How Much Protein To Eat In The Morning
“Eating 15 to 30 grams of protein at breakfast is a great way to regulate your blood sugar and stay satisfied and focused throughout the morning,” says Kelsey Lorencz, a registered dietitian and founder of Eating With Heart Nutrition. “Protein helps to slow down the digestion and absorption of carbs, so you’ll feel more energized and alert after your meal.”
Bonus? If you want to lose weight, protein has the added benefit of helping you preserve lean muscle mass while losing fat, she notes. While the actual amount of protein you need depends on your current body weight, Lorencz says including at least 15 to 20 grams in your meals and an extra five to 10 grams in your snacks can help you maintain energy throughout the day.
Jamba Juice’s Berry Berry Coconut Chia Pudding Cup
220 calories, 12 g fat , 55 mg sodium, 28 g carbs , 4 g protein
Balance out a week of egg sandwiches with a chia pudding breakfast. Filled with fiber and omega-3’s, chia seeds are a weight-loss staple. They’re paired with antioxidant-rich strawberries, blueberries, and coconut, making this menu item tasty AND healthy.
Why Is Protein Important
When it comes to protein, getting enough at breakfast and throughout the day can make all the difference in your weight-loss success. Protein digests slowly, which helps to keep you feeling fuller for longer. By including protein-rich foods at every meal, you’re more likely to feel satisfied, rather than starved, which is especially important when eating fewer calories to lose weight. Aim to get at least 50 grams of protein per day.
The high-protein, low-carb breakfast ideas in this plan show you all the delicious meals you can make when following a low-carb diet for weight loss. With everything you need to get started-the ingredients to use, the recipes to try and tips for how to take these low-carb breakfasts on the go-you’ll have no reason not to eat breakfast.
See what a full day looks like:7-Day High-Protein, Low-Carb Meal Plan at 1,200 Calories
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Healthy Fast Food Breakfast Options: From Mcdonald’s To Starbucks
For the person on-the-go, grabbing a quick breakfast from your local Starbucks is a necessary evil. However, it does not have to be a bad thing, as there are healthy options in many of our favorite fast food restaurants.
In the 2019 Food and Health Survey from the International Food Information Council 23 per cent of American consumers said they actively sought out healthy food, most often to receive the benefits of weight loss, energy, digestive health, and heart health.
This, and the growing focus on plant-based diets, has prompted restaurants up their game when it comes to their breakfast offerings.
Dietician Sylvia Melendez-Klinger, MS RD, said some brands like McDonald’s can offer brilliant breakfast options for those in a pinch, and that trying to get meals rather than just quick bites is the key to feeling fuller for longer.
She told Newsweek: “Although you can make most menu items healthy my personal top choice is actually a breakfast meal. I fully believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, providing you with the energy to tackle your day and kickstarting your metabolism.”
From oatmeal to egg white muffins, we run through some of the healthiest breakfast options out there and speaks to experts about what you should look out for.
Mcdonalds Scrambled Eggs And English Muffin
McDonalds can prepare scrambled eggs for you and serve them with an English muffin. This is an excellent source of protein which should satisfy your hunger until lunch time. Instead of dousing your English muffin with butter, add a touch of jelly for flavor. You may want to save half of your English muffin for the following morning.
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Taco Bell’s Breakfast Soft Taco
240 calories, 14 g fat , 580 mg sodium, 15 g carbs , 11 g protein
This menu item is somewhere in between a taco, an omelet, and a quesadilla. It doesn’t matter what you call it, though, because you get eggs, bacon, and cheddar cheese for only 240 calories! Since other breakfast menu items are creeping up to a whopping 700 calories, this is your best bet from Taco Bell.
Chipotle Salad Or Bowl
Chipotle is a Mexican fast-food restaurant that has become extremely popular.
Many people consider it healthier than other chains, as it uses high-quality ingredients and emphasizes animal welfare and sustainable farming practices.
Chipotle also makes it very easy to create low-carb meals.
A salad with meat or chicken, grilled vegetables, and guacamole contains 14 grams of total carbs, 8 of which are fiber.
This meal also provides about 30 grams of high-quality protein.
A high protein and fiber intake can increase your production of the gut hormones peptide YY and cholecystokinin , which tell your brain youre full and help prevent overeating .
Though vinaigrette is available, generous servings of guacamole and salsa make salad dressing unnecessary.
Additionally, Chipotle has a helpful online nutrition calculator that allows you to see the exact carb content of your meal.
SUMMARY Select a salad with meat, vegetables, salsa, and guacamole for a satisfying meal with 6 grams of digestible carbs.
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Jamba Juice Protein Berry Workout Smoothie
Packed with berries and bananas, this smoothie comprises mostly natural sugars. Its also low in fat and sodium.
