Breakfasts for weight loss: As an expert tells us, the important thing is not the quantity but the quality of the products with which we are going to start the day. We show you with these examples of perfect breakfasts for losing weight: rich, filling, energetic and low in calories.
Is breakfast also the most important meal of the day when we are on a diet ? Although it is what we have heard all our lives, the truth is that there is no evidence for this statement, but as the Decalogue of how to have a good breakfast defends , a complete breakfast can help us control food intake during the day, a perfect tip if what we are looking for is to lose weight without having to diet by adopting good habits.
But are there really healthy, low-calorie breakfasts for losing weight that are also delicious ? We answer you with the help of an expert and give you the ideas you need to have on hand if you are looking for breakfasts to lose weight
Healthy, low-calorie breakfasts for weight loss: what you need to know
Can we have a big breakfast if we want to lose weight? “The idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day has long been banished. It depends on the person and the activity they do after that first meal in the morning.
The important thing is to make a good choice of food ,” says Nela Berlanga , pharmacist and nutrition expert at KilosOut . According to Berlanga, breakfast for losing weight does not have to be abundant nor scarce.
When we are following a weight loss diet and doing everything in our power to make the regime work, the information provided by experts is always welcome. In this sense, according to Berlanga, “if what we want is to take care of ourselves and lose some weight, our breakfast should be complete enough to cover the energy needs for part of the morning without exceeding the energy that we can accumulate if we do not use it up.”
“At KilosOut we always support having breakfast, since our body comes from hours of fasting and if we are in a weight loss phase the diet must be low-calorie so that the energy balance (intake/expenditure) is in favor of expenditure and that leads to weight loss,” she adds.
As Berlanga points out, even if we are following a low-calorie diet, “at KilosOut we believe it is necessary to feed the body 4-5 times a day to avoid arriving at the next meal with excessive hunger that can play tricks on us if we make the wrong choice.”
“That is why we always have a mid-morning snack (fruit, dairy, protein) that somehow complements the breakfast we had hours before and helps us hours later to choose a good meal based on what we need and not on a feeling of emptiness and irrational hunger,” she adds.
The same can happen during the afternoon. If you are one of those who arrives very hungry at dinner time, do not miss these healthy snacks to avoid snacking , which are also delicious.
What to eat for breakfast to lose weight: recommended foods or foods to avoid
If we are looking for a healthy, low-calorie breakfast to lose weight, can we include carbohydrates in breakfast? Can we eat bread? Yes, as Berlanga points out, “the important thing again is the choice of carbohydrates.”
“It is always very healthy and appealing to choose 1-2 pieces of fruit (carbohydrates) and if you want complex carbohydrates derived from flour, a good alternative would be to choose whole grain: 100% whole grain bread (it will fill us up more and will not raise blood glucose levels as much as bread made from refined flour).”
And be careful with the cereals you choose , since, as Berlanga says, some types of muesli can be sugary. “It is important to read the labels and know what is in what we buy. For example, oats are a great breakfast cereal .”
Healthy breakfasts for weight loss: what foods to avoid
According to the KilosOut expert, “this is easy with what we have just described: sugars, refined flours, saturated fats (unhealthy) ”. “But if we want to lose weight, we should not abuse breakfast either, just because it is a 100% whole wheat toast, with avocado (healthy fat) and an omelette with one egg does not mean we are going to lose weight if at the end of the day the energy intake has been greater than the expenditure with all the intakes ”, warns Berlanga.
We are not going to make an argument against orange juice for breakfast, but we must bear in mind that, when it comes to losing weight, it may not be the best idea, for several reasons: “the main one is that we stop eating the pulp of the chosen fruit and therefore lose its fibre , and another reason, no less important if we are looking to lose weight, is that fruit juices (especially packaged ones) raise our blood sugar quickly, they do not replace a piece of fruit and do not trigger the satiety signals that chewing causes in our body,” he explains. As an alternative, have you ever tried green smoothies to lose weight and gain health ?
