It’s been proven time and time again.
A solid, nutritious breakfast will:
- stabilize blood sugar through the day
- ward off overeating as the day goes on
- eliminate cravings for sweets
- for the above reasons, be a powerful part of a weight loss or fat loss plan
And for the same reasons, no discussion of anything to do with diet and nutrition is complete unless it includes breakfast.
What if you don’t like to eat breakfast?
Let me answer this question with a question. Or two.
1) Do you have a weight problem?
2) Do you tend to eat more food late in the day and into the evening?
If you answered “Yes” to either of the above questions, then your habit of not eating breakfast may just be part of the problem.
Oftentimes women who say they don’t like to eat breakfast answer “yes” to question #2 – do you find yourself eating more later in the day and in the evening. I point out to them that they may well not like eating early in the day because they are still full or digesting from the night before.
This can set up a disastrous cascade of events. It can result in you experiencing minimal or no hunger early in the day, a missed opportunity for a nutritious breakfast. Then hunger emerges mid or late morning when it is less convenient for you to get your hands on quality foods for your first meal.
It can even show up as hunger later in the day never being quite satisfied. You know the feeling? I used to know it well in my days of “storing up calories” for the day to enjoy later. Resulting in multiple weight control challenges. Afternoon cravings. Evening munchies.
Amazing that something as simple as a stabilizing breakfast can ward off so many of these difficulties!
Some of my favorite breakfasts
Here are 3 of my current favorite choices for breakfasts. They fuel me up, satisfy, provide a solid base for blood sugar stabilization throughout the day, and are just plain fun to eat (one of my rules of eating ;-))
Steel Cut Oats: Also known as Irish Oats, steel cut oats are actually oat groats chopped into two or three pieces.
Steel-cut oats are full of nutritional value and are high in B-Vitamins, calcium, protein and fiber while unsaturated fat. Rolled oats are yum especially the old fashioned kind. I’ve just been on a roll with the steel cut!
Steel cut oats before cooking
Brown Rice Cream Cereal: You can find this on the market, though I’ve been known to coarsely grind my own brown rice in a pinch to make a pot of this favorite.
All the benefits of brown rice – and you can use a gazillion different varieties – in a warm, sweet, comfy bowl of morning delight. I like mine with a few raisens cooked in, a splash of almond milk, and other fruit I might have available. You can also find commercial varieties from Erewhon, Arrowhead Mills (“Rice and Shine” – what an upper!). Bob’s Red Mill makes an Organic Brown Rice Farina Creamy Rice Hot Cereal and I just saw some of same last week in the bulk bins at Whole Foods Market.
Cinnamon-Raisen Brown Rice Mochi: gluten, wheat, and dairy-free, mochi is sweet brown rice that has pounded and formed into flat, heavy cakes. Amazing that they puff up into such delightful, sweet and edible pillows!
These can be baked, pan puffed (they just puff up with heat, no fancy process needed), or added to soups, but my favorite preparation has been in my waffle iron. I simply cut the mochi brick into rectangles, slice into half thickness, plop them into the waffle iron (leave room between chunks as they puff and grow!) and in minutes, mochi waffles.
Crisp on the outside, sweet and chewy on the inside. Don’t even need syrup, although of course they don’t complain much if you splash on a little something.
Talk about "fun" food! Try mochi
Not only that, but mochi comes in plain (great for dumplings), cashew date, and for those truly decadent Sunday mornings, chocolate brownie.
Not only that, but mochi comes in plain (great for dumplings), cashew date, and for those truly decadent Sunday mornings, chocolate brownie.
Grainassance mochi comes in neat little packages
Lani, Thanks so much for posting this. And thanks again for the reminder to eat steel cut oats! I love them – with any kind of fruit. I actually cut up a kiwi and added that the other day- just because it was handy – and I loved it. I definitely have to try the mochi. I have never even heard of it before. And my daughter left her waffle iron at my place – I think I won’t remind her where it is. lol
@Nancy Miller: Kiwi, what a great idea! I don’t think I’ve tried the combo but it sounds yums. Kind of like your own key lime breakfast pie – the oats are so sweet.
