Protein for breakfast please!
Protein is essential to building and repairing muscle.. So start your day strong!
A study from the University Missouri-Columbia published in 2015 that most of us should be aiming for a diet of 1.2 – 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight in order to achieve healthy body weight. So what does that actually mean? Check out this table below to see where you land for total daily protein.
If you weigh 100lbs, then you need 54 – 72g of protein per day If you weight 125lbs, then you need 68 – 91g of protein per day If you weigh 160lbs, then you need 86 – 115g of protein per day If you weight 200lbs, then you need 108 – 144g of protein per day
Ideally, since we consume most of our calories and do nearly all our activities during the day, we need to have the bulk of our proteins when we will need them. Eating large meals for dinner with large amounts of protein is not the solution to reduce our expanding waistlines.
Here are some easy ways to get that protein punch first thing in the morning to get you started on your daily protein goal.
Breakfast Protein Ideas
- 2 eggs (12g for 2 eggs) with whole grain toast or hard-boiled with some pepper
- Peanut butter (2 tbp for 8g) add to smoothie or spread on apple slices
- Cottage cheese (1/2cup for 13g) with some cinnamon and raisins
- Tuna (3oz for 20g) on whole grain toast
- Overnight raw oatmeal (1 serving for 13g)
- Chia seeds (1tbp for 3g) easy to add to cereal, oatmeal, applesauce or a smoothie
- Protein powder without fake sugar or artificial flavours (1 scoop about 20g) add to smoothie or have it straight with water
- Homemade breakfast bars or granola bars
- Trail mix – beware of added sugars or preservatives – choose raw, non-roasted nuts
- Buckwheat pancakes – feel free to add nuts or ground flax seed or even more protein!
Journal study referenced:
10. J. Leidy, P. M. Clifton, A. Astrup, T. P. Wycherley, M. S. Westerterp-Plantenga, N. D. Luscombe-Marsh, S. C. Woods, R. D. Mattes. The role of protein in weight loss and maintenance. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2015; DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.114.084038