When patients ask me the best food for them to eat in the morning, I think they're often surprised when I say “chicken.” To be honest, I haven't really had the nerve to say it to that many people, but it has been on my mind a lot.
Certain items are categorized as “breakfast foods,” while we would never dream of eating some others in the morning. But as a registered dietitian, I can tell you that starting your day with a high protein breakfast is very helpful for weight management – as opposed to such traditional breakfast foods as bagels, cold and hot cereal, waffles, pancakes, pastries and the like, all of which are very high in carbohydrates.
When we start the day with a high carbohydrate breakfast, our body needs to produce more insulin to keep our blood sugar down. When we have extra insulin circulating in our body, it actually makes us feel hungrier and crave more carbohydrates. If we start the day with a high protein breakfast, most people tend to feel more satiated and have an easier time staying on track during the day.
The only problem with this is that there are not that many proteins that we consider breakfast foods. I often recommend that my patients eat eggs for breakfast in whatever style they prefer, as they do not raise cholesterol. For variety, I often recommend other high protein options such as Greek yogurt or cottage cheese in the morning.
Why do we eat smoked salmon in the morning, but not other types of fish? And why do we eat eggs, but not chicken?
The answer, I suppose, is that “people don’t do that,” but I think we should start a trend of eating chicken for breakfast. There have been days where I have eaten a piece of chicken or rolled up a few pieces of turkey, and I am measurably better satiated throughout the day. (Of course, there are also days when I eat something with carbohydrates, whether it's popping a few pieces of fruit into my mouth that I'm cutting up for my daughter or – dare I admit – one of her Munchkins. By mid-morning, my stomach is literally growling.)
I challenge you to try this experiment yourself. Switch your breakfast over to something that's very high in protein, even if it's not a traditional breakfast food, and see how you feel during the day. My patients often start off worried about not having toast with their eggs, or that not having a carbohydrate breakfast will leave them too hungry. But each time the feedback that I receive is that they actually feel better and are less hungry during the day.
So why not try chicken for breakfast? Here are some high-protein, low-carb breakfast recipes, along with their calorie counts:
- Chicken and Spinach Egg Muffins
Ingredients and Calorie Count:
- 1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced (approx. 130 calories)
- 6 large eggs (approx. 420 calories)
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped (approx. 7 calories)
- 1/4 cup shredded cheese, optional (approx. 110 calories)
- Total calories: approx. 667 calories (about 111 calories per muffin if divided into 6 muffins)
- Without cheese: approx. 557 calories total (about 93 calories per muffin)
- Turkey and Avocado Breakfast Salad
Ingredients and Calorie Count:
- 4 oz. cooked turkey breast, diced (approx. 140 calories)
- 1/2 avocado, diced (approx. 120 calories)
- 1 cup mixed greens (approx. 5 calories)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (approx. 120 calories)
- Total calories: approx. 385 calories
- Salmon and Cucumber Roll-Ups
Ingredients and Calorie Count:
- 4 oz. smoked or grilled salmon (approx. 160 calories)
- 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced (approx. 8 calories)
- 2 tbsp. cream cheese or Greek yogurt (approx. 70 calories)
- Total calories: approx. 238 calories
- Turkey Sausage and Pepper Stir-Fry
Ingredients and Calorie Count:
- 1 turkey sausage link (approx. 100 calories, varies by brand)
- 1/2 bell pepper, diced (approx. 12 calories)
- 1/2 small onion, diced (approx. 20 calories)
- 1 cup spinach (approx. 7 calories)
- Total calories: approx. 139 calories
- Tuna and Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients and Calorie Count:
- 1 can of tuna, drained (approx. 120 calories)
- 2 hard-boiled eggs (approx. 140 calories)
- 1 tbsp. light mayonnaise or Greek yogurt (approx. 35 calories)
- Lettuce leaves (approx. 5 calories)
- Total calories: approx. 300 calories
These calorie counts can help you plan your meals to fit your dietary goals, keeping them high in protein and low in carbs. Good luck!
Elizabeth DeRobertis is a Registered Dietitian with the Scarsdale Medical Group. To make an appointment, call 914-723-8100.