Breakfast truly IS the most important meal of the day. If you struggle at all with energy and mood imbalances throughout the day, try the strategy of starting savory. Starting savory is just another way to say eating a balanced breakfast of nutrient-dense PROTEIN, FAT, and whole-food CARBS.
When you start your day with a high-sugar smoothie, a pastry or some pancakes and maple syrup, your meal may taste delicious but will spike your blood sugar and contribute to a roller coaster of energy and mood that will continue all day long. It’s definitely ok to eat these yummy foods for breakfast on occasion, but consume these foods for breakfast on the regular and you will definitely begin to notice that they may not be doing you any favors in the way you feel.
Often times you are shaky, tired and hungry mid-morning and reach for a snack just to make it to lunch. This isn’t unusual, it’s your body’s way of telling you that your blood sugar is down and needs more sugar to bring it back up. Consuming more sugar (which you are desperately wanting at this point) just spikes it back up and the roller coaster continues all day long.
Ideally, we are more even-keeled and avoid jumping on the blood sugar roller coaster in the first place by eating a balanced breakfast of all three macronutrient ratios. Finding the right ratio for you may take a bit of trial and error, but eventually, you will feel more satiated after meals, have good energy until your next meal, and have better concentration and focus too. You’ll likely even sleep better at night! A good place to start is around 30% protein, 30% fat and 40% unrefined (whole, real food) carbohydrates. Feel free to make adjustments around this starting place if you are still not feeling balanced until you end up at your own personal template.
Here are a few benefits of consuming each macronutrient in the appropriate amounts for your body:
Protein: In addition to being an important building block and for bones and muscles and many other parts of the body, protein keeps blood sugar levels steady. It also regulates hormones. When consumed alone, protein does not generate a rise in blood sugar. However, if you do eat too much protein, it may be converted into glucose (gluconeogenesis). I recommend 20-30% or a quarter of your plate should be protein. A serving about the size of your palm is a good visual.
Fat: Fats are necessary for energy and hormone production, vitamin absorption, maintaining the membrane integrity of every cell in our body, and growth and development. Fat has less impact on blood sugar than carbohydrates. When consumed alone, fats have no effect on blood sugar. When eaten with a meal, fat slows the absorption of your meal, which helps you to avoid steep spikes. I recommend that 20-40% of your calories come from quality fats or about 1-2 tablespoons per meal.
Carbohydrates: By adding colorful fruits and veggies as well as beans and legumes, you’re increasing the nutrient density of your diet and providing a quick-burning source of fuel for your body. Fiber-rich carbs should make up a significant portion of your plate. Natural sugars found in vegetables, beans, legumes, grains, and fruit are delivered to us in a fiber “package” to slow the absorption of sugar. Vegetables and fruit are best eaten in their whole state. I recommend aiming for 30-50% of your calories and visually, up to 3/4 of your plate to come from carbohydrates including fibrous foods and brightly colored vegetables and greens
Finally, here is a round-up of some of my favorite easy-to-make and tasty options to start savory. Some are great to prep ahead of time so you can just heat and eat. Try it and let me know how it works for you!
Avocado toast + eggs or a serving of your favorite sausage
Eggs with sausage or bacon and sauteed or roasted veggies
Breakfast Hash. Here is my favorite!
Full or low-fat greek yogurt with nuts, seeds, honey or maple syrup, fruit, and a side of chicken sausage
Oatmeal with added fat (I like a tbsp of coconut oil or nut butter), protein powder (I like plain collagen), honey or maple syrup, and berries