Wednesday Weekly Meeting Topic: Breakfast!

I love when meeting topics are all about food!  I mean, that's why we all ended up in that meeting to begin with - we LOOOOOVVEEE food!

And I love breakfast food! I love it so much that I've eaten "breakfast" for all three meals in one day!

And, very few things can beat having breakfast for dinner (Or "brinner" as they called it on Scrubs - that was a funny show!).  Oh you could try to beat it, but you would fail!

However, what they are talking about this week is the importance of having a good breakfast as part of a healthy diet.

**I have to insert a disclaimer here - I did not make it to my meeting yesterday. As I mentioned in my last post my work schedule has been crazy the past two days and it just didn't fit in. So I pulled the info off the website.**

So let's talk breakfast!

We've all heard the research before: Studies show that people who eat breakfast weigh less than those who do not. And, people who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain their weight than those who do not.  People who skip breakfast are more likely to consume greater amounts of calories during the day, leading to weight gain... etc. etc. etc.

There's also the philosophy that when you fast (as you do overnight) your body slows down your metabolism to conserve energy as it's not getting new energy from food, but when you break that fast by eating breakfast (see what I did there?) your body kicks into gear to start burning up that new energy.  But I don't know if there's any scientific credit to that, so don't quote me there. But it sounds pretty plausible to me...

The jury is out on what type of breakfast is best - cereal, protein, fruit, veggies. I say it depends on your body and which nutrients you feel will give you the best nutrition, and keep you full and satisfied.

I have a few basic weekday breakfast meals that I keep in the regular rotation. We are, after all, creatures of habit. So here's what I like and what I find keeps me full through most of the morning:

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal: This one is a bit high in calories, but super yummy and super filling. I would, however, recommend it more for people that are maintaining their weight as opposed to losing it. Basically I make 1/2 c. plain oatmeal with 1 c. fat free milk. Stir in 1 tbs. peanut butter and 1 chopped banana. Easy and Oh. My. Yum!

Verry Berry Oatmeal: Which is just oatmeal that I make as above combined with whatever fresh berries look good at the store that week.

Verry Berry Yogurt: 1 c. plain fat free or 1% yogurt mixed with fresh berries. I also usually add 1/2 c. Kashi cereal for a little crunch.

Cereal and Fruit: 1 serving of cereal (I try to go for brands that have either no added sugar or very little added sugar), 1 c. fat free or 1% milk, and whatever fresh fruit I have on hand. Bananas, berries, whatever...

Veggie Scromelet (I can't make omelets come out pretty so I stole this word from my sister - it's an "omelet" that looks more like scrambled eggs with stuff added to it): 1 egg, 3 egg whites (I buy containers of just whites in the dairy aisle so I don't waste eggs) and whatever fresh veggies I may have left over, or frozen veggies.  Sautee the veggies in 1 tsp. olive oil and then add the eggs.  I like to eat them with a piece of citrus fruit (usually grapefruit, yum!)

Breakfat Burrito: 1 egg & 2 egg whites scrambled, 1/4 avocado and 2 tbs. salsa in a whole wheat tortilla.

Now, I know what you're thinking - where's the pancakes? the waffles? the french toast?  Yes, I eat those too. But usually for brinner or on the weekends when I have a bit more time to prepare.

I would like to add one more thing about breakfast that definitely applies to me - and it may apply to you too so I urge you to give it a try.

GET RID OF THE SUGAR. Don't eat flavored yogurt. Eat plain. Don't eat flavored oatmeal. Eat plain. Don't eat cold cereal with added sugars (or if you do, keep it at no more than a few grams per serving).  I swear, when I eat sugary food for breakfast, I am starving within an hour. AND, I feel hungry all day. 


As a matter of fact, if I eat something sugary at any point in the day, I find I'm very hungry again in a very short time and I find myself looking for snacks to graze on constantly. But my sugar rant is another topic for another time...


Now, when you look at the NI for the dairy products, you will see that 1 c. of plain, fat free yogurt has 15 grams of sugar. But there's a difference between natural sugar and added sugar. Natural sugars are an essential nutrient for your body that you find in fruits and dairy products. Added sugars are crap. Processed crap. So get avoid them.


But whatever floats your boat, there are LOTS of reasons to love a good breakfast! So grab a spoon and enjoy!