A healthy breakfast is the basis of proper nutrition

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A nutritious and healthy breakfast plays an important role in everyone's life, but it is especially important for athletes or bodybuilders who need to boost their metabolism first thing in the morning and then maintain a high level of activity throughout the busy day.

The biggest mistake for all people (not just athletes) is skipping breakfast and running out of the house as soon as they wake up.

With this regimen, the body is constantly in a state of starvation, which can seriously harm not only performance and muscle growth, but also health and efficiency in other areas of life.

Therefore, if you notice such bad habits, read this article to the end. Perhaps some healthy breakfast ideas will inspire you to change your lifestyle for the better.

Basic principles of a healthy breakfast

When it comes to athlete nutrition, breakfast should contain 500-700 calories . It should consist of:

• 50% from carbohydrates;
• 30% proteins;
• and 20% healthy fats.

Ideal sources of carbohydrates are dietary fiber, which is rich in vegetables and fruits, as well as whole grain cereals and breads. To meet your protein and healthy fat needs, you can choose:

• nut and seeds;
• eggs;
• peanut butter;
• cheese;
• and lean meats.

One of the most important elements of a healthy diet that many people often forget is water.

Adequate water intake will not only keep your body cells well hydrated, but will also promote proper digestion, eliminate toxins and waste, and keep all body functions running smoothly. At the same time, water is of great importance for athletes, since the nature of their activities contributes to rapid loss of moisture.

Do not forget that muscles consist of 75% , so if there is not enough moisture in the body, they cannot respond correctly to stress.

To ensure your body is hydrated, drink water with every meal and snack, and in small portions during exercise to avoid dehydration.

For better muscle maintenance and recovery after exercise, a meal high in carbohydrates and protein must include fluid intake.

In addition, it is worth saying that it is better to give preference to whole fruits rather than fruit juices, since fruits are rich in fiber, and their peel contains much more antioxidants than juices, especially if they are factory-produced juices.

Features of nutrition in the morning before exercise

The morning meal menu depends on what time the athlete wakes up when training begins.

But there are general rules:

• for your first breakfast, you can allow yourself easily digestible carbohydrates, which will give you energy for your morning run and exercise, and also support your muscles;
• whey protein will fill the morning “protein” hunger, and the second breakfast can consist of solid food;
• if training is in the morning, then you need to eat at least an hour and a half before the start of classes, allowing yourself porridge, cottage cheese, fish;
• when classes are scheduled for the afternoon, you can eat something that has a low glycemic index - an omelet with meat, cheese, cottage cheese.

It is believed that the best breakfast for an athlete is protein combined with carbohydrates. The general recommendation of all nutritionists and gastroenterologists is that breakfast should be light and not overload the stomach.

What to eat for weight loss

It is a mistake to think that those who are losing weight should deny themselves everything. On the contrary, nutritionists believe that the main percentage of obese people refuse to eat in the morning.

Lyudmila Denisenko, a nutritionist, says that breakfast should account for up to 35% of the total calories of the daily value. Those who eat breakfast have a 7% higher metabolism than average.

To maintain a slim figure for the morning meal, you can easily afford:

• porridge with fruit, buckwheat with butter;
• as a dessert - dates, yoghurts, fresh fruits;
• A light protein breakfast can be cottage cheese, to which you can add raisins; it is better to dilute dry cottage cheese with yogurt, sour cream, and add honey to sour cottage cheese, but not sugar.

If we are talking about people of the endomorphic type (they are the ones who are prone to excess weight), then the morning meal should be 60-70% protein. Skinless chicken fillet, zero-fat cottage cheese, seafood, low-fat kefir, and tofu are appropriate.

Interesting! The glycemic index of instant cereals is about 90, and whole grain cereals are 40-45. It is recommended to eat whole grain porridge for breakfast, adding honey or fruit to it instead of sugar.

Breakfast with oatmeal

Soak half a cup of rolled oats in almond milk, egg whites or water and leave in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, mash the mixture with one banana and add a spoonful of vanilla-flavored whey protein powder. Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!

A classic serving of oatmeal can be greatly improved by adding a scoop of chocolate-flavored protein powder and a teaspoon of almond butter. Wash down the porridge with a large cup of black coffee. You are now fully energized to start your day!

