A Healthy Breakfast Habit Starts Young
The most important thing is to make breakfast a habit, and keep it going.
Here are two free printable tools full of breakfast ideas for the toddler and the school-age child.
While these may not be as high in protein as the ideas listed above, they all have a protein source to offer up similar benefits on fullness and appetite regulation.
I love the family-style approach to meals and this includes breakfast, too.
In a nutshell, you set the menu, your child chooses from the options youve planned.
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Bowl
Pumpkin and bananas offer sustaining fiber while the addition of protein powder makes this recipe a total win-win for your morning meal. Its full of fall flavors but is light and refreshing enough to be enjoyed any time of the year. This plant-based recipe by Hummusapien also features a touch of almond butter for satiating healthy fats!
Vegan Mediterranean Breakfast Skillet Recipe
Utilizing a cast-iron pan to prepare this breakfast skillet helps crisp the small diced sweet potatoes and chickpeas while browning the Beyond Meat® and artichokes.
Although we used a plant-based meat alternative, you can substitute any meat you’d like and top it off with poached eggs or scrambled eggs on the side.
Try it with:
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Overnight Cake Batter Oatmeal
Protein-packed oatmeal is a great way to stay full all morning and ensure you get your fiber first thing in the day too. But who says oatmeal has to be boring? Whip up this lean muscle-building Overnight Cake Batter Protein Oatmeal by the Dashing Dish which may taste like dessert but contains no sugar!
Life And The Circadian Rhythm
The human body typically follows the same natural 24-hour pattern each day. This is the bodys circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm influences the behavior of cells and body chemistry, affecting processes such as metabolism, digestion, and growth.
Certified nutritionist and acupuncturist Dr. Jerry Bailey, who was not involved in the study, explained to Medical News Today why it is important to respect the bodys circadian rhythm:
Keeping our natural light dark circadian cycle in tune is essential to both short-term and long-term health. We see in shift workers, in particular night shift, that their health, neurological , hormonal, and immunological depletion.
Chrononutrition is a research field that explores the possible benefits of aligning the consumption of foods with the circadian rhythm.
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High Protein Breakfast Improves Daily Fullness
What is the number one struggle while on a diet? For many people, the resounding answer is hunger, which leads to binge eating and eventually cheat meals and cessation of the diet altogether.
Quite simply, when you are in a calorie deficit, your body signals that it wants more food with greater frequency and intensity. Its just a basic survival mechanism which is inbuilt in our brain. Years ago, this would of saved us from starvation, illness and death.
While eliminating total hunger may not be possible during strict and hardcore diets, a high protein breakfast will help you reduce it as much as possible, while keeping you fuller and more satiated throughout the day.
Interestingly, in a 2009 study, researchers found that a high protein breakfast provided the greatest impact on levels of fullness compared to other meals . So, this shows a high protein breakfast is likely the most important meal during a diet for reducing hunger.
This could be significant, as feeling full earlier on in the day could prevent you from eating more as the day goes along.
This phenomenon was actually found in a follow up study by the same lab.
In that study, compared to skipping breakfast or a low protein breakfast, a high protein breakfast curbed daily hunger and desire to eat, decreased evening brain-driven food cravings, and decreased unhealthy evening snacking on high fat/sugar foods by about 200 kcals .
A Brief Primer On Muscle Protein Synthesis
When you eat a meal containing protein, it starts the process of building muscle and preventing breakdown, a process that is referred to as protein synthesis. This is the key underpinning mechanism for recovery and the growth of new and bigger muscle fibers. If you want to grow, you must optimize Muscle Protein Synthesis.
To get the most effective spike in protein synthesis, most people will want to aim for 25-35 grams of a high quality protein source, or enough protein to get 2-3 grams of the amino acid leucine. This is one reason we add extra Leucine to PRE-KAGED, as studies showy that, even if your total protein intake is low pre-workout, extra Leucine can significantly increase MPS.
Protein synthesis follows a wave pattern, being elevated when you consume a protein source, and falling when you have not eaten for a while. This is where the whole eating every 3 hours concept stems from, since protein synthesis tends to stay elevated for 3 hours post protein consumption and then starts to decline.
Burd, N. A., Tang, J. E., Moore, D. R., & Phillips, S. M. . Exercise training and protein metabolism: influences of contraction, protein intake, and sex-based differences. Journal of Applied Physiology, 106, 1692-1701.
In other words, if you want to optimize recovery, muscle growth and protect your body from protein breakdown , then stimulating MPS at several points per day is key, especially at breakfast!
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Best Bulking Breakfast Ideas To Maximize Your Gains
For those who are bulking up, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. When you are trying to add muscle, you need to be eating as quality food as you can. Unfortunately, many people struggle to estimate their calorie needs, or their kitchen skills could use their own workout. When it comes to breakfast, the common complaint is lack of time, which is why this meal is the one we often skip or skimp.
