We’re often told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and while that may be the case, the types of food you eat for breakfast have just as big an impact according to one biochemist.
Jessie Inchauspé, who holds a master’s degree in biochemistry and shares her knowledge in her bestselling books and via social media, recently posted a video explaining what you should be eating in the morning instead of sugary cereals and carb-filled pastries.
Biochemist explains why you may still get hungry after breakfast
Even if you’ve had a large breakfast in the morning, you may still find yourself getting hungry after just a few hours.
This is potentially due to something known as the ‘protein leverage hypothesis.’ According to Inchauspé, “This theory says that until you’ve eaten enough protein to satisfy your body’s protein needs for the day, your body is going to keep you hungry.”
“Let’s say your breakfast contains no protein. Maybe for breakfast, you had a fruit smoothie. Fruits don’t contain any protein,” she explains. “So your body, according to this theory, is going to tell you to keep eating, keep eating whatever you can find until it senses that it’s had all the grams of protein that it needs.”
“This is super interesting because it tells us, maybe your cravings and your uncontrollable hunger are actually due to the fact that you’re not eating enough protein, so your body is keeping you hungry until it gets that protein,” she continues.
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Add more protein to your breakfast
In order to resolve these cravings and hunger throughout the day, Jessie Inchauspé recommends including more protein in your breakfast.
“The best way to start your day and cut out all of your cravings, for the entire day, is to give your body all the protein that it needs for breakfast,” she says. “Well, maybe not all the protein that it needs, but at least a big chunk so that you significantly cut down that hunger and those cravings.”
“That’s why one of my number one recommendations is to start your day with a savory breakfast,” she adds.
Inchauspé says that she defines a savory breakfast as one built around protein, with some fat if you want.
She says, “You can add a little bit of starch for taste, like some bread or potatoes, but avoid having anything sweet in the morning, except if you want, for taste, some whole fruit.”
This means cutting out juices, pastries and sugary breakfast cereals to instead focus on protein. It should also be noted that the average adult woman needs roughly 45g of protein per day while the average man needs around 55g of protein.
Foods that are high in protein include animal products like eggs, dairy, meat, fish and some plant sources like beans, legumes, tofu and nuts/seeds.
If you’re in need of inspiration for some savory breakfast ideas, Jessie has a range of recipes both in her books and on her website, although the recipes on her website require a subscription.
Of course, there are plenty of savory breakfast recipes out there online that are available for free.