I know old fashioned rolled oats are standard and I love ’em, but something about those steel cuts has real lasting power.
Good score on the waffle iron! Let me know if you can find the mochi.
thanks Nancy,
Lani
Hey Lani,
Thanks for the breakfast tips,I will see if I can find some those products. My waffle iron bit the dust, so that is on my Christmas list. I get into a rut sometimes though I always have breakfast.
I love TH, it keeps me going and accountable.
Maggie
@Maggie Chilcote: Hey Maggie! Sometimes ruts at brekkie can be good – if it is a quality rut! It can keep things easy.
Glad TH is going well for you! Keep up the good work and thanks for posting!
Lani
Dear Lani,
Thanks a lot for this great advice with the brown rice! I will go to get some for our breakfast. I usually have my oatmeal the Scottish way: I cook it with milk and let it simmer for 20 minutes or so. However, I am using the oatmeal we have here in Germany which is a bit different from the one in the USA …
Best regards from Germany!
Andrea
@Andrea Berthold-Rupp: Hey Andrea! You won’t believe this but I had just gotten off the phone with one of my clients in Germany what I was your comment. Small world, indeed!
I’m interested to know what the German oats scene is like. Is it rolled? Chopped? Can you link to a picture? Curious!
Thanks so much for sharing – it sounds like you’ve got breakfast sewn up!
Bis spater,
Lani
@Lani: Wow, this is funny! Is this a T-Tapp client and if yes maybe we can get in touch with each other? I have a few friends who are interested in T-Tapp and I sometimes train with them (I am a Trainer-in-training mentored by our dear Kirsten Tucker). Any new T-Tappers are welcome!
Coming back to your question: Our oatmeal is not rolled, it’s like oat flakes. They look like this: http://www.lebensmittellexikon.de/bilder/h000048a.jpg
By the way, maybe you remember me – I was at the Retreat in SF and told you -waiting in line for Teresa’s and the Thyroid lady’s autograph- that I’d like to come to your retreat, but that it was too far …
Bis bald,
Andrea
@Andrea Berthold-Rupp: Andrea, where are you in Germany? I can let her know about you and ask if she’d like to contact you.
Yes, now I remember we met! Far away indeed!
Lani
@Lani: Lani, I live in the blackforest, very close to Karlsruhe! Maybe she lives closeby, who knows?
Andrea
Do you get Mochi in the health food store? Where would it be shelved? Thx
@Laura Roggi: I’ve seen it in natural food stores and Whole Foods Markets, it’s refrigerated. Maybe call ahead?
Lani
Lani,
Now I know what Mochi is! I saw a commerical tonight for a coffee flavoring called “Carmel Mochi” and had NO idea what mochi was! Hmm…I may have to try and find that somewhere. I like that it is gluten free too! Thanks!
Nancy
@Nancy (nelie): Hey Nancy, you’re kidding! What a sweet meeting of events!
Hope you find some mochi – and let me know what you think!
Thanks for your post,
Lani
Thanks, Lani. I found it at Whole Foods, right by the tofu. Haven’t bought it yet, because I wasn’t sure what the shelf life would be, and right now I am avoiding all grains.
Hey Laura,
That’s great that you found them! I find they have a pretty good shelf life if unopened – AND I’ve popped them into the freezer, too!
Let me know when you end up trying them. I just froze a cinnamon-raisen and then popped it into my luggage to take on our dive trip!
Lani
Thanks for the recipes Lani!
One of my favorites is ‘Nut Butter’
Ground in my coffee grinder or Magic Bullet:
Raw Almonds
Raw Coconut
Raw Sunflower seeds
Raw Coco Nibs loptional…but great anti-oxidant & vegetarian Vit E too!)
(spoon of honey)
Spread on your most healthy Toast!
Have a cup of Java and enjoy!
Thanks very much Angélique! Sounds like a tasty recipe 😉
This sounds great!
Thanks,
mytophealthyrecipes.com