Easy Quick Breakfast Ideas

Today was my first day of class of my sophomore year of high school, and already I have been hearing of people skipping breakfast or just eating a banana and thinking that is enough. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day because how you start the day will define how the rest of your day goes! Especially in college, there isn't any time in between breakfast and lunch to refuel, so you need to eat a nice nutritious breakfast to hold you over for about four hours.

What you want in a breakfast is protein! Protein keeps you feeling satisfied for longer, so the more protein in your breakfast, the longer you can go before needing to put a morsel of food in your mouth.

You also want to add some type of carbohydrate to give you body quick energy so you can go to class with a clear mind and pay attention well!

Some good options are:

• Instant Oatmeal! Get plain instant oats and add your own flavors. Oatmeal doesn't have much protein so I like to add a scoop of an organic brown rice protein powder (you can use whey if you aren't lactose intolerant) that is vanilla flavored. Instant flavor! Also, sometimes, I like to use almond milk instead of water for a bit more of a wholesome taste.
• Kashi Cereals! My favorite is Kashi Go Lean Crunch! Not going to lie, the carbohydrates and the sugars are a bit high on this (39g and 13g respectively), but it has as much protein than an egg and 32% of your daily allowance of fiber, which is great! Again, I pair about 1/2 cup of this with 1/2 cup of almond milk (unsweetened).
• Luna Protein Bar and a Fruit! Luna protein bars are a great excuse for a granola/protein bar. Depending on the flavor you get, the caloric value differs, but it has your carbohydrates and proteins to get you through your morning classes. Because they are only around 170-190 calories a bar, I like to pair it with an apple or orange to get more energy!
• Boiled Eggs and fresh vegetables! This one sounds weird, but trust me! You can buy pre-made boiled eggs at most supermarkets and keep them in your refrigerator. Borrow (*wink wink*) a salt shaker from the dining hall if you don't like plain eggs and you have a VERY quick breakfast. I ate this yesterday with some carrots (weird, but it was the vegetable I bought this weekend) and found it keeping me satisfied all morning!
• Fruits and Nut Butters! All-natural almond/peanut/sunflower seed butters are a great source of protein (and fats!). Pairing 1-2 Tbsp with 1-2 fruits of your choice (bananas, apples, etc), you will feel so ready for class!

Don't think that in order to eat breakfast that you have to go to the dining hall! I have given you 5 (whoa, there's 5 school days!) different ways to spice up your morning and get yourself energized and ready to go for school. You have no more excuses...eat breakfast!

Carbohydrates: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?

Carbohydrates get a bad mark in weight loss. Since it is the primary source of energy for the body, a lot of people think that low-carb/no-carb diets are how you can trick your body into taking the fat storage as its primary source of energy.

Yes, there is some truth to that. But also, there is no reason to resort to low-carb because your body does need carbohydrates to function. So, let's go through the basics of carbohydrates.

*NOTE: If your doctor/dietitian has told you otherwise, please use their opinion over mine. This is for healthy adults, so those who may have had surgery or other health problems may not be able to follow this.

Who is carbohydrates for? Everyone. Just like protein, we need it to survive.

What are carbohydrates? Carbohydrates are an organic compound (meaning they only contain Carbon, Oxygen, and Hydrogen) in the form Cm(H2O)n. The simplest form of a carb is called a monosaccharide. Two monosaccharides are called disaccharides. These are what we usually hear about: lactose, sucrose, glucose, fructose, etc. 

Where do we get carbohydrates from? We get carbs from 4 different foods: starches, beans, fruits, and vegetables. Beans, fruits, and vegetables are always your good carbs (beans also have protein). Starches are where we see the separation of "good" carbs (complex carbohydrates) and "bad" carbs (simple carbohydrates). Your simple carbs are the white bread, pasta, refined sugar, and processed foods. Complex carbs are quinoa (also a complete protein), sweet potatoes, etc. 

When do we need to eat carbohydrates? Honestly, you can eat carbs with every meal. People will say no fruits after 3 pm. Others will say to cut out starches entirely. I agree that fruit after 3 pm is a bad idea because it will start to ferment in your stomach because it has to wait to be digested after your big lunch/dinner. Starches though are great as long as you eat the complex version (whole wheat) and in moderation.

Why do we need to eat carbohydrates? It is true that carbs aren't an essential nutrient for humans (meaning that carbs can by synthesized by the body). The body can get most, if not all, its energy from proteins and fats. Unfortunately, your brain cannot burn fat for energy and uses glucose as its energy source. Glucose is a disaccharide which is a carbohydrate. Therefore, for proper brain function, you need to provide your body with carbohydrates.

How much carbs do we need? 45-65% of your diet should be carbohydrate based. That doesn't mean you have to eat that many starches. Again, fruits and vegetables are also considered carbohydrates so incorporate those into your diet.

Protein: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How much?