If this resonates with you, please read on. In this post, well discuss the concept of bulking and estimating energy requirements then, well share the 7 best breakfast bulking meals that are delicious and will have you eager to start your day.
The Body Changes Slowly
There is no get-rich-quick scheme for weight gain or weight loss. In order to obtain a maintainable change, your body needs time to adjust. For muscle gain specifically, its best to think in years not months. It takes hard work and dedication to build muscle and maintain muscle mass. If it were easy, wed see everyone rocking big biceps and six-pack abs.
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Easy Breakfast Hash With Sweet Potato And Chicken Sausage
While eggs are considered to be a complete protein because they contain all nine essential amino acids, getting additional protein and amino acids from other sources, like chicken sausage, ensures you are consuming adequate amounts of these essential nutrients. The egg and chicken sausage in this recipe provide ample protein and are complemented by the carbohydrate and fiber in the sweet potato.
Additionally, sweet potatoes are a source of potassium, a micronutrient that aids in muscle contractions and is lost through sweat. When doing intense sweat-inducing exercise, especially in hot and humid climates, you may lose enough potassium to impact the functioning of your muscle, so it is essential to choose potassium-rich foods to replenish what may be lost during exercise. While potassium on its own won’t build stronger muscles, having adequate amounts of this electrolyte in your system can help with proper muscle firing during exercise, helping you reach your full potential each training session.
Greek Yogurt With Pineapple Kiwi Mango And Ginger Syrup
This recipe is packed with protein from Greek yogurt, carbohydrate from fruit and granola, and antioxidants from the variety of fruit included. For those watching their sugar intake closely, simply reduce the amount of homemade ginger syrup you drizzle over your yogurt.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e
Similar to potassium, antioxidants on their own won’t lead to stronger muscles, but they still play an important role in the muscle-building process. Exercise can cause oxidative stress in your body, and while this is a normal physiological process, too much can hamper your muscle-growth goals. The antioxidants found in fruit and other foods, like vegetables and nuts, help to buffer the oxidate stress and free radicals produced by exercise, which can enhance your muscle recovery between workouts. Aim for at least 5 cups total of fruits and veggies each day to help meet your antioxidant and fiber needs.
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Day : Get Shredded Berry Blast Super Shake
Sometimes, a decent smoothie is all you need. A great substitute for hot food, a protein shake containing 50 grams of whey protein, with the fiber-and-antioxidant benefits from berries, offers a breakfast that is both convenient and nutritionally sound.
1 cup blueberries
1 cup strawberries
1 tablespoons ground flaxseed
Nutritional Information: Calories: 423 | Protein: 50 g | Carbohydrates: 39 g | Fat: 7.5 | Fiber: 10
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Travis Rathbone
Avocado Toast With Cottage Cheese
This quick and easy toast is great for breakfast or a snack, perfect for those busy weekday mornings. The cottage cheese is packed with protein and compliments the avocado with delightful sweetness, all on a bed of whatever bread you fancy. Balanced, easy and delicious- youll find yourself making this toast most mornings!
Carbohydrate: HighContains: Calcium, Potassium
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Morning Healthy Muesli Recipe
If you’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth but didn’t meal prep your pancakes, grab this easy on-the-go muesli recipe. A triple punch of protein with oats, nuts, and seeds, plus plant-based protein powder on top of that, this quick recipe will keep you full all morning without any cooking involved.
Average protein per serving: 30 grams.
Protein At Breakfast And Body Weight
Researchers from the University of Missouri suggest breakfast for teenagers focus on a high protein content, specifically containing around 30 grams of protein.
This dose has been found to improve blood sugar control, slow fat gain, and encourage a healthy body weight.
This may be particularly helpful for teens who carry extra weight.
Personally, I encourage my own teens and the teens I work with to target a protein source in their breakfast every day.
I teach them to plan the high protein food first, then work in the other food groups such as fruit, grains and dairy.
You can read more about my meal planning strategy for kids in my article, Balanced Meal Plans for Kids.
This way, a protein-packed breakfast is always prioritized.
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More Tips For Building Lean Muscle Mass:
- plain non-fat yogurt and low-fat yogurt made without sugar
- cage-free eggs or egg whites
- legumes like lentils and chickpeas
- natural peanut butter or almond butter
- wild-caught fish
- hemp seeds and chia seeds
- grass-fed whey protein isolate powders
Remember to avoid lunch meats and fried meats at all costs. Here are some high-protein meals for under 400 calories each
3. Fill your plate up with greens and veggies at each meal. Complement the rest of your dish with a small side of fruit or some complex carbs like wild rice, oats, sweet potato, or quinoa.
4. For dessert, reach for 90% or higher cacao content dark chocolate and a piece of fruit instead of candy or cakes.
5. Add in 2 tablespoons of ground flax and/or chia seeds to your diet daily to boost your fiber intake as well as plant-based omega-3 fatty acids.
