Building a High Quality Breakfast

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I train in the morning, so it fuels me for peak performance. Even on days I don't train, breakfast gives me the energy I need to start strong and enjoy the morning.

Although there are benefits associated with intermittent fasting, delaying breakfast, or skipping it altogether, I recommend not skipping, as there are perhaps more benefits that come from eating a high quality first meal of the day relatively soon after waking up. These include adequate fuel for training (when training in the morning), satiety to prevent overindulging during the next meal, help getting your body on a consistent waking schedule, and a kickstart to muscle protein synthesis (provided you are involved in some sort of training).

If you do practice intermittent fasting, this article could still be useful to you and give you ideas for meals during the day. I mean, let's face it, breakfast is pretty good any time of day.

In this article, I will share the building blocks of a high quality, nutrient-dense breakfast that can be eaten first thing in the morning or later in the day. I will also include a few of my go to breakfast recipes.

The Basics: Carbs, Protein, and Fat

Like most meals, a good breakfast consists of carbohydrate, protein, and fat sources. Meals eaten before and after workouts should be highest in carbs compared to meals consumed during the rest of the day. This allows for energy during exercise and recovery afterward. If you train later in the day, breakfast can still be a good time to opt for somewhat higher carb content as you will have the whole day to be fueled by it. That said, if you are trying to follow a low-carb diet, the higher carbs can be saved for peri-workout meals. For afternoon training, this might be lunch and dinner or a preworkout meal and a post workout meal. For morning training, breakfast and lunch or a post-workout snack will be key. For evening training, breakfast could still be considered a peri-workout meal, but protein intake might be more relevant.

Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) rates are highest in the four hours after heavy resistance training (MacDougall et al., 1995), but this process continues for 24 hours following the workout, and perhaps even longer (I've even heard 24-48 hours afterward). Although protein intake post-workout is more significant for MPS than pre-workout protein, protein consumed before a workout can still be helpful for recovery from the day before and can help with feelings of satiety, which can prevent feelings of hunger and fatigue during a morning workout. Eating protein for breakfast is also a good way to contribute to a daily protein target to make sure you get enough to reach your goals. I have been a big fan of a higher protein breakfast lately.

The last piece of the puzzle is fats. A fat source can help your meal disgest more slowly (this is a tip I learned from The Bodybuilding Dieticians) to prevent hypoglycemia (no more carbs in the tank) during a morning workout, or to just help you feel fuller for longer. Plus, most fats taste pretty good and can be a nice way to make breakfast more appealing if eating in the morning is challenging.

The Specifics: Medium/Large Carb, Medium/Large Protein, Small/Medium Fat

When making breakfast, my macronutrient ratio is typically 2 parts carbs, 1-2 parts protein, and 1 part fat. For those following a ketogenic or low-carb diet, carbs will be much lower. If you do not have a health condition or strong preference for a low-carb diet, I would not recommend restricting carbs, as they are helpful for exercise performance and recovery, not to mention fruits and vegetables are amazing carbs that provide plenty of micronutrients.

My two part carb regimen includes a grain or starch source and a fruit and/or vegetable, making the carbohydrate portion medium to large, depending on the amount of grains, starches, fruits, and/or vegetables I am using. I prefer a sweet breakfast, so I typically opt for grains such as oats or wheat pancakes (Kodiak cakes specifically!) and fruit (berries are my most common choice, but any fruit is a good choice). For calories, the first carb source will usually be anywhere from 100-200 calories, and the fruit source typcially ranges from 30-80 calories (I shoot for one serving of fruit, which is either one piece of fruit or about 140-150g for berries). For a more savory breakfast, one to two slices of toast or a serving of potatoes (technically a vegetable, but the high starch content puts it up there in carb content with grains) paired with 80-150g of a water-dense vegetable would be the equivalent. These numbers are going to change based on your size, hunger, and macronutrient goals, but thinking medium to large carbohydrate, or one part grain/starch, one to two parts fruit and/or veg is a great place to start for building a great breakfast.