If you're a peanut butter fan, mix the cereal with a scoop of chocolate protein powder and a tablespoon of peanut butter, add banana slices and sprinkle with cinnamon. Now the oatmeal has become incredibly tasty!

For a breakfast that's truly loaded with energy, antioxidants, and other nutrients that will boost digestion and support health, add a spoonful of brown sugar and a handful of any berries to a bowl of oatmeal. If you have a busy training day ahead, try 180 grams of grilled chicken breast and an omelette made from the whites of 10 eggs and 1 yolk 1.5 hours after training.

Don't want to waste time in the morning? Make a large batch and store in a container that will keep the dish fresh for several days. Mix 2 cups of rolled oats, 2 cups of almond or soy milk, half a cup of chia seeds and 1 or 2 finely chopped apples. Leave the mixture in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, top a portion of porridge with yogurt and add fresh blueberries or cranberries, banana slices or chopped almonds. Enjoy!

The opinion of professionals in the field of bodybuilding and fitness

Stanislav Lindover

(Master of Sports in Bodybuilding)
If we are talking about the first meal, then I categorically insist that it should be a protein mixture. Ideally, it is a quickly digestible protein. I recommend using a quick protein after waking up and after a while (after 15-20 minutes), you can take carbohydrates with either a medium or low glycemic index as breakfast. It can be buckwheat, rice or oatmeal, preferably with water.

Sergey Yugay

(Master of Sports in Bodybuilding)

After bed I have a shot of whey protein. I immediately drink two scoops of whey with water and after that, after about 20-30 minutes, I eat solid food, very often egg whites and oatmeal with water.

Sergei Mironov

(Absolute champion of the North-West in beach bodybuilding)

It is usually customary to have breakfast with egg whites or oatmeal. Personally, I most often eat eggs with vegetables. My first meal is protein, I don’t eat carbohydrates at the beginning so as not to raise insulin.

Alexander Shchukin

For breakfast, I recommend more carbohydrates, easily digestible protein, more polyunsaturated fatty acids and less saturated fat of animal origin.

Sergei Khalepo

(Absolute champion Arnold Classic, absolute champion of the North-West)

The peak level of growth hormone is observed from 0 to 2 am, that is, it is more advisable to consume protein at night than to eat this protein in the morning. In the morning, carbohydrates are more important - they provide the body with energy for the whole day. I eat oatmeal or buckwheat porridge, cheese or eggs for breakfast.

Andrey Shmidt

(Absolute champion of Arnold Classic, absolute champion of Russia)

In the morning you need to eat more energy-rich food in the form of complex carbohydrates, because the body has been working all night and it needs to replenish its energy needs, since you did not feed it with anything at night. Therefore, the best option would be some cereals, buckwheat, oatmeal, fruits and juices.

Chicken egg breakfast ideas

How about a turkey bacon omelet? This is a healthy breakfast option that will allow you not to feel hungry for a long time during the day. Simply take a cup of egg white and add 2 slices of turkey bacon. Finish your meal with a small portion of oatmeal and a cup of fresh berries.

Tired of regular scrambled eggs? Make a frittata with asparagus, mushrooms, cheese and spinach. Chop onions, asparagus and mushrooms. Fry until golden brown in olive oil. In a bowl, beat the eggs, add milk, grated Parmesan and salt, beat with a fork or mixer. Pour the contents into a frying pan with asparagus and mushrooms, fry on both sides. Ready!

For a delicious, nutritious, muscle-building breakfast that fills you up long-lasting while still being easy on your digestion, make a smoothie with banana, vanilla whey protein, and peanut butter. After an intense workout, you can replenish your glycogen stores with a simple but healthy omelet with spinach, peppers and olives. And for dessert - banana.

In case you didn't know, an egg and an avocado are best friends forever. Place 3 egg whites and a whole egg omelet on a whole grain bagel and top with a quartered avocado. This breakfast will provide you with enough high-quality protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats to get your day started on the right foot!

Make an omelet with a whole egg and half a cup of egg whites, two turkey sausages, and fresh fruit such as peaches or pineapple chunks. Don't like fruit? Add some cottage cheese instead for an optimal protein to fat ratio.

