36 Healthy Breakfast Ideas: Plus Recipes to Try and Foods to Avoid – Men’s health UK

Feed your gains first thing with these fab five foods.

It might be your grandma’s favourite, but bodybuilders swear by cottage cheese. 11g of protein per 100g might not sound like the excess you’re gunning for, but this shot of casein protein will keep you primed all day.

Related: Here’s everything you need to know about casein

Casein is absorbed into the bloodstream slowly, keeping your muscles ready for action. Just don’t eat the whole tub.

Great for bulking

12.6 per cent of the weight of an egg is high-quality protein, which equates to 5.53g – if you have two for breakfast you’ve just clocked up 20% of your RDA. The essential amino acid profile and high digestibility of egg protein makes it one of your best sources to kickstart in the morning.

Related: Eggs are also great for binning your hangover

When your body metabolised last night’s shots of Tequila, it created a compound called acetaldehyde. It’s the toxin responsible for any soul-destroying hangover. Handily, eggs are rich in the amino acid cysteine, which your body converts into the acetaldehyde-destroying antioxidant glutathione. Take a breath. That’s the science over.

Two medium eggs contains 292mg of cysteine, which is likely more than your daily RDA – the World Health Organisation suggests consuming 4.1mg of cysteine per kg of bodyweight, equivalent to 287mg for a 70kg adult.

Great for bulking + crushing your hangover

Although jam-packed with minerals, slow-release carbs are the real name of the game when it comes to porridge, with a 158g serving providing 607 calories. These aren’t empty, though: that same bowl just plated up 26g of protein. The accompanying dietary fibre means that your oats won’t sit flat, but will fuel your exercise all day long.

If you’re looking to upgrade your porridge even further, check out our eight ways to pile on more protein to your oats.

Still rather stay in bed? Why not make overnight oats? Here’s how to make perfect overnight oats.

Great for bulking

Healthy fats and fibre are crucial for packing on the right kind of pounds, and flax seeds are one of the best sources of both. They can mixed into a blended protein shake with ease and you can also add yoghurt and oats with some fruit for a calorific, bulk-up breakfast. Bonus: it’ll keep control of your cholesterol levels.

Great for bulking

Not only is yoghurt a great source of protein, it also takes care of your immune system: a study in the American Society for Clinical Nutrition found yoghurt can increase resistance to immune-related diseases. If you’re stressing your body in the gym, you need to take care of it. Spoon on top of your oats.

Great for bulking

Yes, you can eat more and actually lose weight. Here’s how:

Green tea contains the antioxidant ECGC, which has been reported to increase fat oxidation. Oxidation is the process of your body burning fuel for energy, in this case using fat. Replace your morning coffee with a mug of green to kick obesity out of the park.

Related: Here’s six other benefits of green tea

Great for weightloss

They are rich in vitamins, low calorie, high in fibre and some studies have shown that they can help improve blood sugar control.

Great for weightloss

Pears are charged with healthy phytonutrients. For the biology-phobes among you, phytonutrients are powerful antioxidants that are also anti-inflammatory. What this means for your weight loss campaign is that the cavalry has just arrived: anti-inflammatories aid cardiovascular health, so your exercise regime can torch fat faster.

Great for weightloss

Cinnamon can help improve insulin sensitivity. If you’re looking to up your game when it comes to body composition, that’s got a big green tick stamped across it. Even better, it boosts metabolism, keeping you gunning for weight loss all day long. Cinnamon challenge, anyone?

Great for weightloss

Feed your body, feed your mind with these breakfast foods.

Blackcurrants contain anthocyanins, which help protect brain cells from the types of stress associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Even better, British berries are darker and contain more of the good stuff than anywhere else in the world, according to a study in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agricultural Compounds. Blighty berries beat brain bothers; saying that will give you a mental workout, too.

Best for brain health

Neuroprotective compounds are essential to brain health, so get them in at the start of the day. For a whole, natural breakfast, pick out walnuts: they are rich in omega-3, melatonin and folate.

Related: Should you be snacking on fruit or nuts? We found out

One study from the Journal of Nutrition identified walnuts as an effective way to decrease vulnerability to the oxidative stress of ageing, which is essentially cell damage which cannot be countered naturally by the body. For the older gent, they’re a shoe-in.

Best for brain health

Oily fish is one of your best ways to keep your cells up top ticking over. Salmon is rich in DHAs, which have been linked to reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases. It also helps prevent heart disease and high blood pressure. Pair smoked salmon with scrambled egg for a protein-packed and brainy breakfast.