The three food categories that make up our diet have been through a lot of turmoil. It is almost impossible to set exactly when to eat carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, let alone how much we should be eating. From the Paleo Diet, Dukan Diet, and Atkins, we see protein a lot. Everyone says that a high protein and low carb diet is what everyone should be eating.

In reality, only 10-35% of your daily caloric intake should be protein. That is when you are eating a balanced diet to maintain your weight. What if you are trying to lose weight? What if you are trying to build muscle? Diets become very complicated very fast. Here are the basics of what you need to know about protein in order to eat a balanced diet.

*NOTE: If your doctor/dietitian has told you otherwise, please use their opinion over mine. This is for healthy adults, so those who may have had surgery or other health problems may not be able to follow this.

Who is protein for? Protein is for everyone. We need it to survive.

What is protein? Proteins are a biochemical compound made up of polypeptides that are folded up into globular forms. A single polypeptide is made from a chain of amino acids that kind of act as DNA links: the order they are in determine what kind of protein that polypeptide will form into when it interacts with other polypeptides.

Where do we get protein from? Protein comes from meat, poultry, egg whites, beans, and quinoa. Other things like vegetables and nuts also have a bit of protein, but it isn't a complete protein.

When do we need to eat protein? The thing about protein is that you can eat it at every meal. When trying to maintain weight, protein can be eaten with any meal as long as it is only 10-35% of your daily caloric intake. When losing weight, protein is essential because it takes the body more energy (AKA calories) to digest it. Therefore, protein should be present in every meal and snack.

Why do we need protein? Your body needs proteins so that it can build new cells, maintain tissues, and make new proteins needed for specific basic bodily functions. For example, hemoglobin is a protein your red blood cells need so that your body can carry oxygen throughout itself.

How much protein do we need? Again, the recommendation is 10-35% of your daily caloric intake. If you are losing weight, one gram of protein per pound you weigh is more than enough to keep you going. Make sure you do not go over that amount because there is such a thing as too much protein.

Pre/Post Workout Meals

As more people start getting interested in nutrition and fitness, more people get confused on what exactly they should be eating every meal. The talk about pre- and post-workout meals has become really confusing for some. So here it is, simplified:

Pre-workout Meal

This meal is the meal eaten BEFORE a workout. It supplies your body with the nutrition needed to ensure optimal performance during the workout. There are 3 things you need to do to ensure optimal performance. First, you need to reduce muscle glycogen depletion. Second, you need to reduce muscle protein breakdown. Thirdly, you need to post workout cortisol levels. You are probably thinking that is too much science for me. BUT it is really easy to do these three things. All you need to do is provide your body with two things:

1. Carbohydrates
2. Proteins

All you need in your pre-workout meal is that: carbs and proteins. As long as you provide your body with that, you are on the right track. If you want to get specific, you need approximately a quarter of your body weight in each IN GRAMS. You can either have it in solid form 60-90 minutes before your workout, or you can have it in liquid form (like a protein shake) 30 minutes before your workout.

Post-workout Meal

This is the meal eaten AFTER a workout. It supplies your body with the right nutrition to aid in repairing, rebuilding, and recovering. You need to accomplish a few more than 3 things with this meal. You need to:

• replenish the muscle glycogen that was lost
• reduce the muscle protein breakdown
• increase muscle protein synthesis
• reduce muscle soreness and fatigue
• greatly enhance overall recovery
• reduce cortisol levels

It is exactly the same, though. To provide all of this to your body you need to give it 2 things:

1. Carbohydrates
2. Proteins

It is that simple. This meal should be eaten within the hour after your workout to ensure proper nutrient intake. Again, if you want to be more specific you need about a quarter of your body weight in each but you can up the carbohydrates to about half of your body weight in grams.

More Detailed Information

What exactly is this Glycemic Index?

The Glycemic Index (GI) has been the "new thing" on the nutrition newsfeed now. Most of the newest weight loss books have used it to determine what you should be eating and what you should avoid. The problem is that most people don't actually understand what the GI means and how it works. Even I sometimes don't understand it completely...and I'm studying to become a dietitian! So without further ado, here is a nice straight-forward way of explaining the Glycemic Index.

1. The GI ranks carbohydrates on a scale of 0 to 100 on how fast they raise your blood sugar levels after eating.
2. If the carbohydrate has a bigger number (70+), your body digests it really fast. Therefore, it spikes up your blood sugar level really fast as well.
3. If the carbohydrate has a lower number (55 or less), you body digests it slowly which produces a gradual spike in your blood sugar level.
4. You want to eat things that have a lower GI because they help control your appetite, delay hunger, and reduce insulin levels This is really good if you're a Type 2 diabetic or diabetes runs in your family (It runs in my family so this is really important for me).
5. Low GI Foods: bran, rolled oats, whole grain/wheat, most if not all vegetables, most fruits, hummus, wheat pasta, and most if not all beans

There you have it. A sure fire way to eat carbs and know that you are being healthy. Here is a full GI foods list if you want to see more foods that have low GIs as well as High GIs. Enjoy your carbs the right way from now on everyone!