Seriously though, is breakfast the most important meal of the day?
The age-old question: Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?
...Well, depending on the day you ask me, I will either be the first to a) exclaim "yes" or b) blurt a hearty "hell no!"
Through thirty-something years of diet trial, error, and everything in between, I've taken away one important thing: Too much sugar in my diet just does not work. When I have it, I want more. And more. Even so much as a few sugar packets in my coffee can ignite that addictive flame within! After about 20-minutes post-ingestion, I find myself ravenously hungry and craving/obsessing over anything containing the stuff. Or flour, for that matter. Or a combination of the two. Or a combination of the two...fried! You get the picture.
What has worked in curtailing my cravings and sugar binges is by following *to the very best of my ability* a lower-carb regimen filled with vegetables and healthy protein options, lightly sprinkled with dairy and whole grains. And by cutting down on the booze.
So, on those rare mornings where I allow myself to relish in a breva latte with a shit ton of sugar and salted butter-laden pancakes completely suffocated by 100% pure maple syrup, breakfast becomes the catalyst of a downward nutrtional spiral (a.k.a. moving from the most important meal of the day to, perhaps, the most detrimental). Outside of pancake cheat days, however, I'm always the first to agree that breakfast is, indeed, the most important meal of the day. Why? Because if you choose options that keep you full for a good three hours, you're less likely to snack before lunch.
Without further ado, here are three delicious items - beyond the scope of eggs and breakfast meats - that keep my blood sugar stable, satiate me until lunch and, generally, just make me really happy:
Brennan's Wholewheat Soda Bread
Be it my Irish roots, I love the texture and heaviness of (Irish) soda bread! It's incredibly filling, hearty, and I feel llike you can taste every grain kneaded within. The flavor is so much more alive and amplified than our crappy American white 'sandwich bread.'
Under normal circumstances, I'd poo-poo having toast for breakfast (especially the American variety), but Brennan's is loaded with fiber, has no added sugars, and is finished/sprinkled with all of these delicious little seeds and oats. So how do I take mine, you ask? Two slices lightly toasted, lathered with salted butter.
*To purchase Brennan's products in the U.S., click here*
Basic Power Granola
If you think the name is weird, the website is weirder. I found this granola at my local grocer and, on a whim, purchased it and brought it in to work to sprinkle atop yogurt. To say that I was skeptical AF was an understatement; I mean, just look at the packaging. It's so...basic.
Needless to say, this granola is so fricking delicious, that my coworkers and I cannot stop scratching our heads. How could something without sugar, nuts, and gluten be this good? Did I mention that it has 10g of protein and 7g of fiber per serving? Somebody pinch me!
Photo credit: Healthy Cookies Direct.
Modern Oats
I'm a big proponent of reading nutritional labels; especially ones containing ingredients that I can pronounce. Thank you, Modern Oats, for making the most wholesome, tasty, 'good for you' breakfast cereal that can be enjoyed both hot and cold. That's right, folks, I do the initial 'steep for 3-minutes with boiling water to the fill-line,' then drown mine with almond milk and stir to blend, thus creating a muesli-like slurry of pure, unadulterated heaven. What a treat!
Photo credit: Modern Oats
What do you enjoy for breakfast and how do you stay full until lunch without snacking? I'd love to hear from you!
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Until we eat again,
Lindsay, The Lunch Belle