Don't Skip Breakfast!

Photo: Maria Q

I almost never skip breakfast, even when I am in a hurry.

When I have skipped breakfast in the past, I am light-headed and have trouble concentrating. Eating breakfast usually means that a person will take in less calories over the course of the day. It's also been shown that people who regularly make a point to eat breakfast are about 30% less likely to be overweight. So now that it's been established that breakfast is an important meal, what should it consist of?


Try to eat breakfast at home. Eggs and veggies are a great combo and should keep you satisfied until lunch. Many mornings I opt for a large bowl of fruit. I like to include banana, pear, apple, strawberries and blueberries. I sprinkle crushed walnuts on top of this colorful bowl for an extra crunch that is filled with Omega 3's. This works great for me but I have some clients that prefer oatmeal or cereal. Choose cereals with a short, wholesome ingredient list (5 or less ingredients), low sugar and some fiber. Sprinkle blueberries and walnuts on top and you have a great meal.

photo: Maria Q

If you have must grab breakfast on the run, keep the following in mind. Fancy coffee drinks often have over 500 calories and are loaded with fat and sugar. Yogurt/granola combos often have 50-60g of sugar and 15g or more of fat! Donuts often contain over 20g of fat, 350 calories and 12g of sugar. A bagel and cream cheese breakfast can contain over 500 calories and provide enough carbs for more than half the day and over 15g of fat. What about muffins? Well, let's just say that muffins are basically cake in a cute round shape.

Eat breakfast! You will feel better and consume less throughout the day!

All Calories Are Not Created Equal

Do you count your calories?

It’s a good idea to learn approximately how many calories are in the foods we eat but I believe that counting calories is not such a great idea. First, most people underestimate the amount of calories in

their food and tend to not be able to accurately determine what a serving size is. In the end, although they are counting calories with all the best intentions, the numbers could be way off. 

Another issue that I have with people wanting to count calories is that I don’t think it is sustainable over a long period of time. I have met very few people that could do this for more than a few days. People tend to either quit after a couple days or get obsessed with calories when in reality they should be caring more about what kinds of food they are eating and NOT the number calories in the food. All calories are NOT created equal.

Which foods you choose to get your calories from will determine how full you get and also whether the calories will be used quickly by the body or stored as fat. When you eat empty calories (calories with little or no nutrients), your body usually begins to crave the missing nutrients. This often leads to overeating. Protein and foods high in fiber will keep you satiated longer. Foods that are mostly sugar lead to an increase in insulin and fat to be deposited into your body. 400 calories from donuts are not the same as 400 calories from a turkey and veggie omelette. As I said before, all calories are not created equal.

Sugar covered deep fried donuts.

2 egg omelette with turkey and veggies.

 Text and Photos by Maria