The most recommended foods for breakfast
What foods would be best for breakfast? fruit, dairy products, whole grains, oats, some extra sausage like cured meat, chicken, turkey or ham .
18 healthy and low-calorie breakfasts for weight loss
KilosOut offers us three ideal breakfasts to help you lose weight, to which we have added other delicious and ideal suggestions for losing weight:
1. Coffee or tea with milk and yogurt with apple and blueberries and a handful of oats
According to Berlanga, this breakfast for weight loss is very healthy and complete due to its portion of dairy products, whole grain carbohydrates and fruit . “Perfect for getting energy for the first hours of the day or even for going to do some exercise.
Oats are a perfect cereal to start the day due to their high fibre content – in fact, they are among the 50 foods with the most fibre to include in your diet – and their antioxidant properties. They also control blood sugar levels and keep our cholesterol at bay.”
2. Coffee or tea with milk, a slice of 100% whole wheat toast with a teaspoon of EVOO and Burgos cheese
As Berlanga explains, among the numerous benefits and properties of EVOO , it is worth highlighting that it is a source of monounsaturated fatty acids , such as oleic acid (omega 9), linoleic acid (omega 6) and linolenic acid (omega 3).
“It also provides us with micronutrients such as fat-soluble vitamins, being rich in vitamin A (β-carotenes) and vitamin E or tocopherol. EVOO has anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antithrombotic, antioxidant, antibacterial, hypoglycemic, cardioprotective, antidiabetic and hepatoprotective action.”
3. Coffee or tea with milk and cottage cheese with banana, strawberries and a handful of ground flax
“We love bananas, which are rich in potassium, tryptophan (a precursor to serotonin, the good vibes hormone) and folic acid,” says Berlanga. According to this expert, bananas have important health benefits because they are rich in antioxidants, help digestion and have an anti-inflammatory effect .
“Flax seeds have a high content of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, which help control cholesterol levels. They are rich in vitamins and minerals and, best of all, they aid digestion, helping with weight loss.” It is a classic breakfast for weight loss, which will never fail you and is always appealing.
4. Coffee or tea and overnight oats
Oats are a very complete cereal and also one of the most versatile when it comes to breakfast. So it is not surprising that it has become one of the favourite ingredients of ‘influencers’, thanks to combinations such as the classic ‘overnight oats’. It is an easy and complete breakfast that triumphs especially in the hot months , because the ingredients must be combined the night before and kept in the fridge. The key? Mix the oats with milk, yogurt and seasonal fruit to get a delicious and cool cocktail .
5. Coffee or tea with milk, 100% whole wheat bread sandwich with ham (or cured meat, turkey…) and fresh tomato, and a piece of fruit
Because you don’t have to give up the sandwich, but just have it in its whole wheat sandwich version . In addition to coffee or tea with milk, finish off this incredible proposal among healthy and low-calorie weight loss breakfasts with a piece of fruit that you can choose from the best fruits for weight loss .
6. Coffee or tea with milk, an omelette and a piece of fruit
An excellent source of protein to start the day off right , especially if you add a little tuna or ham to the omelette.
7. Green beet juice
It is very easy to prepare : mix and blend two stalks of fresh celery, a cucumber, a small beet, a slice of fresh pineapple (preferably canned), coconut water or pineapple juice, and a small piece of fresh ginger. It is delicious and very nutritious.
8. Coffee or tea with milk, 100% whole wheat toast with avocado and cucumber, and a piece of fruit
If you prefer a savory breakfast , this toast with the flesh of half an avocado – do you know all the health benefits of avocado ? – and a few slices of cucumber, besides being super healthy, is very refreshing.
9. Coffee or tea with milk and banana pancakes with Greek yogurt and red berries
Yes, we have said one of the magic words of our dream breakfasts for losing weight: pancakes . The best thing is that they can also help us with our diet thanks to recipes like this one, which combines all the benefits of banana, red berries, egg and oats.