As a bonus, this smoothie can be ordered with either whey or pea protein and is blended with soy milk, making it appropriate for plant-based diets. One 16-ounce smoothie contains :
- Calories: 300
Low Calorie Wendys Breakfast
Classic Bacon, Egg, & Cheese: 320 Calories, 17g Fat, 25g Carbs, 18g Protein
Wendys offers many different breakfast sandwiches on a breakfast roll, croissant, or biscuit. It comes as no surprise that the croissant and biscuit sandwiches are all a bit higher calories, so your best bet is to stick with this classic breakfast sandwich on a roll.
At only 320 calories, its a fantastic low-calorie breakfast option. The same bacon, egg, & cheese on a biscuit will be 420 calories, and the croissant will be 410 calories. All in all, those are all good options!
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Mcdonald’s Egg Mcmuffin With No Butter
McDonald’s is the king of fast food and the first to come up with fast food breakfast, so it only makes sense that they would be included. Along with the hashbrowns and bacon, egg and cheese biscuit, McDonald’s breakfast includes some healthy options. The Egg McMuffin is a tasty breakfast choice, and if you order it without butter, it’s under 300 calories. This will add up to 280 calories, 11 grams of fat , 30 grams carbs, and a whole 17 grams of protein. An alternative option would be getting a side of scrambled eggs, an English muffin, and strawberry preserves for around 350 calories and much less sodium than the McMuffin.
Have Some Fun With Chocolate On A Morning
Who said that you needed to avoid chocolate while losing weight? In a small amount, dark chocolate is good for you. But I do say in a small amount.
This breakfast idea will give you all the chocolate you need while adding protein to the start of your day.
Chop up some apple slices and top them with some granola and chocolate. You get the protein out of the granola while getting plenty of fiber from the apples. You also get a sweet start to the day, so youre less likely to crave it later.
These apple bites can be made the night before. Just make sure they stay in an air-tight container, so the apples remain fresh. You can take them on the go and enjoy some leftovers as a snack if you need them!
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Smoothie King Original High
Dietitian Lindsey Pine, RDN, recommends this classic smoothie because it’s a good balance of carbs, healthy fats, and protein.
If you need something quick and easy, this one’s for you. Just note that the smoothie gets its protein from whey, so proceed with caution if you’re lactose-intolerant.
Per 20-oz smoothie: 350 calories, 12 g fat , 37 g carbs, 23 g sugar, 230 mg sodium, 5 g fiber, 28 g protein
Drink Your Protein On A Morning
Smoothies do offer an excellent and quick way to start the morning. One of the best things about them is that you can make them the night before and keep them in the fridge overnight. Just pull them out and drink your breakfast.
Do watch out with smoothies. While they are good, you can consume more calories than you need. Our bodies dont quite register that were full right away because were not chewing the food. We also have a habit of throwing far more portions of fruit and vegetables into smoothies, meaning that we get more than we need.
Smoothies tend to be high in fiber, but you can add the protein by using milk instead of water. Youll get plenty of calcium this way. You can also add peanut butter to add more protein to your morning!
Dont forget about some crushed nuts and seeds to your smoothies for the added protein.
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Good High Protein Fast Food Vs Bad Protein: Is It A Myth Or A Fact
All of the questions, as mentioned earlier, are important. Proteins do not vary so much in quality compared to carbohydrates and saturated fats. But then again, theres a smidge of a difference between the type of proteins and the actual source of proteins.
So, when we say that as long as it is the correct type of high-protein fast food consumed in moderation, it could be interpreted into many things.
Back in the late 90s, you might be able to recall the Atkins Diet fad. This diet was ideal for people with day jobs or odd office timings, folks who could not dedicate a lot of time to daily workout regimens at their gym. Essentially, any Atkins Diet consisting of clean food with high protein and low carb meal plans was good.
While looking for reliable high-protein fast food sources, you cant completely overlook the importance of an exercise routine. However, much later, it was determined by the researchers at The Nutrition Business Journal Co. that taking high-quality proteins is equally important as any high-intensity workout. Both aspects of this equation go hand in hand.
If you cannot keep up with your fitness goals, such as X percentage of weight loss in Y number of months, despite relying on high protein fast food, you need to hit the gym. If going to a gymnasium isnt a plausible option, then make sure you are doing cardio or some strenuous workout at home and that too daily.
Low Calorie Subway Breakfast
Egg White & Cheese Flatbread: 350 Calories, 11g Fat, 44g Carbs, 18g Protein
Subways breakfast menu is quite limited, with the only current options being breakfast flatbreads. The lowest-calorie breakfast option at Subway is actually the egg & cheese flatbread, which contains 450 calories. However, they offer the option to swap the eggs for egg whites, which brings the calories down to 350 calories total.
If you make that same egg white swap for the Bacon, Egg, & Cheese, as well as the Hame, Egg, & Cheese, those options will be 430 and 390 calories, respectively.
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Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Theres nothing like a peanut butter banana smoothie in the morning.
It gets you ready and is packed with healthy fats and fiber to keep you full for a couple of hours.