Pancakes on the griddle, oatmeal in the microwave, bread in the toaster, it's time to add a protein source. My number one has been yogurt for many years. Most yogurts are high in protein and calcium, some give you fruit, and most give you probiotics, which help contribute to a healthy gut microbiome. Just be careful of the sugar content because there are lots of sugary, nutrient-poor yogurts out there too. Other great sources of protein include protein powder, eggwhites (eggs are good too, but eggwhites are higher in protein for less calories, which can be helfpul), meat, and cottage cheese. My protein source for breakfast typically ranges from 90-150kcal. Sometimes the carbohydrate (Kodiak cakes for the win!) and/or fat source (thank you almond butter and cheese) will contribute to the protein content of the meal as well. Spreading out protein throughout the day, somewhat equally with higher amounts peri-workout, and maybe at breakfast, is recommended. I aim for 20-40g of protein at breakfast. Depending on your goals, your targets will of course be different, but for many people, 20-40g of protein is a suitable range for breakfast. In comparison to carbs, my protein ratio is usually equal or a little smaller, so the amount of protein at breakfast time to aim for is going to be medium to large (unless you need to restrict protein for medical reasons, in which case it might be medium to small).

The icing on top of a high quality breakfast (perhaps literally, as icing often does contain fat) is fat! One gram of fat contains 9kcal, compared to 4kcal per gram of protein or carb, which can make fat's caloric presence larger in a meal; however, for a serving size of fat, the portion is typically going to be small or medium. If you are eating a low-carb diet and opt for higher fats, perhaps a large amount of fat is warranted, but it will likely still feel somewhat medium (think a whole avocado and some melted cheese). I typically only include one fat source in my breakfast (unless you count the omega-3 supplement I take in the morning, then it's two), which averages to about 100kcal, but if you prefer fats over carbs, are doing a low carb diet, or have a large calorie target, two sources of fat or larger portion sizes might be a good idea. I usually opt for nut or seed butter, but cheese, avocado, olive oil, an egg, or some butter are also some solid options (except for oil, that's a liquid 😉).

Now that you have some ideas of how much of each macronutrient you might choose for breakfast, let's turn those macros into meals!

The Very Specifics: Breakfast Ideas

In this section I will include some breakfast recipes I enjoy. The recipes are based on the ratios discussed above. I will list the ingredient options, and based on what you learned from the last sections, you can decide on the which ingredients and which amounts best support your goals and help you to build a high quality breakfast.

Sweet Breakfasts 🍓

Idea 1: Pancakes Plus

-Carb 1/Grain/Starch: Kodiak Cakes, pancake mix, or your own recipe (flour, eggs, cottage cheese, and milk are all possible ingredients, with flour being your carb here), bananas are a good higher carb fruit that pairs well with pancakes

-Carb 2/Fruit/Vegetable: Fruit! Berries, citrus, apples, pears, peaches, plums, and nectarines are all great, or any other fruit you enjoy

-Protein: yogurt (greek or low sugar), protein powder (I like to mix it with water and make a pudding), protein drink, cottage cheese, and/or milk

-Fat: almond butter, peanut butter, any nut butter, nuts, bacon (some protein, but more fat; yes, savory but it definitely goes well with sweet), and/or butter

Idea 2: Oatmeal Bowl

-Carb 1/Grain/Starch: oats, oat blend (like Better Oats), quinoa would also work nicely here, sweet potatoes and bananas are also great starches to include

-Carb 2/Fruit/Vegetable: Fruit! Berries, citrus, apples, pears, peaches, plums, melons, and nectarines are all great, or any other fruit you enjoy (but some people make savory oat bowls, in which case you could opt for veggies in the bowl with fruit on the side or not at all)

-Protein: yogurt (greek or low sugar), protein powder, protein drink, and/or milk (for savory, eggs or egg whites can be baked in)

-Fat: almond butter, peanut butter, any nut butter, nuts, bacon, and/or butter

Idea 3: Fruit and Cereal and/or Maybe Toast

-Carb 1/Grain/Starch: cereal (watch out for sugar content, but then again, if this is before a workout, this isn't the worst time to eat sugar), granola, cereal bar, jam, and/or toast if you don't like cereal or need more carbs

-Carb 2/Fruit/Vegetable: Fruit! Berries, citrus, apples, pears, peaches, plums, and nectarines are all great, or any other fruit you enjoy (you can also make a little salad if you want to get some veggies in and pair it with your toast)

-Protein: yogurt (greek or low sugar), protein powder (I like to mix it with water and make a pudding to put the cereal on, which my boyfriend thinks is nasty, and if you do too, go ahead and drink it on the side), protein drink (may be a better milk for cereal than powder), and/or milk

