Big Breakfasts Win Again

I’ve started having scrambled eggs with green peppers and onions for breakfast. On the carb side of things, mainly rye toast, but sometimes I feel like that isn’t enough still?

A year ago (pre-healthy me), I was gorging on froot loops and waffles HA not anymore thank you!

Is eating whole grain cereals with skimmed milk + whey protein + fruit (an apple or a banana) can be considered a good breakfast?

I usually have two hard-boiled eggs and a couple of rice cakes with peanut butter.

I like (home made) smoothies in the morning. This morning: a big banana, a cup of strawberries, half a cup of blueberries, yoghurt, a scoop of protein powder and a cup of milk. Add some ice, blend and mmmmmmmmm … enjoy!

Excellent finds, Joel. Nice “weapons” to have in the fight to convince people how to have better health.
Personally, I eat a big bowl of oatmeal mixed with fruit, nuts, and yogurt plus an egg (this totals about 600 calories) along with some juice to drink. Whole food with high protein and whole carbs. Not as big a breakfast as the Virginia study, but pretty well in line with the Kansas one. Nice to get a little “pat on the back” from the nutrionists like that! Thanks for posting it!

I love my rice porridge with nuts, fresh fruit and shredded coconut with cinnamon and flax seed oil on top. Definitely hits the spot

We decided that if our family was to be successful, we needed a good start. Just like my Daddy said, a million years ago. So whole wheat tortilla, scrambled eggs with some vegetable (onion, squash, bell peppers etc) sauted, sometimes fried potatoes (in olive oil) hey we have growing teenagers! Then out the door we go, then I go a more low cal way the rest of the day with 4 more small meals and I don’t want to kill somebody!!! I have lost 25 since January to June, taking the summer off. This includes aerobic activity and weights like our guru says :)

I eat steak and eggs when I can get it! Liver and onions is good in the morning too believe it or not. More often I have a Greek scramble with feta cheese, green onion and red peppers (love the colour), sometimes in a wrap, sometimes with a bit of my kids Peanut Butter Porridge (regular oats with pb melted in and raisins or dried fruit and coconut, slivered almonds, a touch of maple syrup). I have to be careful not to overdo in the morning or I can end up stretching my tummy and wanting more later on than I otherwise would.

I’ve found the same thing about big breakfasts. It seems that my body processes the food better and I find that I’m not so ravenous at lunch so that I’m tempted to cheat. I actually like, (especially when I’m trying to get lean or at least maintain when I have minimal time to workout) to eat a big breakfast of close to half my caloric intake, then eat the rest of my calories at the end of the day after having fasted about 12 hours. If I workout, I will have a post workout shake, so a slight caloric increase on those days. But I still have a shake with my breakfast in the morning….and if I’m running late, just the shake ;-)…

I just checked in here so forgive if I’m new. But am I to understand that in order to lose weight I should be eating a large high protein, high carbohydrate breakfast. That would look like bacon, eggs and pancakes. or????? If so that would explain lots of things, I have been eating shakes, for breakfast since the ’70′s, about the time they were first invented and I have been increasingly over weight since then. Is this date coincident or what???
The next logical question is what would be the IDEAL breakfast and what do we follow it up with for lunch and dinner?

I like to do scrambled eggs (3 whites w/ 1 whole + 1oz lowfat cheese) with oat bran and whole milk 4oz. However, I frequently end up doing protein shakes due to time constraints.

K R goes 12 hours without not eating???? NOT GOOD even after a big brekkie!

without eating* and if you’re gonna be working out then you should be definitely eating again 1-2 hours before you workout!

2 whole grain waffles, 1/2 cup greek yogurt, 1 cup berries and pomegranate seeds

Sauteed ( in olive oil) chicken Italian sausage with roasted onions, sweet potatoes, & green and red bell peppers. A little thyme and oregano for seasoning.

I just have 2 boiled eggs for breakfast. I used to eat 2 slices of wheat bread earlier but gave it up since I read that one should not mix carbs and fat. Do you think I need to make changes to my breakfast?

yes, a big breakfast ist great!

my normal breakfast is of two variations….on a training day its weetabix or oats + a protein shake and fruit. on a non training day its protein shake with apple and 2 boiled eggs (sound okay?). I’ve always found the more whole food i have for breakfast the better, sadly time doesn’t permit me to go all out every day so i save really good breakfasts for the weekend (healthy ones of course :D).

