This is an archived article and the information in the story may be outdated. Please check the time stamp on the story to see when it was updated last.
If you’re looking to improve your healthy habits, there’s nothing better for you than getting into the routine of having a nutritious breakfast. And according to diet experts, the best breakfast you can start your day with is something high in protein.
“When you wake up in the AM, you are a fat burning machine. Your first food intake should reflect your health goals.” Jay Cowin, Registered Nutritionist and Director of Formulations at ASYSTEM, told SheFinds. “If you want to lose weight, you need to use your sleeping fast to your advantage. Breakfast is exactly that: break the fast! You’ve been fasting all night, and in order to keep the fat burning going, you need to feed your body fuel that it won’t want to store. “
Jennifer Schultz, certified outdoors athletics educator and instructor from Outforia, advises that protein is an essential component to a healthy breakfast.
She told SheFinds, “Protein has been found to be a key nutrient for weight loss, as it helps to curb appetite, preventing us from overeating and keeping us full till lunchtime. It can boost metabolism, as our bodies burn more calories when metabolising proteins than carbohydrates and fats.
“Eggs are pretty much the perfect food, as they are incredibly nutritious, containing little bits of almost all the nutrients you need and are a great source of protein, keeping you and your muscles powered-up all day.”
Eggs contain B vitamins, vitamin D, zinc, iron and copper. A single egg can deliver about six grams of protein and just five grams of fat - which is very helpful for weight loss.
“Eggs are rich in high-quality protein and they contain all the essential amino acids that can rev up your metabolism and help you lose weight,” Kevin Daly, Marketing Manager Zevo Health, explained to SheFinds. “They are nutritious and keep you full much longer. Eggs are easy to prepare and cheap, that's why it's easy to incorporate them into your diet.”
Dr. Waqas Ahmad Buttar, family physician from Sachet Infusions, told us that the healthiest way to eat eggs is simply to scramble them.
He explained, “[Scrambling’ retains most of its proteins, minerals, and vitamins. A few vegetables like pepper, mushrooms, zucchini, and onions can also be added for more nutrients.”
The best thing about scrambled eggs is that they take less than ten minutes to prepare. You can eat them plain, or add vegetables as Dr. Buttar recommends. However, experts advise that you do not add cheese to your scrambled eggs to avoid overloading on calories and fat.
If scrambled eggs aren’t for you, there are still a ton of other healthy ways to prepare eggs.
Trista Best, Registered Dietitian at Balance One Supplements, recommends cooking omelettes because you can easily add more vegetables to increase nutritional value.
She explained, "Omelettes are an easy and tasty way to get in lean protein and vegetables. Both of which will help you with your weight loss efforts. The protein from the eggs and fiber from the vegetables will help keep you feeling full for longer periods of time which will offset your hunger and overeating throughout the day.”
Best recommends adding spinach to omelettes because it is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. If you’re looking for a new recipe to cook healthy omelettes, try out some of these recipes.
