Superfood Breakfast Strategies for Beginners
Superfood Breakfast Strategies for Beginners: Intro
This article has been long overdue, and it's one that you'll no doubt gain plenty of value from.
There will be tips on the following:
The superfood breakfast
Superfood meals
Ideas for a pre-gym breakfast
That you can apply to your fitness journey.
It's important to note that this isn't a 'superfood diet plan' because there's already an article on that topic - you can read it by clicking here.
This 'superfood breakfast strategies for beginners' article will focus on what you'd do well to emphasise specifically at breakfast, how you can build well-balanced superfood meals, and five suggestions on good pre-workout breakfast ideas.
Let's get started.
Superfood Breakfast Strategies for Beginners: Is it Better to Train After Eating or Fasted?
First of all, the age-old question, and one often asked by my Kairos Online members in their earlier days - is it better to have a pre-gym breakfast, or should you workout fasted?
Well, the answer may surprise you, but it comes down to a few simple factors:
What you prefer doing.
What you feel best doing.
And perhaps most importantly, whatever is most sustainable for your routine.
Because there's no extra benefit to training fasted or having a pre-gym breakfast, it's more a 'personal preference' thing.
For example, I prefer having a light meal, mainly made up of delicious carbohydrates, e.g. a bowl of fruit and then an egg or two, before training.
Others may prefer having nothing or a huge breakfast because they train much later in the day, meaning they have ample time to digest it.
Plus, most people who say they 'train fasted' forget one significant thing - that you're likely not fasted when you're training.
Why? Because if you had dinner the night before, you would still have food in your stomach.
Overall, don't worry too much about something that will likely have minimal impact on your results. Instead, opt for whatever you feel is most sustainable for your fitness journey.
Superfood Breakfast Strategies for Beginners: What You Should Emphasise
I will break this 'superfood breakfast guidelines' section into two parts, one aimed at the pre-workout breakfast for an early workout and the other focussed on training later in the day.
Suppose you have a heavy pre-gym breakfast and go for a workout immediately. In that case, the chances of throwing up on the gym floor go from zero to incredibly likely - meaning you'll want to go for something lighter.
A few solid recommendations for a superfood breakfast just before working out could be:
Some protein. It's hard to give a specific amount, as it'll vary from person to person depending on weight, height, activity levels etc.
You'd do well to play around with the amount of protein for a few days or weeks and see what feels best when you're training. Starting with 15g could be a great idea, and then go from there.
Mainly fast-digesting carbohydrates/something sugary, e.g. a bowl of cereal or fruit juice.
Some fibre, e.g. fruit.
If you train later in the day, you can safely opt for something that's a little more filling.
A few solid recommendations for a superfood meal when you train much later could be:
Slower digesting carbohydrates, e.g. oats or Weetabix, is perfect.
Something high in fibre, like fruit.
You can see that having at least one piece of fruit at breakfast is a great way to start your day, regardless of whether you will have a pre-gym breakfast.
Why? I'll expand on this later, but for now, understand that some are high in fibre, all have plenty of vitamins, and starting your day with a piece of fruit means your daily intake feels more manageable.
If you aim to have 2 or 3 pieces of fruit daily, getting one in at breakfast sets you up nicely for hitting your goal. The same goes for having protein at breakfast, making you more likely to hit your protein goal.
It's a no-brainer.
Note:
Although having a piece of fruit is excellent for fibre intake, perhaps shockingly, fruit juice contains less fibre than a piece of fruit.
Blending fruit reduces the fibre, and fibre helps keep you full. It's why you can quickly drink five oranges in a single cup but will have a more challenging time eating five oranges at once.
Superfood Breakfast Strategies for Beginners: 5 Suggestions
Let's get stuck into a few superfood breakfast suggestions.
Although understand these won't specifically be superfood recipes, because you can find 1,000,000 online. Instead, these will be ideas for superfood meals, and you can tweak the quantity of the specific ingredients as much as you'd like depending on your goal.
Omelette with Vegetables
Why can this be a great choice? Because aside from the high protein content (depending on how many eggs or egg whites are used), you can load it up with plenty of vegetables, e.g. spinach, broccoli and mushrooms, almost turning it into a 'superfood blend'.
Giving you a great head start with your daily protein and vegetable intake.
You can also use extra virgin olive oil or fry light oil spray, depending on whether you want more or fewer calories.
Another honourable mention for your omelette is the addition of cheese, which will add more protein and fat. So it depends on whether or not you have space for it once you consider your nutrition as a whole for the day. I enjoy the tasty addition of cheese to my omelettes but often opt for low-fat cheese.
Does anyone still use Snapchat?
This still seems to be in the camera roll.
An old brunch I made myself back in 2017.
Oats With Fruit
Like the omelette with vegetables, this is also an excellent superfood breakfast. This is because the fruit intake gives you a head start in the day for hitting any fruit and/or vegetable goals you may have.
