May 25, 2017
How often do you open Instagram and see pictures of vibrantly colored, healthy breakfast recipes that resemble art more than food? Here’s the reality: Most of us don’t have time to make a chef-inspired meal before rushing out the door in the morning. The good news? It is possible to enjoy a quick, healthy breakfast without totally sacrificing taste.
To learn more, we asked Intuitive Nutrition Founder Heather Rudlavage (also an RDN, LDN, a mother and dietitian) about the most important meal of the day and how she recommends breaking the breakfast rut:
I’m kind of a Plain Jane when it comes to breakfast — I’m probably the only dietitian who actually doesn’t like oatmeal! I either eat Special K® Red Berries with nonfat milk or I make a scrambled egg using one whole egg and just the white of a second egg. If I make scrambled eggs, I usually make a piece of oatmeal bread toast to go with it. Occasionally, if I have leftover tortillas, I make a breakfast burrito with salsa, scrambled eggs and some low-fat cheese.
It could be that your breakfast is too low in calories (aim for 500) or too low in protein (aim for 8–10 grams) and/or fat. Another reason may be the time you eat breakfast. Many people get up early and eat breakfast at 6:30 a.m. In that case, hunger at 10:30 makes sense because it’s been four hours since the last meal.
Here’s another possibility: Eating a high-carbohydrate breakfast (say, a bowl of sweet cereal with almond milk, orange juice and coffee with sugar) can raise blood glucose and increase insulin levels, which leads to craving even more carbohydrates. This “insulin spike” can put you on a hunger/high blood sugar see-saw for the rest of the day — not good!
Did you know that Independence members get six free nutrition counseling sessions a year?* You can search for a participating registered dietitian using our online provider directory.
* Not all employers offer nutrition counseling visits as part of their benefits plans. Please contact Customer Service or your benefits administrator to determine if this benefit applies to your coverage.