I start with a piece of fruit while porridge (rolled oats) is cooking. Then mix in some protein powder, throw a couple of spoonfuls of greek yoghurt on top, and finish with a drizzle of maple syrup (the REAL stuff)…Just thinking some chopped walnuts would be pretty yum in there too, will have that tommorrow.

My favorite breakfasts are. 2-3 organic eggs, scrambled with fresh salsa and a pinch of colby jack cheese. I love ham and cheese omletes too!

Jessica

@Joel Marion – I always start the day with a big bowl of cinnamon and sultana porridge (140 cc scoop of oats) made with soya milk and honey. Should I be following that with a boiled egg or two, or maybe stirring in protein powder?

(I also usually sprinkle the porridge with chocamine, an extract from cocoa that contains high concentrations of caffeine, theobromine and polyphenols. Just gives a gentle lift to the morning; can’t cope with coffee or tea!)

I’m in the terrible-morning-mood-person group and I’m REALLY slow in the morning. That includes my appetite. I’ve never been keen on big brekie’s other than weekends, and then I usually eat after being awake for 1.5 hours. It’s like my metabolism needs time to wake too. But I would never skip breakfast and go to class on an empty stomach. Therefore I eat what I can, usually 2 scrambled eggs with a smootihe made from ½cup of yoghurt, ½ cup of milk, ½ banana and ½ cup of berries, or a fruitsallad with cottage cheese and then a smoothie for snack around 10.

I like to do a 3-4 egg (egg whites only) breakfast with 1 slice of multi-grain bread. I do add just a little baby swiss cheese, spices and tomatoes for taste. Then a protien shake (100% Whey protein, Rice Milk, and mixed organic berries)and some creatine. Sometimes if I am in a hurry it, it is just the protien shake and creatine.

Other days it is a large can of tuna fish with mustard, relish, spices, and a little low calorie/low cholesterol mayo with 1 slice of multi-grain bread. Yes, I am on a strict diet, but I prefer protien for almost all my meals.

My workout days I like to eat a bowl of oatmeal and mix some bananas and protien powder in it. Then workout an hour later. ;-)

I normally eat breakfast at 7am. I find that if I just eat porridge, I am ravenously hungry not only at 10am but also at 3pm. If I have a high-protein breakfast eg eggs or grilled fish, I don’t feel hungry until lunchtime, & don’t have the munchies in the afternoon. High protein shakes don’t work for me – same effect as porridge. Maybe it’s because whey protein has a high GI?

@Annette – Although I have heard that particulary bacon is quite high in sodium, which you don’t want too much of. But if you find a brand that doesn’t have as much I suppose that would be great.

Correct me if I’m wrong Joel.

I have 2 boiled eggs, 3 glasses of water and half a class of chocmilk. If I am feeling really hungry I will add 2 weetbix with half a banana to that.

I don’t have a big breakfast as I work full time night shift and I don’t like to go to bed after eating too much. I usually have a protein shake when I get home from work, sometimes 1 egg and toast if I’m really hungry. I don’t eat while I’m working as I work 8 to 12 hours without any breaks, I work in the Emergency Department and there’s no one to replace me so that I can take a break. Sometimes I’ll have a piece of fruit while I’m working. I’m struggling to lose weight. Any diet suggestions for people who work shift work would be much appreciated.

What do you actually mean by “breakfast”? Cus I dont eat anything as soon as i wake up. Usually i would wake up at around 6.30am, but only get to have breakfast in school at around 9am+ Will this still be considered breakfast?

I have a bowl of Kelloggs Crispy clusters, skim milk, and 150g low fat yoghurt and a cup of hot water 1tsp of apple vingar and 1 tsp of manuka honey……mmmmmmmmmm definately fills me up in the morning

I am 95kg I eat 5 Egg whites one whole egg and a spoon scoop of Peanut butter.
I ok Joel?

Depends on the rotation for me. Low carb days it’s eggs (yolks and all), vegetables of some kind, usually left-overs from last nights dinner, lean ham, chicken sausage or organic, nitrite-free bacon, and cheese all scrambled in a pan. On lower GI days it’s oatmeal mixed with 1 egg, protein powder, flax seeds, berries, milk, almonds and topped with plain yogurt. I do the Double-Triple approach as I am very sensitive to the higher GI carbs. Cheat day is always, pancakes or french toast added to my bacon and eggs. That is curious though about consuming half your daily calories at breakfast.

