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Strong & Nourished Momma | Quick & Healthy Meals, Postpartum Weight Loss, Boost Energy, Workout Routines, Nutrition Habits
13 | High Protein Breakfast Ideas to Kickstart Your Day & Boost Your Energy Without a Sugar Crash
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Val
Hey Mama. Welcome back. Today we are talking about high protein breakfast ideas to kickstart your day and boost your energy without a sugar crash. In today's episode we are going to talk about the importance of protein for sustained energy and mood balance, how protein can stabilize your blood sugar and help prevent afternoon crashes because that doesn't feel good. Plus we don't have time for that. And simple, quick, high protein breakfast options that are perfect for busy mornings. The mornings are typically a little crazy and so we want something that's going to be easy, delish, but also really high in protein and we're going to talk about why that's important. We're also going to talk about the best sources of protein, if even if you do have a dietary restriction, and tips for making breakfast prep easy and stress free. I am here for this. We are going to be talking about seven different types of easy breakfast options that you can incorporate this week and beyond. Enjoy today's show. Welcome to the Strong and Nourished Mama podcast. If you're tired of wondering what healthy meals to make, feeling like you're running on empty or struggling to make exercise fun and achievable, you are in the right place. I'm Val, a functional sports dietitian, prenatal and postpartum fitness coach, and a first time mama. I've created a simple plan that lets you live healthy without strict rules. Spending hours in the gym and sacrificing delicious food while still having time for the things you love. It's time to embrace a fun, sustainable lifestyle where health is possible with a busy schedule Mama. So grab your coffee, settle in and join me on this beautiful journey to becoming a strong and nourished mama. Before we dive in today, I want to remind you to join the Start Strong challenge. It is my free four week challenge to healthy habits that last. It started last week, but don't worry, you can really start this at any time. It's going through the whole month of January. You're going to be getting the introduction workbook to the challenge. So it's going to explain everything that's involved, the check ins, the workbooks, what's going to be going on. And then each week you are going to be getting in your inbox worksheets that are going to help you set yourself up for success, to build healthy habits that last. Whatever your goals are, we're going to set you up for success and then we're going to talk about it in the check ins, in the community. And if you have any questions, please feel free Reach out, let me know. All of the details are in the show notes. Sign up. You'll get that workbook right away and then again each week you'll get different worksheets and I'm also going to be including workouts as well as easy recipes for you to use or utilize during the challenge. This month and beyond, I can't wait to see you in the challenge and work with you. Enjoy today's show. As a mom, the mornings are busy. They are hectic. Once your little ones wake up, even if they're teenagers, right? However old they are, once they wake up, it's like, okay, get this and go get that. And then I have to hurry up and pack the car and get you in the car. I was talking with my girlfriends and we were saying how it takes like 10 years to leave the house, right? Like you're going to be late no matter where you go in life from now on forward. But like to pack up the car, to pack up the kids, like to get everything situated, you're like, oh my gosh, why did that take so long? So when it comes to the mornings, usually it's really easy for us to skip breakfast, right? You either skip breakfast or you have cereal or you have a bite of your kids leftover breakfast, whatever it was, or an apple and then you're out the door. We need to change that. We need to start talking about that, changing that today. We want to make sure that we have some high protein breakfast option, whatever you enjoy that you can grab and go. Maybe you have the time to prep it before the kids wake up. Maybe you prep it the night before, maybe you prep it the weekend before. Whatever it is, it needs to have protein. And this isn't just for moms with little kids. This is literally for any woman. Okay? If you have kids, if you don't have kids, especially if you do have kids, because life is crazy. And then even if you're perimenopause post menopause, the kids are out of the house, whatever. We need to start our day off with adequate protein. A high protein breakfast doesn't just provide energy, it helps you avoid that mid morning crash. So if I'm just having a banana or if I'm just having cereal, it's not that those things