10. Coffee or tea and oatmeal porridge with cinnamon, flax seeds and fruit
Porridge is another different way of eating oats (one of the most popular) and one of those breakfasts that we can prepare the night before .
This recipe has exceptional nutritional value, it is a perfect breakfast if you are going to do sports in the morning and it helps control weight thanks to its great satiating power and slow digestion.
11. Keto bread with cream cheese, avocado and scrambled egg
Forget about extra calories with this healthy breakfast for weight loss. Beat an egg white until it forms stiff peaks, add 25 g of ground almonds, a small spoonful of baking powder and a pinch of salt. Place the mixture in a bowl and microwave for 3-4 minutes.
Cut the bread in half and toast. Spread the cream cheese, add ¼ of sliced avocado and place the scrambled eggs on top.
12. Coffee or tea with milk, 100% whole wheat toast with avocado and poached egg, and a piece of fruit
Add a splash of extra virgin olive oil to the bread and a few drops of vinegar to the poached egg for extra flavour . I bet you won’t be able to resist this bite from our breakfast proposal for weight loss!
13. Coffee or tea with milk and toast with cheese and mango
A delicious combination of sweet and salty that will help you start the day with lots of energy, as well as satisfying you and putting you in a good mood.
14. Energy bowl with fruit
It is one of yoga expert Xuan Lan ‘s favourite breakfasts , and she shares it in her book Yoga for my wellbeing. The energy bowl is made with Greek, coconut or soy yogurt as a base, or a vegetable drink such as almond milk, 1 banana, 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds, a handful of cashews or almonds and toppings of your choice: from granola to fresh, chopped seasonal fruit, chopped nuts or seeds, such as sunflower, flax or pumpkin.
The star touch: coconut flakes. Mix everything together and blend until you get a creamy consistency… and enjoy a healthy, low-calorie and energy-packed breakfast for weight loss .
15. Oatmeal and spinach omelet
It is absolutely delicious and easy to prepare. Ideally, you should use just one egg. You will have to beat it and mix it with precooked oats and blanched spinach.
It is a very nutritious and digestive dish, light and tasty. If you want, you can complete it with other healthy ingredients such as tomato.
16. Banana smoothie with oats and chia
If you’re looking for a weight-loss breakfast that’s filling and recharges your batteries and that you can also take with you everywhere – for example, for a mid-morning at the office – you can make this smoothie the day before and let it rest in the fridge.
To make it you need: ripe banana, ¼ cup of raw oats, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds and almond milk. Put the ingredients in the blender and blend to the desired texture.
17. Blueberry porridge
INGREDIENTS:
- unsalted butter, for greasing
- 750 ml of milk
- 500 ml of water
- 200 g of oat flakes
- 50 g brown sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup, plus more for serving
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 100 g frozen blueberries
- 25 g dehydrated coconut
ELABORATION
- Grease the inside of the slow cooker with butter.
- Add all ingredients except blueberries and coconut. Cook, stirring occasionally, on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
- In the last 10 minutes of cooking, turn the dial to warm and gently stir in the blueberries and coconut. Serve with syrup.
18. Cauliflower muffins
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large cauliflower
- 170 g diced cooked ham
- 120 g of tender spinach
- 75 g finely chopped onion
- 5 beaten eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 100 g grated cheddar cheese
- salt
- cayenne pepper
- freshly ground black pepper
ELABORATION
- Preheat the oven to 190ºC (or 170ºC fan). Grate the cauliflower very finely and place in a bowl. Drain any excess water from the cauliflower using paper towels or cheesecloth.
- Add the eggs, cheddar cheese, and garlic powder and whisk well to combine. Add the cheddar cheese, ham, spinach, and finely chopped onion. Grease a muffin tin with cooking spray, then fill each well two-thirds full.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden.