It's also a solid choice due to this superfood meal's extremely high fibre content, with ample carbohydrates in this pre-workout breakfast.
The best part about this superfood recipe is how easy it is to add or take away ingredients, depending on:
The flavour you're after.
How calorie dense you want the meal to be depending on your goal.
For example, the addition of:
A great-tasting protein powder is an effortless way to keep it delicious and increase your protein intake. Vanilla can be a safe choice.
If you're after a sweeter taste and have space, go for some additional honey.
Some dark chocolate is an excellent choice if you want to turn it into a healthy, high-calorie-dense meal.
Depending on your goal, you could either have low, semi-skimmed or high-fat milk, e.g. low-fat milk makes more sense if you have a weight loss goal. Different plant-based kinds of milk can also be great shouts.
Adding yoghurt, nuts or chia seeds are also great ways to change the nutrition profile.
Note:
You could pick any fruit and they'll likely taste good. Although apple bits, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are the most popular.
Frozen Fruit Superfood Blend
Aside from this superfood blend being an excellent choice for when you're on the go and don't have time to sit and eat; it's also an excellent pre-gym breakfast.
Because without sounding like a broken record and repeating the 'because fruit is good for you' theme, it's an effortless way to hit 25g+ of protein in the morning, especially by adding protein powder and milk to this frozen fruit mix.
Frozen fruit also lasts longer than fresh fruit, meaning there's no rush to use it as soon as possible.
If you're supplementing with creatine monohydrate, this is also a great time to chuck it in.
An old Snapchat picture from 2017 again.
A Sandwich
Aside from the fact that bread is, perhaps weirdly, one of the most demonised foods out there, it's straightforward to turn your sandwich into a superfood breakfast.
Because yes, a simple sandwich - contrary to popular belief - can be a great choice.
How so? Think about it:
Bread is high in carbohydrates, which fuels your workout sessions.
You can easily stack it with protein by adding various foods, e.g. ham, turkey breast, chicken, smoked salmon and egg, to name a few.
It can be delicious by adding a few sauces or spreads, e.g. butter or mayonnaise to increase the fat content, or BBQ sauce or ketchup to increase carbohydrates.
Chuck in some veg, e.g. spinach or lettuce, and you'll have a well-balanced superfood meal to start your day with.
Best part? You can make it super quickly, perfect for when you're on the go.
Wholegrain Cereal or a Protein Shake With Fruit
This is the simplest of simple breakfast ideas. It doesn't get easier than pouring yourself a bowl of cereal, putting together a quick protein shake and/or grabbing a piece of fruit.
Even having a chocolate protein shake with Weetabix could be a shout.
Ultimately, mix and match this pre-gym breakfast however you please.
Superfood Breakfast Strategies for Beginners: Mindful Eating Checklist
Yes, there are some great 'on-the-go pre-workout breakfast ideas' suggestions above, although if you're struggling with your weight, it's recommended that you don't 'eat on the move'.
You're much better off following this 'mindful eating' checklist inspired by Jordan Syatt:
Are you sitting?
Does your meal fit on one plate?
Did you drink a glass of water before eating or ordering?
Do you have a full glass of water, tea or coffee next to you?
Are you actually hungry and not bored?
Are you happy with your decision to eat what you're about to eat?
These tips will help you have a much easier time with your nutrition.
Superfood Breakfast Strategies for Beginners: To Summarise With Two Things
First, you may have noticed that all these pre-gym breakfast meals have something in common: they all have protein and fruit.
Why is it generally a good idea to emphasise these two things? Because:
You'll stay fuller for longer via nutritious foods. This is key for weight-related goals and optimal health.
It'll help you build and maintain muscle, which is critical for your desired toned look.
It'll help you get plenty of vitamins and minerals essential to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
It'll help with your fibre intake, which helps with bowel movement.
It's also likely you noticed that some pre-workout breakfast foods were included, which some nutrition gurus may deem as "not clean", although, to that, I say, BS.
Because some processed food, in a mostly minimally processed and healthy diet, will make 0 difference. It'll also make it more enjoyable and easier for you to stick to.
The second point is that there's no such thing as a 'superfood'.
Yes, the word was frequently used throughout, e.g., superfood recipes, but that was purely for SEO. It was also to help you get this far in the article, as you'd be much more interested in finding out.
Because the term 'superfood' is a marketing phrase. Either used by companies who want to sell you their product or an Instagram wannabe influencer who has no idea what they're speaking about.
"Yes, there is such a thing as a superfood, Leo! I've heard of it all my life."
Like the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny, hearing about something all your life doesn't make it real. There's no scientific definition for what a 'superfood' actually is.
Again, it's just a made-up term used by anyone and everyone.
Labelling a specific fruit or vegetable as a superfood and then amplifying everything well within it is someone trying to get you excited about something you already know: that fruit and vegetables are good for you.
Take my ironic example below here.
Anyway, I hope this article helped you when it comes to deciding on a pre-gym breakfast.
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Take care and speak soon,
Leo
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