You can even add in some protein powder if you want something thats going to really help power your breakfast and fuel your muscles for the day.
Chia seeds are also great because they add some texture not to mention, they provide tons of nutrients like calcium and iron.
You can also make an entire blenders worth and then pour some for yourself in the morning.
Start Your Day With An Omelet
Eggs are one of the best ways to get protein into your diet. Theyre not vegan-friendly, but they are vegetarian-friendly. Theyre also paleo and Atkins friendly, along with many other diets out there. So, its time to stock up on them in your kitchen.
Yes, eggs used to get a bad reputation. They were full of cholesterol, but it turns out that they are full of good cholesterol. You can lower the amount that you get, too, by only using the egg whites. The yolk is the bit with the worst stuff in .
Its worth starting your morning with an omelet. You can cook it all in one pan and use as many vegetables as you want. Just use two or three eggs with some chopped peppers, mushrooms, and onions.
You can also add some ham or bacon if you want to add more protein to your omelet. If youre going to use meat, make sure its the lean varieties.
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Which Fast Food Chain Has The Healthiest Breakfast Sandwich
Panera Bread Power Breakfast Bowl
Panera Bread is a café-style restaurant featuring sandwiches, pastries, soups, salads, and coffee.
Most of the breakfast items are high in carbs. However, two selections from their menu work well for a low-carb morning meal.
The Power Breakfast Egg Bowl with Steak features steak, tomatoes, avocado, and 2 eggs. It provides 5 grams of carbs and 20 grams of protein.
The Power Breakfast Egg White Bowl with Turkey contains egg whites, spinach, bell peppers, and basil for 7 grams of carbs and 25 grams of protein.
Starting the day with a high-protein breakfast promotes feelings of fullness and decreases appetite by reducing levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin .
SUMMARY Select an egg-based breakfast with meat and vegetables at Panera Bread to keep carb intake low and control hunger levels.
Burger Kings Bacon Double Cheeseburger Without Ketchup And Fries
Although the ketchup and fries combo takes the sting out of any burger, we recommend doing so to maintain a guilt-free diet.
Coming in hot at 390 calories, 21 grams of fat, and 24 grams of protein, the Bacon Double Cheeseburger is a decent substitute for anyone thinking of his ideal high-protein fast food menu on a cheat day. Of course, anything we mention or talk about in this post is only to be consumed fortnightly. Repeating the same diet will hinder your fitness or ongoing weight loss goals.
Word of Caution
In all honesty, high-protein fast food meals are not recommended to be consumed daily. The reason is the accompanying carbs, saturated and trans fat that come with the high protein amount. Halfway through their fitness goals, people know that protein without fats and minimum calories are the ideal goals each day.
If you are craving burgers, sandwiches, and a little bit of extra food on the side, do so during your cheat meal days. In the end, consistency in your diet and exercise program will earn you that V-tapered physique.
Dunkin’ Donuts Ham Egg And Cheese Wakeup Wrap
This Dunkin’ classic has everything you need for a quick morning bite. Rather than going for the bagel sandwich or apple cider donut, opt for the healthy, protein-packed Wakeup Wrap. This contains an egg, cheese, and ham, but you can also get another protein like sausage, bacon, or turkey sausage. With under 200 calories, 15 g carbs, 600 mg sodium and 9 grams of protein, this one is hard to beat.
Type Of High Protein Fast Food To Order At A Restaurant
Whether it is a fitness goal youre trying to achieve or looking to maintain a lean figure, proteins are part of the diet staple these days. On top of that, it takes a sheer amount of hard work, a consistent exercise routine, and deliberate planning to achieve your fitness goals. Although we arent direct advocates of exercise and fitness, we understand the importance of both in every persons life. After all, Blink is about making the right choices as a restaurateur looking to expand their business or just an ordinary person on the prowl for healthy food. Today, speaking of healthy food, we will talk about the importance of high protein fast food. Theres no harm or shame in consuming fast food with a side of condiments. Everyone does it these days. Some people love fast food to the extent that their body goes to a tipping point where weight maintenance becomes an issue.
Others consume fast food every once in a while to not deteriorate from their long-term fitness goals.
Since proteins are essential to muscle growth and reduced-fat aggregation, are there good quality vs. bad quality proteins? And in terms of high protein fast food, which type of fast food is right for you?
Starbucks’ Hearty Blueberry Oatmeal
“This is a solid fast food breakfast pick. It’s based on whole grain oats, which provide health-protective soluble fiber,” says Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN, plant-forward culinary nutritionist, and author of The Clean & Simple Diabetes Cookbook. “It’s got blueberries, which are loaded with anthocyanins, the plant pigment that’s associated with reducing risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and more. And you’ll also find some dried figs, dried cranberries, pepitas, and almonds.”
For Newgent, the customizable nature of this breakfast is also a huge plus. “You can customize the oatmeal to boost nutrient richness, like by adding more blueberries and a nut medley,” she adds.