No-Nonsense Breakfast Recipes to Help Keep You Full Until Lunch

Did you know that what you eat for breakfast can influence what you eat for the rest of the day? If you start your day with an unbalanced meal, one that is high in simple carbohydrates and free sugars but low in fibre and protein, such as a bowl of granola or a couple of slices of toast, you are more likely to feel hungry by mid-morning and your food choice can also  contribute to poorer food choices later in the day.

This can happen for a number of reasons. Firstly, we may simply not be eating sufficient calories first thing in the morning, but also we may have jumped on the blood sugar roller coaster, a ride that can affect mood, concentration and, most importantly, appetite.

This means the impact of your food at breakfast can still have an impact later on in the day and if it is not a balanced choice, it can make it harder for you to regulate your appetite and also your weight. In my clinic, many of my breakfast skippers are often my most dedicated sofa snackers at the end of the day. Missing out on vital nutrition early on can mean that the body dials up your appetite later in the day.

The key to feeling full right up to lunch is to make sure that you are consuming sufficient calories at breakfast. Many commercial cereals deliver just 150–200 kcals per bowl and while some of these can be part of a balanced breakfast, they mostly supply fast release carbohydrates and too few calories to keep us satisfied. This makes it harder for us to fire on all cylinders, and we often run out of energy mid-morning.

But adding some thick Greek yogurt to your granola to top up the protein, a tablespoon of milled flaxseeds to increase the fibre, some berries for extra fibre and polyphenols, and perhaps a drizzle of nut butter for healthy fats, quickly turns an unbalanced breakfast into a satisfying, balanced one.

When planning your breakfast, try to remember the importance of protein, fibre and healthy fats to properly fuel the body after our night time fast. Protein provides a fresh supply of amino acids, supporting repair and regeneration, hormone, enzyme and neurotransmitter production, while also slowing digestion and stabilising blood glucose, which in turn reduces mid-morning hunger, cravings and food noise 

Fibre works alongside protein by adding bulk to the meal and slowing gastric emptying, leading to a more gradual release of glucose and more sustained energy. We are currently recommended to eat 30g fibre a day, but with most of us only managing around 18g – and as many as 96% of the population are still lacking fibre. 

If you can lead with fibre at breakfast it becomes easier to meet your daily fibre goals, and means you can balance your fibre equally between your meals (around 10g per meal). Together, protein and fibre switch on satiety signalling, helping you feel fuller for longer, snack less, and maintain more consistent energy, mood and focus across the day.

Over the years, there has been a lot of debate about whether breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, but what really matters is the food you choose to eat at breakfast. We want our breakfast to be balanced with the right macronutrients. but also rich in essential micronutrients, like vitamins and minerals. 

These micronutrients help to drive the biochemical reactions in the body that support all areas of health, helping the body to feel and function at its best. Eating foods that are nutrient dense is therefore more likely to support our health and overall wellbeing. 

Some studies suggest that we should be aiming to consume 30-40% of our total calories at breakfast (this could be between 400-600kcals for most women). One such study indicated that front loading of calories could lead to lower BMI, lower weight, lower triglycerides and even better blood sugar control, measured by HbA1c. 

In my clinics, I work on breakfasts that contain 350-600kcals per serving and around 350-400kcals for weight loss. This may surprise you, but we have to look at food as nourishment and not just energy. The average woman will use around 1200-1500 kcals daily for basic functions such as repair and regeneration, digestion, temperature regulation, brain activity, and supporting our internal organs. Our heart is always pumping and our lungs continue to breathe;  all of these activities require energy. 

Your activity calories sit on top of this which brings our daily calorie needs up to around 1800-2500, depending on how active you are. But even this is not an exact science. Your total calories are dependent on your size, your age, your amount of lean body mass, your activity levels and to some extent your gut health and genetics. This can vary our personal calorie requirements daily and means that we don’t actually burn the same amount of calories each day – it depends on what we are doing each day that really counts. So, in reality, some days we might burn 2,500kcals and other 1,600. 

Regularly eating below our basic calorie needs can leave us feeling tired, apathetic and low in energy, which can then impact our motivation to exercise, walk and burn those extra calories. In other words, the less food we consume, the less active we can sometimes become. If we are trying to lose weight this can seriously impact our success.

Seeing breakfast as fuel and nourishment to help us feel our best can start to put its role into perspective. After a 12–14 hour overnight fast, the body will often thank you for a nourishing, nutrient dense breakfast. You may even find it easier to manage your weight, not harder.