Best for brain health

The superfood par excellence. Fresh from lowering your blood pressure, fighting diseases and lowering triglycerides (blood fats), the flavonoids in blueberries also improve memory and cognitive function, found in Scientific American. Expensive, yes, but more than worth the outlay.

Best for brain health

Don’t bin the fry up just yet…

Low in fat and calories and high in dietary fibre, baked beans are a worthy addition to any healthy breakfast. The natural musical treat is also a great source or protein and minerals which help the body function.

A meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2016 concluded that eating beans and other pulses may reduce body fat and help in weight maintenance, without restricting calories. However, a lot of baked beans dishes do contain sugar. Sometimes, a lot. So make sure you check the food labels.

The evidence is clear: high consumption of processed meat is associated with increased cancer risk. Bacon also contains nitrates, which have been reported to be sources of carcinogens, a chemical substance, that can damage DNA or disrupt the metabolism of an organism.

Not great.

Related: Should you really be worried about eating bacon?

However, in moderation – and going organic – bacon can be a worthy breakfast champion. Bacon has a high-protein to fat ration, and contains a number of other health benefits.

“High quality bacon is chock-full of a very important nutrient called choline, which has been shown to help fight off the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s disease and other chronic mental impairments,” says Ali Miller, R.D.

Bacon also delivers a good dose of the various B vitamins, along with zinc. These nutrients aid in production of serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter in the brain, and can help reduce anxiety, she adds.

Avocado is rich in omega-9 fats (oleic acid) and supports healthy skin and hormone balance while promoting digestive health as a rich form of fibre.

It’s a great workout recovery food, too, providing electrolytes like potassium, and can help improve your stress response, thanks to B vitamins like folate.

If you don’t eat a lot of meat, full-fat dairy products like burrata cheese on tomatoes, full-fat yogurt as a snack with fruit, and half-and-half in your coffee are all good ways to sneak in good saturated fats.

Plus, despite popular belief, some recent studies have failed to find a link between increased risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, or stroke with dairy fats. This may have to do with other nutrients within dairy that these fats interact with.

For instance, dairy foods are rich in micronutrients such as vitamin D and potassium — two nutrients important for optimal heart health, blood pressure, and insulin sensitivity. The higher fat content also helps keep you full.

With some additional extras, you’ll be able to hit your protein goals easily.

“One tablespoon of peanut butter adds 4.5 grams of protein, two tablespoons adds 9 grams, and any of the other nut butters add a similar amount as well,” says nutritionist and trainer Rande Bryzelak, R.D. and president of Nutrifitness. Once you’ve added the nut butter, try topping with fresh fruit to add natural sweetness without processed sugars.

Add this to your porridge or spread it on to your toast

If you’re a crunch lover, you can add a tablespoon or two of nuts or seeds instead of a creamy nut butter for an additional 5 grams of protein, says physician-nutrition specialist Melina Jampolis, M.D. and author of Spice Up, Slim Down.

Related: 8 common protein shake mistakes

Pepitas or dried sunflower seeds and dried cranberries are a nice variation on good old raisins and peanuts. Get creative with hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, and walnuts.

Add this to your porridge

Try making your hot porridge with a higher-protein grain such as quinoa, spelt, or amaranth, either blended with your oats or alone.

Related: 7 surprising sources of protein that aren’t meat or dairy

Cooked quinoa has 8 grams of protein per cup, spelt has 11 grams, and amaranth has 9.Follow the package directions for cooking and treat the finished grains how you would your normal oatmeal with your favourite toppings and spices.

Add this to your toast, granola, porridge or smoothie

Well, obvs.

Experts agree that you can pick the one you like best – whey, egg, pea– just make sure it’s made with real-food ingredients and doesn’t have a lot of additives or fillers.

Related: The best whey protein powders to buy in 2019

Our main tip is to dissolve the powder in a little liquid before putting it in your oatmeal, otherwise it is harder to mix in and may get clumpy. A scoop of whey protein, for example, generally has about 25 to 30 grams of protein.

Armed with the ingredients and ideas, here’s how to put them all together. Here are the best breakfast recipes.

It doesn’t get much easier than pancakes. Two minutes to prepare, two minutes to make. You have no excuses. Add in protein powder and you’ve also got a muscle-building meal right in front of you.

Full ingredients and recipe – click here