I’ve blogged before about how much I love breakfast. I go out of my way to start each day with protein and I can genuinely hold my hand up to say I’ve eaten just one bowl of cereal this year (it followed some eggs and was a low sugar, seed rich granola type thing – a rare treat. Definitely not something I would eat all the time).
So why the push on protein and an opinion that sees cereal as a rare treat?
In short, a protein-rich breakfast is essential.
A protein rich breakfast will keep you fuller for longer, set your body and mind for the day ahead, reducing the likelihood of reaching for evil and unnecessary snacks much later in the day.
But sometimes thinking of brekkie options that pack a protein punch can be a bit of a bind, so here is a selection of my quick fix, regular favourites:
Love a leftover
The sooner you treat breakfast like any other meal and think outside the cereal box the easier it will be for you to pull together a seriously nutritious and diverse breakfast selection. Set aside a portion from dinner, et voila. I had this for brekkie last week following a fast day and it seriously hit the spot.
Roast chicken, baked sweet potato, peas with mint and feta, green beans
Pop something in the oven while you’re in the shower.
I love these Laverstoke Park Buffalo Burgers (better grilled or barbecued admittedly but needs must first thing in the morning) with some veggies, again left over from dinner. The farm has a great ethos and offers some seriously tasty, well reared meat options.
A Nordic classic
I worked with a gorgeous, blonde haired, long limbed Dane who would often cite this as one of her favourites (mine too)!
Smoked salmon, rye bread toast with tomatoes, a portion of scrambled eggs and a hearty handful of rocket. One of the secrets to her beauty? Perhaps…
A super quick fix
Sometimes the morning is manic, there’s not a moment to think about anything let alone sitting down to eat your first meal of the day. If you really don’t have a moment to spare think about these options:
A big dollop of Greek yogurt, a sprinkle of ground flaxseed, a splurge (go steady, think of the sugar) of honey. I’m a big fan of Tims Dairy. Again, another high quality option and a brand with a great ethos.
For a dairy free alternative, Coyo is immense. Raw choc first thing in the morning? Uh, yes puh-lease.
(Hard) boil some eggs, pop them back in the box and into the fridge.
Half a dozen can see you through the week for those desperate ‘grab and go’ moments. You’ll nearly always be able to find an organic option on offer each week. In our house at the moment it’s the lovely One Good Egg.
Top it off with a teaspoon of nut butter straight from the jar. Again, I opt for whichever nut butter is on special – a good way to save money and rotate nut sources each week. On my menu this week, Biona organic peanut.
Make the most of the weekends
Be a bit more adventurous, move away from your week day staples and mix things up a bit. This will stop you feeling like you eat the same things for brekkie all the time and also give you more confidence to prepare them on a week day once you know you’ve got them down pat.
The five star weekend option: Posh Birds duck eggs scrambled with Trealy Farm chorizo.
So, have I done enough to convince you starting the day with a protein rich brekkie doesn’t need to be difficult?
Let Her Eat Clean 
For some more info on the importance of protein at breakfast the following has been adapted from some superb reads by http://www.healthuncut.com
The science-y bit
Latest research from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a high protein breakfast reduced daily ghrelin (a hunger stimulating gut hormone) and increased peptide YY concentrations (a satiety gut hormone) compared with skipping breakfast. Amongst the other results the researchers also found that a high-protein breakfast reduced evening snacking on high fat foods, compared with skipping breakfast.
Who’s doing it right already?
Traditional cultures have long known the importance of a protein-rich breakfast: fish in Scandinavia; black-pudding in Wales; haggis in Scotland; bacon and eggs in England; Feijoada – black beans baked with various kind of meat and sausages in Brazil; small ravioli stuffed with meat or fish in Ecuador).
What went wrong for the rest of us?
Unfortunately, a renowned global cereal manufacturer has led millions of people to believe that processed and packaged cereals are the epitome of a healthy breakfast. Yet they are dominated by carbohydrates and frequently packed with sugars.
The job breakfast needs to do
Breakfast will set the pace for the whole day ahead. It should correct the low levels of blood sugar that follow from approximately twelve hours of fasting. If the blood glucose curve rises smoothly and holds until the next meal, without suddenly causing premature hunger this is great
But…
Car crash…
…if the blood glucose curve starts to oscillate; the peak provoked by the toxic sugar-loaded breakfast inevitably leads to a sudden drop in blood-sugar levels.
Such a crash in blood sugar is caused by the excess of glucose consumed, which triggers the secretion of large amounts of insulin, a fat-storage hormone that rapidly clears sugar from the bloodstream. Then we find the curve lower than at its starting point. This state of low blood sugar promotes the uncontrollable sugar cravings that will reactivate the infernal machine once again.
To avoid the surge of blood sugar straight after breakfast, one must, of course, stay away from fast sugars. However, it is not only carbohydrates containing fast-sugars that are the problem. A layer of fat on the toast won’t change anything; protein is needed to slow down carbohydrate digestion, and to smooth the peak of blood sugar that will certainly occur if eating only starchy foods.
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Fantastic breakfast post Ruth, really yummy looking stuff! I am inspired, keep it up! xx
Hoorah! Great to hear Sammy. Shout if you ever need some more suggestions.
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