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Are you looking for more energy throughout the day? Start first by looking at your breakfast choices. Today I’m sharing what to eat for energy, why breakfast matters so much, along with recipes to fuel and feel good! Click here to watch the video, or read on below!
Table of Contents
- Food should serve you
- Want more energy?
- Want more energy? Look at breakfast first.
- Breakfasts that don’t leave you with energy
- Breakfasts that do leave you with energy
- Favorite breakfast protein options
- How much protein do you want to get at breakfast time?
- High protein breakfast recipes
- Feel energized all day long
Food should serve you
The two primary purposes of food for me are this:
Food is delicious food and should be enjoyed.
Food should also serve you in what you want to do – whether that’s in your workouts, your work, your family life, and everything you have going on.
Your food should give you energy and support you to do those things. If it’s not, something needs to change.
Want more energy?
One complaint I hear all the time from clients and my community is this – they want more energy.
The way that we eat is going to dramatically impact that!
Today I’m going to share some tips that help me, and my clients to get just what they want – more energy! My goal is that you can take and use them and see how they help you as well!
Want more energy? Look at breakfast first.
There is a lot of confusion around breakfast. We used to (and still do) hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Then right after that, you hear about intermittent fasting and not eat breakfast right away and eat it later in the day, to understand it better, visit this page.
Confusing, right? Go here for useful information on intermittent fasting.
I’m not here to debate when to eat breakfast, because I truly believe you should find what works for you. I’ll share what works for me as an example, not as the rule.
Lately what works for me is eating a little snack before I work out in the morning. Then after my workout, I eat a good-sized breakfast.
This could look different in your life.
Whether you eat breakfast early or later, it really is the most important meal because it sets up your energy and your blood sugar regulation for the day.
Breakfasts that don’t leave you with energy
Let’s chat through some examples.
Picture a breakfast of just cereal. Not much protein, not much fat, and it’s mostly just carbs (and added sugar). That gets eaten quickly and then what happens? We’re hungry again 30-60 minutes later – no good! It’s not filling, it’s not going to keep us full, and what happens is our blood sugar rises quickly, then falls again quickly, leaving you with an energy crash.
The energy crash can be so common. If you’re looking to avoid it, let’s get into those strategies!
Breakfasts that do leave you with energy
Focus on fueling with protein, and fat, and if you can get some fiber in there as well, that’s even better. Add and utilize carbohydrates to serve you, but with the focus first, on those other three components, you’re going to have more lasting energy.
Carbohydrates are really important especially when you exercise. What I see often is that they are the only focus, again, leaving us not properly fueled.
Favorite breakfast protein options
Here are my current favorite breakfast protein sources:
Eggs
Eggs are a great source of protein, they are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and they are relatively inexpensive compared to other protein sources.
Try them scrambled, fried, or turned into an omelet.
Another favorite way to get eggs in without really noticing them is my banana custard oatmeal recipe (or the egg white version). The eggs simply get whisked into the oatmeal leaving it creamy and more protein-rich, compared to a plain bowl of oatmeal.
Breakfast meats
Breakfast meats, like chicken sausage, pork sausage, pork or turkey bacon, are really easy ways to add protein in along side other parts of your breakfast.
Maybe you pair it with some avocado toast and berries, or sautéed kale with avocado and your favorite breakfast meat. You’re getting wonderful protein and fat which will help you stay fuller longer.
Yogurt
Another easy protein-packed breakfast is yogurt! We typically buy plain full-fat organic yogurt that we will then sweeten with berries or jam, along with homemade granola. Did you know you can also make yogurt in the crockpot? Check out how to make yogurt at home!
I love to save yogurt and granola bowls for my more busy mornings, or when I’m just not in the mood to cook. Everyone in our house loves them, and because it’s such an easy option, we keep the house stocked with what we need for yogurt and granola bowls.
Looking for granola recipes? Try these!
- Healthy chocolate granola
- Hemp granola
- Chocolate peanut butter buckwheat granola
- Maple coconut peanut crunch granola
- Almond maple olive oil granola
Green protein smoothies
The last one I want to mention is smoothies! But not just any smoothie, green smoothies! Why not get some green goodness into your smoothies? Make sure to include a protein powder in there as well so that you are getting the staying power and fullness factor with your smoothie.
My rotation of protein powders includes a beef isolate, whey protein powder, and sometimes a vegan protein powder.
How much protein do you want to get at breakfast time?
A good general recommendation is around 20-25 grams of protein at breakfast. Now, this is a very generalized amount, and of course, if you want to know your personal recommendation, reach out! Your lifestyle, exercise, and more go into building those personalized needs for optimal health.
High protein breakfast recipes
I have a gift to send you! I put together a PDF of easy-to-make higher protein breakfast recipes. Simply enter your email address below and it will come straight to your inbox.
I want you to feel good and energized all day long. And it starts with breakfast! Be sure to fuel with protein, fat, and carbs as you need them.
Take notice if you have enough energy to do what you want to do. Did you just finish a workout? That’s a great time to get those carbohydrates in. Just like protein needs can be tailor to your lifestyle, so can carbs.
Feel energized all day long
I hope that these tips help you to feel energized and fueled at the start of your day. Remember, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. If we’re skimping on protein and fat we’re not going to stay full as long.
Here’s to feeling good and energized all day long!
Was this helpful? What questions do you still have? Leave a comment below and I’ll be here to answer them for you!
XO
Heather