For the perfect start to your day, indulge in the Egg and Oat Pancake to get two for the price of one. Take 2/3 cup of egg white, a whole egg and a third of a cup of raw oats. Pour the eggs into the pan, sprinkle with oats and cook until. Until the pancake is ready to flip. The best part is that these pancakes keep well. You can make them in bulk and then store them in the refrigerator or ziplock bags. Top the pancake with honey, almond butter and fresh berries.

This recipe is for athletes obsessed with berries. Make pancakes from an egg white mixture of 4 eggs, 1 whole egg, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/3 cup blueberries, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, vanilla extract and baking powder. Lubricate with honey and eat with pleasure!

And finally, a recipe that combines all of our favorite foods in one big, super-delicious bun. First, mix a third of a glass of rolled oats, 4 egg whites, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder in a blender until smooth. Pour the batter into the muffin tin and bake for no more than 20 minutes at 190 C. Carefully remove the top half of the muffin, fill the middle with peanut butter, and put the top half back. Bon appetit!

Healthy breakfast

We know how to make your breakfast healthy. Add eggs to your morning diet and be great!

Skipping breakfast has never done anyone any good; rather, it has ultimately led to excess weight. So don’t disdain healthy things: eat 20-30 grams of protein for breakfast (2-3 eggs) and don’t deny yourself anything. Don't like eggs? We have already figured out what to replace them with.

• If you are in a hurry, you can easily get by with a bun with low-fat cottage cheese or cheese curd. Add salmon to this set, squeeze a lemon and go ahead - your 20 grams of proteins are there.
• Eggs can easily replace tofu cheese. Fry 130 grams in vegetable oil, add a mixture of peppers, onions and soy sauce and simmer in a frying pan until the tofu looks like scrambled eggs. Eat with toast for a great start to the day with 25 grams of protein!
• Vegetarian sausage sandwiches work just as well. Fry the sausage for 6-8 minutes and eat with multigrain bread and Tobasco (it will help speed up the metabolic process). That's 21 grams of protein!

Morning smoothies, fresh juices, fruit juices

If you feel like you never find time to make breakfast in the morning and you're too lazy to make it the night before, here's the recipe you've been looking for your whole life. Mix a glass of almond milk, a spoonful of vanilla protein, a spoonful of honey in a blender. In addition to its pleasant taste, this mixture has the ability to saturate and energize for several hours.

Need a pick-me-up in the morning? An addition to the traditional breakfast with the following ingredients: 2 green apples, 4 stalks of celery, 1 lemon, 1 cucumber, a few cabbage leaves and a little ginger. This is a great recipe, you will love it!

Try this fantastic smoothie recipe: 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1/2 lemon, 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries, 1/2 cup almond milk, some fresh spinach, 1 tablespoon flax seeds and a little honey.

To make a high protein chocolate shake, take a glass of almond milk, 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder, some peanut butter and honey. Mix the ingredients in a blender.

Pancakes with cherry, blueberry and honey jam from Matt Fitzgerald

Recipe taken from the book Breakfast of Champions. It is not at all surprising that the famous sports nutritionist classified this breakfast option as traditionally Russian.

Matt Fitzgerald suggests using buckwheat flour, which gives round pancakes, more like pancakes, an amber color and a pleasant nutty flavor. He recommends eating them with jam made from fruits and berries rich in flavonoids. It sounds complicated, but in reality these are just plant pigments that strengthen the immune system.

Preparation:

• Take half a cup of cherries and mix them with the same amount of blueberries in a small saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon of honey. Place over low heat to allow the contents to simmer while you prepare the pancakes.
• Mix half a glass of flour with 1 teaspoon of powdered yeast in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and half a teaspoon of sugar. The resulting mixture should be without lumps.
• Add one egg, 2/3 cup cow's milk (vegetable milk would also be appropriate), 1 teaspoon of melted butter and beat everything thoroughly.
• Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat for a minute. Pour the resulting mixture onto it in circles 5-7.5 cm in diameter, so that they do not overlap each other.
• When bubbles begin to form on the surface of the pancakes, flip them over and cook for another minute or two, or until they release easily from the pan.
• Repeat until all the dough is used.
• Serve pancakes with jam and yogurt or sour cream if desired.

Makes 15-20 pancakes. Two portions.

The nutritional value:

Kilocalories – 380, fats – 9 g, proteins – 15 g, carbohydrates – 64 g, fiber – 9 g.