April 2011 • Volume 14 • Number 4
4
Quick, Healthy Breakfasts
Under 400 Calories See page 2 for recipes ...
Many people think the key to
sugars (for example, doughnuts
Goldstein also advises against
weight loss is to eat less, but it
and pastries), should be avoided.
choosing shortcuts in the superturns out that skipping breakfast
These will provide instant energy,
market. “I would not recommend
(aka “the most important meal of
but they will result in a significant
any of the frozen breakfast meals.
the day”) can actually hinder your
energy drop soon after.
Breakfast can easily be made at
weight-loss efforts. Studies have
home and will always be healthier
found that breakfast eaters are
than a boxed version, which is
generally slimmer because
usually high in sodium and
people who bypass breakoften contains additives and
fast tend to indulge in more
preservatives,” she says.
calories later in the day. But
Some simple planning
it’s also important to note
will go a long way toward
that if you’re trying to stay
keeping your breakfasts
healthy and lose weight,
quick and nutritious.
you have to eat the “right”
Be sure to put breakfast
breakfast foods.
foods—fruit, low-fat milk,
“Like anything else,
whole-grain bread or
breakfast is about nutricereal, yogurt, eggs—on
MORE EVIDENCE
tious food that is filling,”
your grocery list so you
THAT CALORIES COUNT
says Lynn Goldstein,
have everything you
RD, a dietitian at Weill
need on hand. If you find
Recent research shows that if you start with a
Cornell Medical College.
yourself rushing in the
high-calorie breakfast, you will likely end up
“You want to incorporate
morning, prepare your
with a higher calorie total at the end of the
a good protein with fruit
meals ahead of time. For
day. A study published online January 17, 2011
and/or vegetables and
example, make a four-egg
in
Nutrition
Journal
found
that
eating
a
highwhole grains. It should
omelet instead of a twocalorie breakfast wasn’t offset by eating fewer
also be low in fat and
egg omelet and put half
calories
later
in
the
day.
The
researchers,
who
sugar.”
in the fridge for later in
analyzed food intake of 380 subjects, found
the week. Pre-slice fruit,
that
those
who
ate
fewer
calories
at
breakfast
You are what you eat.
like melons or apples, or
had a lower total daily calorie intake than those
While people trying to
buy already sliced fruits
lose weight are encourand vegetables from the
who consumed more calories at breakfast. They
aged to eat breakfast every
supermarket. Keep foods
concluded that people who are trying to lose
day, certain breakfast
in easily accessible locaweight should eat breakfast, but the breakfast
foods, like those high in
should be low in calories.
Continued on p2 …
simple carbohydrates and
Originally published in Weill Cornell’s Food & Fitness Advisor. For more information, call 1-800-424-7887.
… Healthy Breakfasts, p2
tions in your pantry and fridge so
you don’t have to hunt for them.
Taking simple steps, like replacing
white bread with whole-grain bread,
switching to low-fat or nonfat milk,
and avoiding high-fat foods like
bacon and sausage are all great ways
to kick-start your weight loss. Goldstein has suggested four quick and
healthy breakfasts, all under 400
calories, that you can eat daily to
boost your metabolism and help
lower your daily calorie intake.
OMELET
2 whole eggs, 1/2 cup spinach,
1/2 cup red peppers,
1 slice wholegrain bread
Calories
YOGURT
8 oz. plain, low-fat yogurt,
10 grapes, 1 oz. almonds (about 24)
221
Calories
340
Protein (g)
16
Protein (g)
18
Fat (g)
10
Fat (g)
18
Saturated fat (g)
3
Carbohydrates (g)
Sodium (mg)
17
249
Fiber (g)
4
Cereal
1 cup whole-grain cereal with no
added sugar and at least 3 grams
fiber, 1 cup low-fat milk, 1 banana
Calories
Protein (g)
Carbohydrates (g)
Sodium (mg)
390
14
Calories
Protein (g)
Fat (g)
Saturated fat (g)
2
Saturated fat (g)
Fiber (g)
4
Bread and fruit
1 slice whole-grain bread, 1 apple,
1 Tbs. almond butter (or substitute
all-natural peanut butter)
4
Sodium (mg)
31
160
Fiber (g)
Fat (g)
Carbohydrates (g)
3
Saturated fat (g)
83
118
8
Carbohydrates (g)
Sodium (mg)
Fiber (g)
Originally published in Weill Cornell’s Food & Fitness Advisor. For more information, call 1-800-424-7887.
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