Finally, lets not forget about exercise! Check out these 5 Fitness and Nutrition Hacks to Build Muscle Fast for some simple fitness tips to boost muscle growth even more.
Meal Plan For Muscle Gain: How Much Protein Do You Really Need
f youre looking to gain muscle, you might find yourself asking, How much muscle can I gain in a month? and, How much protein do I need to do that? The short answer is that both of these numbers depend on a number of factors like weightlifting experience level and genetics. For example, a new lifter can expect to gain as much as 2-3 pounds in a month, an intermediate might gain 1-2 pounds in a month and an experienced lifter may be lucky to gain ½ a pound.
Assess where you are with weightlifting and strength training in order to set realistic goals around muscle gain. Understand that if you would like to gain 10 pounds of mostly muscle mass, it might take 6 months or more.
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Fast High Protein Muscle Building Breakfast Ideas
Do you bang your head against the wall trying to figure out the best ways to squeeze in a muscle building breakfast without having a significant amount of time? Its tough to find ways to support recovery from your brutal workouts with little-to-no time on the mornings for lengthy prepping, cooking and cleaning.
Crappy, so called convenience health foods have flooded the market promising you endless energy and high amounts of protein. In reality, these foods rarely provide a protein count in the double digits and leave you feeling hungry. If you arent careful youll find yourself hitting the vending machine or choosing other unhealthy options which will wreak havoc on your physique.
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Option : Breakfast Of Champions
This is a great option for people who arent put off by the idea of eating meat in the morning. Frying up a grass-fed fillet steak with some almonds and greens beans to serve with it is one of the best ways to start the day.
Here are some other options to try:
- Lean cut of red meat or oily fish e.g. fillet steak, venison, buffalo, salmon
- Small handful of nuts e.g. almonds, walnuts, cashews or pecans
- Handful of greens e.g. spinach, green beans, kale.
Try these Steak and Peanut Butter Skewers, for a tasty and convenient way to eat meat and nut for breakfast.
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Chickpea Scramble Breakfast Bowl
This high protein breakfast requires a little more effort, but its definitely worth it. It is the vegans answer to scrambled eggs, with just as much protein and flavour. Instead of using eggs, you just need a jar of chickpeas. The dose of turmeric and garlic add a delicious flavour that coats the protein-packed chickpeas to a tee.
Carbohydrate: LowContains: Potassium, Iron, Magnesium
Option : The Quick Fix
A common question we receive from clients is what to eat if training at 6 or 7 am, and eating something like option 1 just isnt on the cards.
The easiest breakfast to prepare and more importantly, digest quickly is the following:
- 1-2 scoops of whey isolate
- 1-2 tbsp almond butter
To make this taste a little more exciting, try making a protein pudding by mixing the two into a bowl with just enough water to make a chocolate fondant-like consistency.
You could also try this protein and nut butter mocha shake, incorporating your morning coffee into this tasty recipe.
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Our Favorite Meals For Muscle Gain
Let us start by saying that when youre trying to gain muscle, your meal might not always be pretty. Its more important that they are nutritionally dense with protein and healthy carbs. If youre serious about building muscles, we suggest getting into a meal prep routine. Cook foods like brown rice and chickenevery bodybuilders go-toin large batches and portion it out for the week.
Here are some of my favorite meals that help with muscle gain:
- Breakfast: We love steel cut oats with blueberries, nuts and seeds with hard-boiled eggs and a banana on the side. This is a great breakfast option regardless of your current goals because its delicious and keeps you full until lunch. You can adjust the portion size depending on what youre working on at the moment.
- Lunch: For lunch, try chicken breast with brown rice and plenty of veggies like broccoli, brussel sprouts or green beans.
- Snack: Keep hard boiled eggs on hand for snacks. Also reach for nutsalmonds or walnutsand raw veggies with dip between meals.
- Dinner: Dinner can look a lot like lunch. We love grilled salmon with brown rice and veggies. Evening workouts are great if youre looking to gain muscle mass. Following the workout, try to eat dinner and get into bed ASAP so your muscles can start recuperating.
Healthy Sweet Potato Black Bean & avocado Breakfast Burritos
We are true believers that burritos are to be enjoyed no matter what time of day. These breakfast burritos are packed with sweet potatoes, black beans, eggs and avocado. The beans mean theyre full of protein and you can also pop them in the freezer for meal prep during your busier weeks.
Carbohydrate: HighContains: Iron, Calcium, Vitamin A
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Berry Vanilla Greek Yogurt Cobbler
Greek Yogurtis one of the best foods you can eat to help you lose weight and gain lean muscle mass. Not to mention, you get a breakfast that tastes like grandmas berry pie, thats also packed full of probiotics to help your digestive system, immune health and cut body fat. It doesnt get much better than that.