So, breakfast, my most favourite meal. Not because I have a private chef, nanny, or many spare hours each morning to swan about the kitchen ( oh the luxury) but because when I figured out how to do it right it transformed my sugar cravings, appetite and mood. Yes that 11am HANGRY feeling where everyone and everything makes you mad, sad and CRAZY is very real.
It's funny how I never thought I had time to make and eat breakfast and would be fine until lunch. Then came 11am and God love any child in my classroom who had sweet goodies or any staff member who left some stale biscuits lying around- they were MINE! and the spiral of sugar cravings and energy lows continued day after day. Life now is far busier with 2 kids, a nursery and school run every morning and yet I never run out of time. Why, because it's my number one morning priority. I might get to the school gate more scummy than yummy mummy but no-one needs to worry the hangry beast will appear.
Where did my day go wrong? Well it wasn't actually the biscuits but, breakfast, either not having it or not having a balanced one.
So, why is the nations favourite breakfast a mistake? Cereals, and not just the ones that are desserts in disguise but the ones labelled "healthy", " full of wholegrains" "high in fibre" and "fortified with vitamins and minerals" are ultimately nutrient depleted, inflammatory, toxic and act like sugar in the body. Don't blame me for this news, take it up with Kelloggs!
Cereals are made from grains which are mainly carbohydrates, when these are processed into puffs, O's and various shapes they are converted into glucose (simple sugars) incredibly quickly leading to lots of sugar in the blood . Your very intelligent body in its wisdom, produces insulin to get this sugar into your cells and protect your organs from lots of circulating glucose. This is normal process but with every spike comes a crash and the drop signals to your body to ingest more foods as a survival mechanism. That's why 2 hours after your cereal breakfast you are hungry and struggling against your willpower for that muffin, chocolate or croissant.
What's the secret then to stopping this crazy spike and drop scenario? Protein and fats my friends are what you need to get cosy with as these are digested much slower and therefore don't cause that fast rise, quick crash, crazy business. There is no magic number regarding how much protein we need as we are all individual so this is where a little self experimentation is invaluable. Some people, myself included do much better with more protein but may not be the case for others. Want further proof, several studies have shown this.
”Participants showed increased satiety, less hunger and a lower desire to eat after the breakfast containing eggs relative to the cereal and croissant-based meals. The breakfast meal with the greatest effect on satiety and subsequent intake of energy was distinct in having the highest protein and lowest carbohydrate content relative to the other two breakfasts" (1)
"the egg-breakfast induced greater satiety and significantly reduced short-term food intake" (2)
"subjects were hungrier and less satisfied 3 hours after the BAGEL breakfast compared with the EGG breakfast. Participants had higher plasma glucose as well as an increased ghrelin (hunger hormone) and insulin with the BAGEL (3)
Now you know! Swap the bagels, cereals, toast, muffins for some eggs or meat, fish, nuts, seeds, beans to up your protein intake and SET UP RIGHT for the day.
OK, before we move on to the WHAT TO EAT bit, if your still with me, let's quickly clarify why I said cereals were nutrient depleted, toxic and inflammatory. Firstly, most cereals are made using refined grains whereby all the outer layers are removed which means the nutrients are also removed. This is done for one purpose only, the fats in the germ and bran go rancid after 3 months but if removed the refined cereals last years. Great for food manufacturers as they don't waste money, not so good for you and hence why all cereals are fortified. The vitamins in these cereals are synthetic and therefore not easily digested by the body and some such as folic acid can cause issues for those with MTHFR genetic mutations (a whole topic for another day)! Might as well eat cardboard and a multivitamin, although less tasty I'm sure.
The protein gluten in many, although not all grains, can be inflammatory for people but also any fats found in cereal grains are damaged in the heating and shaping process making them inflammatory and toxic so another reason to avoid.(4). If you need another reason,many grains are sprayed with my nemesis glyphosate, commonly known as ROUNDUP and whatever MONSANTO says, this stuff is not designed to be in our body. If you need a hazsuit to spray this stuff, WHY, oh WHY do I want to be eating it? (5).
