Fight Mid-Morning Cravings by Doing These 3 Things
Do you find yourself struggling with cravings - despite eating breakfast?
So frequently we have the best laid plans of getting our day started by eating a healthy breakfast before the craziness of the day gets underway. As a dietitian, I have worked with hundreds of clients trying to improve their lifestyles and meet their wellness goals, but unknowingly repeat the same mistakes. Despite the best intentions.
If you find yourself crashing mid-morning, or craving higher carb foods just a few short hours after breakfast, you may be unknowingly making one (or all 3!) of these common mistakes.
The Most Common 3 Mistakes Made at Breakfast
While each individual is different and our needs may slightly vary, there are 3 mistakes that I see repeated most frequently. You may find that one or more resonate with you. If so, not to worry! This is an opportunity to course-correct and see if it makes a difference in how you feel mid-morning on through the rest of the day.
Not enough protein at breakfast
Protein is the body’s “architect”. It is what builds and maintains muscle, and the amino-acids that make up protein play crucial roles in interactions throughout or system. When we are not adequately fueling with protein a few things happen:
If we are not filling up on protein - we are filling up alternatively on either heavier carbohydrates, fat, or both (typically the former)
Not enough protein leaves us feeling hungry within just a few hours; we then tend to refuel with poorer food choices because we are “hangry”, feeling starved or are experiencing low blood sugar
We are missing the opportunity to feed and maintain a healthy muscle mass - this is especially important if we are also exercising; not replenishing with protein after working out is doing a disservice to the hard work of exercise you have already put in
So how much to shoot for? I typically recommend about 25-30g (this is a starting point, and once again is generalized) at breakfast to start with. It is important to “break fast” after sleep with plenty of protein - so when building your breakfast plate, start there and then add in healthy fats and high fiber carbohydrates.
My go-to protein foods for breakfast include:
Eggs (7g protein per egg)
Lean breakfast sausage (chicken, turkey, homemade patties)
Greek yogurt
Cottage cheese
Protein powder (I personally have been enjoying using Kelly Leveque’s Vanilla protein powder)
2. Are Healthy Fats Included in Your Breakfast?
This is another easy adjustment that can be made, that will make a world of difference! Fat is one of the 3 macronutrients, and is the slowest to be digested. In short this means that by eating fat with your meal, you will feel fuller longer and more satisfied. Because it physically takes longer for our bodies to digest and clear fat from our stomachs.
It is important to focus on quality fats though. By quality fat, I am referring to unprocessed mono- and polyunsaturated fats, and fewer saturated fats. An easy way to remember the difference, is that saturated fats are any fats that come from animals/animal products. Saturated fats are not bad! But we want to be aware and limit them, while increasing anti-inflammatory mono- and polyunsaturated fats. These include fats from:
Avocado
Nuts
Seeds
Healthy cooking oils - avocado, olive
Fish
Easy ways to incorporate these could be through smoothies, cooking with healthy oils, or sprinkling your Greek yogurt with nuts and seeds!
3. Feast on Fiber
I love this recommendation, because fiber really can be seen as the “filler” to your meal. It is what is going to feed your gut microbiome, take up volume in your stomach (and give you that feeling of fullness for longer), provide you with tons of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and polyphenols - all of which are anti-inflammatory! The benefits of high fiber foods goes on and on.
High fiber foods include non-starchy veggies. Think any veggies that are leafy, green, cruciferous, and/or include carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms. All of these veggies are high fiber, keeping you feeling full longer and preventing large blood sugar spikes and swings.
We can’t forget about fruit too! Fruit is naturally higher in sugar, and lower in fiber as compared to veggies. But it still has its place. If we are considering fruit on a scale - the fruits with the lowest impact on our blood sugar and highest in fiber are berries (of all kinds!). And on the other side of the sliding scale are melons and bananas - watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, etc. While you can still consume fruit, just consider fruit more in moderation to support a healthy blood sugar.
Put it into practice
Now that you know some of the most frequently made mistakes when it comes to breakfast, it’s time to implement! If taking on all 3 goals on at once feels overwhelming, choose one to focus on. Our health is like building a house - we build layer by layer, making steady improvements. Over time it adds up. Working on one layer of the house’s foundation at a time is progress towards a healthier you!
