Let’s get one thing straight—
I am NOT someone who is anti-carb (I firmly believe that all foods are allowed in a “healthy lifestyle”!)
But… one thing I *do* highly, highly recommend to my health coaching clients is ensuring the first meal of your day is not carb-dominant, but protein dominant.
The reason for this being that when we start with a protein-rich breakfast, our blood sugar stays much more stable throughout the day— resulting in better, more sustained energy, fewer cravings, more satiety, and improved muscle tone.
But here’s the thing— the Standard American Diet (appropriately referred to as “SAD”) has MANY of us reaching for plain toast, cereals, pastries, and empty carbs first thing in the morning.
Again, are carbs “bad”? No.
Not at all.
But, moreso, a carb-dominant breakfast can set off a blood sugar roller coaster for the rest of the day, which may result in…
feelings of irritability, mood swings, etc. (ever feel “hangry” when you go too long without eating? yup. that’s blood sugar.),
low energy levels or brain fog (the infamous “afternoon slump?”. yup. that also can be your blood sugar talking.),
it impacts the foods we crave (ever have that “I need a carb now” kind of feeling???),
a constant urge to snack (but yet never ~truly~ feeling satsified)
it can impact how we store fat and our body’s weight regulation, how well (orrrrrrr how poorly) we sleep, our hormones, menstural cycles, PCOS diagnoses, etc…
…. basically, your glucose levels can impact A LOT.
…. I felt this way from approximately birth-2017 so I relate to this^^ a LOT.
Ok, Kate, I get it. I should have more protein in the AM.
….But what should I DO about it?!
If you’re wondering how to combat the constant cravings, low energy, and hangry moments (been there), and how to design a breakfast that truly FUELS you, you’re in the right spot.
I want you to SOLELY focus on this— try to get at least 20-30 or more grams of protein at breakfast, and you will likely feel SUCH a difference from that one change— in your fullness, energy, mental alertness, and cravings.
It may seem too simple, but it really can much SUCH a shift. (Just check out this message from one of my health coaching clients after only a few days of adding more protein to her day)
5 easy recipes to get more PROTEIN into your breakfasts:
Now, you know I’m big at sharing the HOW.
One thing about me— I’m never going to just share information without action steps attached— so today I’ve compiled a list of 5 [easy!] high-protein breakfast ideas with SIMPLE recipes (because who REALLY wants to cook a complicated breakfast in the morning???).
Let’s get into it!