While it’s neither mandatory for everyone nor essential for weight loss, a well-thought-out breakfast can become a valuable ally for regulating your appetite throughout the day and limiting snacking.
There is no universal rule. Some people are simply not hungry at all in the morning, and can easily wait until lunch.
However, if you:
- are hungry as soon as you wake up,
- feel cravings late in the morning
- snack throughout the day
- eat a lot in the evening
A suitable breakfast can make it easier to manage your meals throughout the day and manage your weight.
The goal here is therefore not to eat at all costs, but to respect your own rhythm and respect your hunger, while choosing a truly nourishing breakfast.
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1. Balance doesn’t mean restriction
Here are some basic principles to incorporate into your daily life that I suggest to my patients. Contrary to popular belief, a balanced breakfast does not mean restriction.
Instead, I suggest a breakfast that:
- promotes satiety
- stabilizes blood sugar (blood sugar level)
- supports muscle mass, essential for satiety and energy expenditure
Sweet breakfasts, which we are very used to in France, will rather lead to a drop in energy and the onset of cravings in the morning or during the day.
So we should avoid, at least on a daily basis, pastries, refined cereals, fruit juices, jams…
2. Make protein a priority
Essential for feeling full and limiting cravings, they contribute, combined with physical activity, to the development and maintenance of muscle mass.
Here are some examples of proteins for breakfast:
- eggs
- plain yogurt, skyr, fromage blanc, petits suisses, cheese
- nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds…)
- whey isolate
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3. Good carbs do exist
Carbohydrate sources are not to be banned, but it’s better to choose them whole and minimally processed to avoid blood sugar fluctuations that are too large.
My favorite carbohydrate sources for breakfast:
- oat flakes (or buckwheat, chestnut…)
- sourdough or whole-grain bread
- unsweetened muesli
4. Don’t forget fiber
Fiber slows the digestion of the meal and prolongs satiety. It is also essential for nourishing our microbiome.
At breakfast, you can eat fresh fruit. Citrus fruits and berries are among the least sweet!
I also recommend adding seeds or nuts, and even vegetables if you feel like it (raw vegetable sticks, for example).
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5. Fat is life
High-quality fats contribute to hormonal balance, especially in women, and also prolong satiety.
For breakfast, opt for oilseeds (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds… whole or as nut butters) or seeds, or else high-quality cheese.
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6. A sample slimming breakfast you can adapt
Here is an example of an ideal breakfast structure in my opinion. It gives you many possibilities for variations:
- 1 source of protein: cheese, yogurt, petits suisses, fromage blanc, egg, nuts
- 1 source of complex carbohydrates: sourdough or whole-grain bread, oat flakes, protein pancake (you can find easy recipes)
- quality fats: avocado, nuts or nut butter, coconut-based plant drink, cheese
- 1 fresh fruit: citrus fruits and berries (the least sweet)
7. Essential during pregnancy
Are you pregnant, at the beginning of pregnancy or in preconception?
Having breakfast every day has been associated with a lower risk of gestational diabetes than if a woman eats breakfast less than 3 times a week before and at the beginning of pregnancy.
That is the conclusion of this Japanese study.
8. Be careful with intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting, which involves skipping breakfast, may be suitable for some people to regulate their weight. Indeed, when you have metabolic disorders, it is perhaps better to skip breakfast than to have a sweet breakfast.
On the other hand, in women, it may contribute to hormonal disorders and increase fatigue and cravings.
In any case, we stay attentive to our hunger signals and the impact of intermittent fasting on our energy and hunger levels.
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9. Adapt breakfast to your needs
In my opinion, breakfast is not mandatory, especially if you don’t feel the need for it. Nevertheless, it’s a great lever, to be adapted to your lifestyle and your eating sensations.
The key point is to avoid, at least on a daily basis, overly sweet breakfasts that contain little protein and fiber. Unfortunately, they promote cravings and do not provide quality fuel for our body.
Sources and scientific studies
Dong JY, Ikehara S, Kimura T, Cui M, Kawanishi Y, Kimura T, Ueda K, Iso H; Japan Environment and Children’s Study Group. 2020. Skipping breakfast before and during early pregnancy and incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus: the Japan Environment and Children’s Study
