So in my nutritional coachings my favourite topic is “breakfast” – every advert, every self declared fitness coach, our grandmothers, mums and older brothers tells us in capital letters “YOU NEED TO HAVE BREAKFAST” “NOT HAVING BREAKFAST IS UNHEALTHY” and “STUDIES SHOW NOT HAVING BREAKFAST WILL KILL YOUR PUPPY!” (only so slightly hyperbolic). See, these things are technically rooted in science. Your brain will need carbohydrates to function properly and it’s better for your overall health if your blood sugar levels stay stable thoughout your day. High cortisol levels (stress hormone) will make it harder to lose or maintain weight and are long term damaging your health, as it increases your blood pressure and your cravings in situations where the stress suddenly stops again.
Ever had a sugar rush and afterwards massively crashed? That happens too, if you forget to eat, then have a granola bar, go back to work and focus, focus, focus. As soon as the stress gets reduced, you might start shaking or suddenly get cravings, even fainting is possible. Especially if your support network at work consists of lots of coffee and chocolate bars from the “emergency drawer”. No judgement here, we all had stressful jobs before and as a chef I know just too well how it feels not even to have time to drink the way-too-strong coffee you made in-between non stop running.
BUT – and here is my professional advice- if you don’t feel like you can have a big breakfast to start your day, at least have something. The processes in your body don’t massively change, if you have a super pretty decorated granola & fruit bowl, if you have a mess in a cup or if you throw everything into a blender and drink it while you’re running to your car. The calories and nutritional benefits stay exactly the same. And if you tell me you can only keep down a cup of coffee and an orange juice at stupid o clock (I currently get up at 5am, noone likes bacon sandwiches at this time, unless you’re just coming home from clubbing) then have that – but make sure you will have an apple and a banana or a smoothie later on. And by later on I surprisingly don’t mean 5pm, but more 9am. Deal?
Here an easy recipe for a “smoothie bowl” or if you lose patience and want to throw it all into a blender, a breakfast smoothie. You’ll need: 300 g of greek yoghurt, two strawberries, half a banana, 70g of granola or oats, a hand full of blueberries (frozen berries work just as well and keep longer) and a tablespoon of linseeds. If you like your yoghurt a bit sweeter, add around a teaspoon of honey. Assemble, eat, done.
Of course my bowl is “instagram ready” but realistically it probably looks a bit more like this:
If you prefer a smoothie, throw the ingredients into a blender and add a cup (an actual cup, so 300 ml) of water and maybe a little bit more honey.
And don’t let other people stress you out about breakfast choices. Cold pizza on occasion is also breakfast. But as a nutritionist I’m gonna carefully underline the “on occasion” part and recommend, to have a smoothie if you can’t be asked to sort out time for a sit down breakfast break.
Jana Jarrett Nutrition 