are bad, but they're not gonna have any protein in them. They have carbohydrates. So it's gonna naturally raise your blood sugar and then your blood sugar is gonna drop and you may get some low blood sugar. Feelings, experiences like irritability Or a headache, or you start to feel hungry again, you just feel like you're crashing. You're like, man, I need coffee or I need another meal or whatever it is. And so we wanna make sure that we pair protein with that. Protein's also gonna help balance those blood sugars a little bit so that you don't get a crazy spike and then a drop. It's going to help improve concentration and it's even going to help support your muscle health. We need that because our muscles, our skeletal muscle, that is the organ for longevity and especially it's important because we're chasing around little ones all day. It's a small change that can make a huge impact on how you feel throughout the day. What I usually recommend with my clients is let's first, first assess how much protein you're currently having for the whole day, but especially for your first meal, for your breakfast, because you're breaking your fast, that's what breakfast is. And we want to see how much protein you're having and then we want to see where we can increase it from there. Usually what the recommendation is is going to be around 30 to 40 grams of protein. 30 grams of protein is going to help stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Mps and when we wake up, we wake up fasted because hopefully we're sleeping all night and we're not eating during the and so we wake up in a fasted state to help maintain our muscle mass, to help maintain our skeletal muscle, to support our metabolism and then of course to help fuel us for the rest of the day. We need at least 30 grams of protein and it really depends on the type of protein that you're having. If you're having animal protein, so 30 grams of animal protein, it's going to include all of your amino acids, all of your essential amino acids and your non essential amino acids and it's going to help stimulate muscle protein synthesis, meaning you're going to maintain that muscle, store your skeletal muscle and you're not going to actually tap into it for energy. Now if you're having something that includes plant based protein, you may need a little bit more protein to get all of those amino acids. And it really just depends on what you're eating. As we get older, we become anabolic resistant, meaning it's going to be really hard for us to build muscle, to maintain our muscle. And especially depending where we are in our stage throughout our lives, if we're reaching perimenopause and we're or we're postmenopausal, then we're going to need even more protein because we don't have estrogen and estrogen is going to be really, really helpful for us to hold on to muscle and then to help build muscle. So that's why I like to give that 30 to 40 gram range. Again, it's super individualized, depending on what your goals are and what else is going on. So first we want to see how much protein are you currently getting and then we want to slowly increase up to 30 to 40 grams of protein for that meal. Because if you just go straight to 30 grams of protein without really assessing what you're having, it may feel like too much, you may get super full, your stomach may not like it, you may, you're just not adjusted to it. Especially if you're having something like a banana pizza, fruit or cereal. With very, very low, little to no protein, going to 30 to 40 grams of protein is way too much. So let's first see how much you're currently having and then we can work up to that 30 to 40 grams. As I mentioned, the amount per meal as well as the amount per day, it's going to depend on your daily needs. It depends on your age, your goals. If you're pregnant, you're postpartum, if you're wanting to lose fat, mass, if you're wanting to build muscle, this is going to depend your total protein intake and that's something we can talk about one on one. Quick recap. Protein breakfast, whatever we're having first thing in the morning, why does it matter for busy moms? Because a high protein breakfast provides energy, it improves our concentration. We're going to help avoid that mid morning crash. We're going to support our muscles, our skeletal muscles. So we're going to help stimulate that muscle protein synthesis, muscle protein building. We're going to have increased satiety, satisfaction or fullness after we eat and like I said, balanced blood sugar throughout the day. We want to first see how much protein we're currently getting and then work up to that 30 to 40 grams. When you work with me one on one, you get access to a food journal where you can log and I can see it in real time so I can see how much protein you're getting for the day as well as how much protein you're getting per meal. And I'm able to talk to you about it in real time, which is super