-Fat: almond butter, peanut butter, any nut butter, nuts, bacon, egg (probably best on the side or on your toast), and/or butter (on toast, probably not good in cereal)

Savory Breakfasts 🥓🍳

Idea 1: Potato Bowl

-Carb 1/Grain/Starch: potatoes, sweet potatoes, hashbrowns, frozen breakfast potatoes, french fries (higher fat and calorie content here), canned yams (high in sugar), instant potatoes, and/or Bob Evans Mashed potatoes (sooo good, but also higher in fat)

-Carb 2/Fruit/Vegetable: Veggies! Wilted greens like spinach or arugala, softened carrots, tomatoes or salsa, mushrooms, onions, asparagus, zucchini, summer squash, and more are all on the table. You can also do a fruit on the side!

-Protein: egg whites, cottage cheese, protein powder or drink on the side, and/or yogurt on the side (or greek yogurt inside wouldn't be bad)

-Fat: bacon, egg, cheese, avocado, and/or butter

Idea 2: Breakfast "Sandwich"

-Carb 1/Grain/Starch: bread (can make a sandwich or do a deconstructed "sandwich" with toast on the side), thin sliced potato for bread, or bagel

-Carb 2/Fruit/Vegetable: Veggies! Wilted greens like spinach or arugala, softened carrots, tomatoes or salsa, mushrooms, onions, asparagus, zucchini, summer squash, and more are all on the table. You can also do a fruit on the side!

-Protein: egg whites, cottage cheese, ground meat, protein powder or drink on the side, and/or yogurt on the side (or greek yogurt inside wouldn't be bad)

-Fat: bacon, egg, cheese, sausage (it is a protein, but some sausage is higher in fat than protein, so it is being treated as a fat source), avocado, and/or butter

Idea 3: Breakfast Burrito

-Carb 1/Grain/Starch: tortilla (low carb options available!), could also skip this and make it an egg scramble, rice or potatoes are great for more carbs or different for a scramble

-Carb 2/Fruit/Vegetable: Veggies! Wilted greens like spinach or arugala, softened carrots, tomatoes or salsa, mushrooms, onions, asparagus, zucchini, summer squash, and more are all on the table. You can also do a fruit on the side!

-Protein: egg whites, cottage cheese, ground meat, protein powder or drink on the side, and/or yogurt on the side

-Fat: bacon, egg, cheese, avocado, sausage, and/or butter

Lower-Carb Breakfasts 🥑

Idea 1: Egg Scramble/Omlet

-Fruit/Vegetable: for fruits, opt for berries, for veggies, wilted greens like spinach or arugala, softened carrots, tomatoes or salsa, mushrooms, onions, asparagus, zucchini, summer squash, and more are all on the table

-Protein: eggs or eggwhites, a low-carb protein drink could also fit here, chicken breast, ground meat

-Fat: bacon, avocado, butter, sausage, olives, and/or cheese (feel free to double or triple up!)

Idea 2: Parfait

-Fruit/Vegetable: Fruit! Berries, watermelon, or citrus; some cereals are lower in carbs and could be used as granola for an extra texture to pair with the fruit

-Protein: low carb yogurt and/or low-carb protein powder (can make a pudding!)

-Fat: almond butter, peanut butter, any nut butter, nuts, bacon, butter, and/or avocado

Idea 3: Smoothie

-Fruit/Vegetable: Berries, watermelon, or citrus for fruit, with greens like spinach, kale, and arugala for vegetables, as well as cucumbers; for liquid, water can be used or unsweetened almond or coconut milk

-Protein: low-carb yogurt, low-carb protein powder or drink

-Fat: almond butter, peanut butter, any nut butter, butter, or avocado

Get To It!

Now that you have the knowledge and some options, you are ready to build a high quality breakfast! The recipes here can be rotated week to week, or you can find your favorite and just rotate elements of the meal—sticking to the very same thing day to day is also not a bad option.

Breakfast, prayer time, and coffee are staples of my morning routine and one of the best parts of my day. I hope the ideas in this article will help you form your own beautiful start or end (breakfast for dinner!!) to your day. 🥰

Sources

MacDougall, J. D., Gibala, M. J., Tarnopolsky, M. A., MacDonald, J. R., Interisano, S. A., & Yarasheski, K. E. (1995). The time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis following heavy resistance exercise. Canadian journal of applied physiology = Revue canadienne de physiologie appliquee, 20(4), 480–486. https://doi.org/10.1139/h95-038

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