I had scrambled eggs (three whole eggs) with a few wheat bread slices and a cup of milk for breakfast. This obviously wasn’t large enough for me as I didn’t feel quite satiated.

6 omega-3 eggs. 1 piece of whole grain toast dry.
Randy Woody

I had a slice of wholegrain bread with nuts and seeds, half a banana and honey this morning

I take a scoop of vanilla whey protein and mix it in nonfat, plain yogurt. Then I add either blueberries or strawberries and go lean cereal. Another idea is adding apples and cinnamon. It’s around 400 calories, but packed with protein!

Hi Joel, first post here! Just wanted to say that this article has opened my eyes tremendously! Personally, I’ve been starting the day off with a protein shake right after my workout. Now I know to what, when and how to eat the proper breakfast! Being a college student, you have to start your day off right! I’m so glad I came across your site:)

I am following the warrior diet right now and eating a big breakfast is right the opposite of what the warrior diet preaches. How do you stand on that, Joel? Is the WD a decent diet in your eyes?

Hi,
This morning I had a leftover piece of steak with oatmeal. The oatmeal is combined with other ingredients just to give it some flavor, however typically I have eggs with peppers and onions and of course coffee!
Joe

@Dee – Dee have a colesterol check, 2 eggs a day, and peanut butter seem excessive, no use being lean and unhealthy…Sam

My breakfast is fairly standard. Coarse Oatmeal with a mix of either ground nuts and oatmeal bran and shelled sunflower seeds, just two of each. I cook it in water for seven minutes or so. When it is at the right consistency I add ground flax seed and the honey from a honeycomb. Ah! I forgot the cinnamon and ginger. I forgot the dried cranberries that are cooked into the mix, and add, uncooked fruit at the bottom of the bowl.

I usually take some fruit tea, or green tea, whatever I happen to find.

Did I forget the pills and potions that I am taking as part of my Naturopathic cure?

Joel,
I have a whole wheat english muffin, toasted, with natural peanut butter and sliced banana. Is that enough?

No doubt eating a good healthy breakfast is good, but I don’t get up super early so there is not much time between breakfast and my morning workout. If I ate a huge breakfast I would be too sluggish to workout. I tend to rely on yogurt smoothies or some mix to rehydrate me in the morning. Maybe I’ll try adding some fruit since that wouldn’t be too heavy and see what happens.

I have been eating an eggs and bacon breakfast since I read the South Beach book about 6-7 years ago, and when I have to eat a carb breakfast it totally throws off my day. I almost always have veggies along with it, and sometimes high-fiber fruit too. Right now it’s farmer’s market raspberries and blackberries, yum!

Half your daily calories seems like a ton for breakfast. I’m insulin resistant and tend to need to eat something (w/protein) every 2-3 hours to function well, so I’m not sure I can put that many cals in breakfast and still eat all day, plus I workout mainly in the evening so my breakfast is only about 300cals of my ~1500 day.

I’m fairly certain my breakfast isn’t large enough. Today I had 4 egg whites, two pieces of turkey bacon and a glass of 1% milk. I’ll probably start adding a half cup of oats.

Joe, do you have a favorite breakfast meal?

That sounds good, …but…if we eat 1/2 of our calories early, how do we stretch the other half into 4 or 5 mini meals and not be hitting the fridge at midnight?

So which is it? A big breakfast with good protein or a vegetarian diet?

Interesting article Joel.
For many years, I had cereal and milk for breakfast replacing it occasionally with 4 slices of toast and margarine and a cup of hot chocolate. Needless to say I was starving an hour later and not surprisingly, I also was overweight.
For the last 3 or 4 years, I have had a good breakfast, usually an omelet from from Gourmet Nutrition, and am in much better shape.
My wife also likes her scrambled eggs in the morning and we’ve discussed how eggs for breakfast sticks with you longer and doesn’t give you that wicked starving feeling as it wears off either.
If only we could get the kids onto eggs for breakfast as well…

I get bored easily, so I have to change up my breakfast throughout the week. Today I had 7 ounces of strained Greek yogurt (17 grams of protien) with a tablespoon of honey and about a cup of fresh straberries. If I’m really hungry I’ll have that with 2-3 whole organic eggs with veggies and a slice of whole wheat 7-grain bread. On other mornings I’ll have plain old oatmeal with some cinnamon, fresh blueberries, and some ground flax seeds. I may or may not add a bit of protien powder to it. I love friut in the morning, so I make sure to take plenty to work everyday and eat it when I’m at my desk on a break.