy trying out the recipes and establishing your new breakfast routine 🙂
The yo-yo effect, cravings, stress - losing weight can be quite frustrating. But there is a way out for everyone. Together we will find the right solution for you. As a nutritionist at My Weight®, I support my patients individually and personally on their way to their desired weight. Losing weight can and should be fun...and we work on this together! 😊
Maren - Weight Buddy® and nutritionist My Weight®