So, some cereals are better than others, but why eat the best version of "ok foods" when we can have great foods. I'm all about the nutrient dense, optimal foods to feed ourselves and our kids so lets lighten things up a bit with some tasty ideas that are nutrient dense, fuel our brains, nourish our gut, balance our hormones, keep us satiated, taste good and can be quick and easy.
First, we need to reframe breakfast and think of it as just a meal like any other which means some fats, protein, carbs and vegetables. I often recommend dinner leftovers to clients and some love this and do great, others just cant get past the idea breakfast isn't a sweet meal. If the latter is you, thats fine, I'd suggest starting slow with eating real food like carrot-cake porridge, smoothie bowls, pancakes made with eggs,bananas and nuts/seeds or beans to start as these are all nutritious real foods and go slow with your transition.
Breakfast needs to be quick as few of us have time in the morning to cook with kids screaming, shoes missing, arms getting stuck in school jumpers, socks not going on "right" and having to find last minute kit that was forgotten about. (Of course, this may just be our disorganised house!). When mornings are like this and there is nothing pre-made, assembly breakfasts are my go-to. This just means adding a protein, a fat, some veggies and a carbohydrate food if desired to a plate and this can take any form.
Protein
Smoked fish, cooked chicken, chorizo, sausages, bacon, eggs, beans, nuts and seeds, tempeh.
FAT
Avocado, coconut, olives, nuts and seeds, hummus, pesto, full-fat yoghurt,
Vegetables
Pepper, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, leftover roast veggies, sauerkraut, sautèd mushrooms and spinach,
Carbohydrates
Oatcakes, sweet potato toast or baked, leftover roasted root vegetables, quinoa, non- instant rolled oats.
Of course, nutrition is more about quality than quantity, so I don't consider sausages a poor choice if they are good quality and not filled with lots of bulking agents. The main ingredient should be meat! Again, yoghurt if you can tolerate it is best if full fat and organic and not the fruit filled type. Below are some quickly snapped breakfasts we have had this week! Am I saying your kids will love all of them , no, mine certainly don't all the time and would prefer fruit, oatcakes or granola any day. However, its not my job to give them what they want but what their body needs and to teach them about real food and how to properly fuel their body.
So you might even be thinking, its all so confusing, you've real about intermittent fasting and how AMAZING that is, yet how does that fit into the idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, both are true, for some people fasting has so many benefits, however, some people feel worse. We are all individuals, and what works for your best friend won't necessarily be best for YOU. Breakfast doesn't refer to a time such as 7-8 am, it really refers to your first main meal after a long fast. Some people may gag at the thought of eating at 7am, especially something like salmon and salad but might naturally get hungry at 10am and feel ok about the same meal. The point is, whenever you eat your first bite, make it nutritious, anti-inflammatory and blood sugar balancing, so the dreaded HANGRY feeling doesn't take over.
Having breakfasts like these are great for kids because a) they are usually hungry in the morning b) you avoid the witching hour and you have way more chance of them trying new foods c) if they are just not hungry or too tired by the time dinner is served you can feel oh so good about yourself that they have already had veggies, protein and tonnes of vitamins and minerals. #PARENTINGWIN
The breakfasts above if your wondering are
1. Nush brand blueberry yoghurt and walnuts, oatcakes, leftover pesto, guacamole and hummus with raw veggies.
2. Leftover sausage and peas
3. Boiled duck egg, leftover salmon and salad
4. Leftover fishcakes and roast vegetables
5. Leftover veggies, hummus and bacon.
6. leftover roast potatoes, tinned salmon, capers and parsley ( deconstructed fish cake!)
7. Leftover veggies added to an omlette
8. Butternut Squash parfait with granola
9. Spinach & chickpea pancakes with peanut butter, pistachios and banana.
REFERENCES:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22948783
2.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16373948
3.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20226994
4. http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/5/3/771/htm
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4756530/