cool. So if that's something that you're interested in, schedule your free 15 minute consult with me. We can see what a good fit is for you and then get you scheduled and go on from there. Now, what are the best sources of protein, even for those with the dietary restrictions? So first, the best source is going to be animal protein. It's not the only source, but it's going to be the best source because it's going to contain all of your amino acids. Now, if you are vegetarian or you are vegan, you can still get adequate protein. You just have to be very strategic the way you're doing it. Now what are some plant protein sources? Tofu, tempeh, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains have a little bit of protein, but they also contain other macronutrients. So we have to be mindful of how we're building our plates. Now there are also supplements like plant based protein powder or whey protein powder, casein protein powder that you can actually integrate into your day that can be super supportive. So for me, I typically go to the gym at 5am I get home a little after 6. My little one wakes up at 7 and so I'm having to shower, get ready for the day before she wakes up. And so what I typically have is a whey protein shake post workout so that I can help feed my muscles right away. And then once I get her up and she's eating breakfast, I will eat breakfast after that. So now let's dive into high protein breakfast ideas to kickstart your day. Boost your energy without a crash. The first one is overnight oats. I am a big fan of overnight oats. I love it. I did it a lot when I was postponed partum and now I do it about two to three times per week. What I like to do with overnight oats or even overnight chia pudding, that's the second option is I like to use mason jars. And over the weekend I will fill all of the mason jars up with all of the ingredients, put it in the refrigerator, and then the night before I add my fluid and I add my fresh fruit, mix it up really well, put it back in the fridge and then in the morning I grab it and I go. What's great with overnight oats is, and overnight chia pudding is that you can pack it with so much, it can be high fiber and high protein. The overnight oat recipe that I use typically has 30 to 50 grams of protein, but I do add in a little bit of whey protein powder to boost it up a bit. You can also add in cottage cheese. You can add in different nuts and seeds. The type of fluid that you're going to add to your Overnight oats or your overnight chia pudding is really, really going to be helpful for increasing protein. If you just add water, you're not getting any protein. If you add almond milk or coconut milk, you're getting about 1 gram of protein. It's not a lot. If you're getting soy milk, you're getting about seven, eight grams of protein per serving. And then cow's milk is eight grams of protein per serving. I typically don't recommend oat milk. If you like it and want to put a little splash in your coffee, cool, Whatevs. But it's going to be mostly it's coming from oats, right? So it's going to be a high glycemic, meaning it's going to raise that blood sugar and it's going to have no protein in it. But the type of fluid does matter and really whatever your goals are will be dependent on the type of fluid that you're adding. Again, protein is going to be the main, main focus. So the first two options that are high protein breakfast ideas, overnight oats or overnight chia pudding. Overnight chia pudding is just packed with chia seeds and then some type of fluid. And then you can add in some protein powder if you like. Now the third option is a yogurt parfait. It's super delish. I highly recommend Greek yogurt if you have dairy because it's going to have the most amount of protein. Especially if you get plain and non fat Greek yogurt, you're going to get anywhere from 18 to 22 grams of protein per serving. It depends on the brand. Now I say non fat. I don't say that because fat is bad and you shouldn't have fat. It's just you're getting your fat sources from other things like your nuts and your seeds. So nuts and seeds are going to provide you with your healthy fats. They're also going to provide you with a little bit more protein. If you're dairy free, then finding the highest non dairy yogurt that you can that doesn't have a lot of added crap in those ingredients. Okay, so make sure you read the ingredient list and then you look at how much protein is in there. You can also add in collagen and protein powder to your yogurt parfait. I personally like to add collagen. I don't like to add protein powder to my yogurt just because of the texture and the taste. I love to add in walnut, chia seed, ground flaxseed. You can really pack A lot of fiber, nutrients and a little bit of protein with those foods. Lots of berries, you're getting in some antioxidants. It's pretty low calorie. They're also delish. If you want, you can use fresh or frozen, maybe you add in some granola. And then you can always prepare these in containers or mason jars. But it's typically the yogurt parfaits are going to be pretty high in protein, especially depending on the type of protein that you're using. The fourth option for a high protein breakfast idea are egg casseroles. These are delish. My mother in law has been making these and I am in love with them. Not only because they're delish, but they're super easy to do. Like you just can do it in the crock pot or you can put it in the oven and it's super easy and you can have it for the rest of the week. So what I recommend to make this high protein, of course is an egg casserole. So you're going to be using eggs. One egg has about 6 to 7 grams of protein. When you use the whole egg, you're getting the yolk you're getting in your fats. It's also helpful to help you absorb your fat soluble vitamins. I usually recommend depending on how much protein and how much fat that you're wanting to get in this meal. Usually I recommend whole eggs. And then if you're wanting to increase the protein without increasing the fat, add in more egg whites. You can also add in cottage cheese. You can add in some breakfast sausage or breakfast chicken. And then of course you can add in a variety of veggies or potatoes. And then you put that in the crock pot or the oven and then you can have that for the week and it is delish. The fifth option, savory breakfast bowls. You can have a base of eggs, quinoa or sweet potato, and then your favorite veggies. This can really be made ahead of time. I've done this with scrambled eggs a few days, I make it a few days before I actually eat it. Or you can even do hard boiled eggs. That can be super easy to do. And then you pack in your veggies and then whatever carbohydrate you want. The sixth option is protein smoothies. You can put in your spinach, your leafy greens, your berries, your nut butters for a nutrient packed drink. And then you can add in some cottage cheese or Greek yogurt or, or protein powder, collagen, maybe some fiber and Then that's super easy to grab and go as well. Now the seventh option, the last one, egg muffins. You can make these ahead of time, grab and go. Maybe you have three of them depending on how many eggs that you're actually putting into the entire recipe. And then you divide that by 12 or however many muffins that you're making. And then you can add other things like spinach, cheese, lean meats filled in with the eggs. So that can be super delish. So the seven high protein breakfast ideas to kickstart your day 1. Overnight oats, two overnight chia pudding, three. Yogurt parfait, four egg casseroles, five savory breakfast bowls, six protein smoothie and seven egg muffins. All of that sounds super delish. You can do all of you know, pick one and do it for the entire week. You can pick two and kind of split that up depending on what you want. Lately what I've been doing is overnight oats on Tuesdays and Thursdays and then I do some type of egg casserole or egg breakfast bowl Monday, Wednesday, Friday. So it kind of just depends on what your schedule is like. Now some tips for making breakfast prep easy and stress free. Mix it up. Don't be afraid to switch up your protein sources to keep your breakfast fun and exciting. If you typically have animal protein, add in some plant based proteins. Try to switch some things up and also change up the flavor. Make it fun. Be sure to prep in advance. More time now is less time later. So if it even if it's a busy weekend, try to prep things over the weekend so that you can have things in advance. Mornings are hectic. Try preparing elements of your breakfast. If you can't prepare all of it the night before. Maybe it's like chopping veggies or making those overnight oats. And don't forget, balance is key. Pair your protein with healthy fats, fiber, complex carbohydrates to keep you fuller longer so you that have a balanced breakfast. Try out one of these breakfast ideas. Let me know what you think. If you have other ideas that work for you, please let me know. Tag me on Instagram elnessbyval Underscore. I hope you guys enjoy today's episode. And don't forget, if you haven't joined the challenge, join the Start Strong challenge. It's four weeks to healthy habits that last. The link is in the show notes. I can't wait to work with you and I'll see you guys next week. Hey Mama, I hope you loved today's episode. If it resonated with you, would you please take 30 seconds to share it with another mom? A mom who's looking to make healthy eating and exercise easier. Because we need that. And if you haven't yet, I would be so grateful if you could leave a quick review on Apple podcasts. It truly means the world to me and. And helps the show reach more amazing moms like you. All right, time to chase my toddler around. Stay strong and nourished, and I will be back on Monday with another episode. Talk soon.