Choosing a healthy breakfast isn’t just about picking healthy ingredients. If you want something that’s going to keep your blood sugar balanced throughout the day, you’ll need to think about the bigger picture and combine the right nutritious foods.
“They always say the first meal day is the most important, and it really is because it sets you up for how you feel for the rest of the day,” says Natalie Rizzo, registered dietitian and nutrition editor at TODAY.
And it’s not just about the next hour or two after breakfast, she adds, “what you eat for breakfast can affect you in the afternoon.”
Grace Derocha, registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, agrees: “You’re breaking your overnight fast,” she explains. So, you want to “prime your body for really efficient energy, and that hopefully will take you throughout the rest of your day.”
That doesn’t have to take a lot of time or work, the experts say. Just a little bit of planning ahead can help you make healthier choices in the morning all the way through your evening.
Choosing a Breakfast That Won’t Spike Blood Sugar
In the U.S., we’re often “habituated to reach for carb-heavy stuff” for breakfast, Rizzo says, like bagels, cereal, muffins and pastries.
But carbohydrates are digested quickly, especially those sugary “dessert-type foods,” Derocha says. The problem is that those foods “will bring your blood sugar high faster, and then bring it down faster,” she explains. “And with that, you then get a bit of a hangry crash.”
If that happens, you might feel lethargic and then also hungrier later. And, because you’re so hungry, you might find yourself reaching for foods that aren’t necessarily the healthiest when lunchtime comes around, Rizzo says, like a burger and fries.
Instead, the dietitians say, think about combining nutrients into a balanced meal that keeps you energized and full.
Derocha’s formula includes protein, fiber and healthy fats. Protein and fat get digested more slowly, Rizzo explains, and fiber keeps your body’s absorption of sugar steady.
That doesn’t mean you need to avoid carbohydrates. After all, they’re still your body’s main energy source, and they should make up most of your calories, Rizzo notes.
But it’s a good idea to choose carbs wisely — and to mindfully pair them with other nutrients to slow your digestion and keep your blood sugar steady.
Top Breakfasts to Balance Blood Sugar
Putting that formula to work, here are a few go-to breakfasts the dietitians recommend to keep your blood sugar balanced in the morning.
Oatmeal With Nut Butter
Both Derocha and Rizzo recommend adding oatmeal to your breakfast menu. Oats are a whole grain, providing gut-healthy fiber and a bit of protein. (Experts generally recommend opting for steel-cut or rolled oats because they don’t have the added sugar that instant oats typically contain.)
Rather than making your oatmeal with just water, Rizzo suggests making it with milk (or a milk substitute of your choice) to get some healthy protein and fats, and she likes to top hers with fresh fruit, nuts and nut butter to make it more filling.
Meanwhile, Derocha is a fan of make-ahead overnight oats. Her family likes to eat them as parfaits with Greek yogurt and whatever fresh fruit or berries they have on hand.
“Sometimes there’s a drizzle of peanut butter or almond butter in there, sometimes there’s cinnamon, sometimes there’s some chia seeds as well,” Derocha says. It’s easy to mix up the flavors for whatever you’re in the mood for.
Greek Yogurt With Fruit, Nuts and Seeds
It doesn’t get much simpler than some Greek yogurt with whatever toppings you like. As with the overnight oats, the experts recommend opting for nuts, seeds, fresh fruit and nut butter, which provide extra protein, fiber and heart-healthy fat.
Those toppings also add extra bulk, flavor and crunch to the meal so you can get plain yogurt rather than flavored varieties, which typically come with added sugar.
Cottage Cheese on Toast
You can have a bowl of cottage cheese topped with nuts, seeds and fruit the way you would have Greek yogurt, of course.
But Rizzo also suggests trying it on top of a piece of whole grain toast, piled with your favorite sweet or savory toppings.
Try it with sliced strawberries, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a drizzle of almond butter, for instance. Or try a whipped cottage cheese spread with lemon and herbs, topped with cherry tomatoes for a filling, balanced and flavorful breakfast.
High-Protein Smoothie
When you’re short on time, a smoothie packed with protein, fresh or frozen fruit and veggies is a great way to get a lot of balanced nutrition in quickly.
Try making it with Greek yogurt or even tofu (a tip from Derocha) to get a good amount of filling protein in there. Then add whatever fruit you have on hand or in the freezer and coconut water, or a splash of milk or a milk substitute for a little more protein.
Finally, “you can also even throw a handful of nuts or nut butter in there,” Rizzo says, or add some flaxseeds for a little more fiber and healthy fats.
Eggs With Whole Grain Toast
Both experts also recommend eggs in the morning, but stress that you shouldn’t just have eggs on their own. While high in protein and fat, “eggs or egg whites by themselves are not that filling because they’re not a lot of calories,” Rizzo explains.
Instead, she recommends pairing your eggs with at least some whole-grain toast to help keep you full. And Derocha likes to make a scramble with whatever leftover vegetables she has in the fridge, like bell peppers, onions or spinach.
Chia Seed Pudding
Chia seeds are an all-star when it comes to fiber, and taking advantage of them for breakfast can help get your morning off to the right start.
Derocha is a fan of chia seed pudding, which is easy to make ahead and keep in the fridge. Like overnight oats, you can make it with whatever healthy toppings you want, like fruit and chopped nuts.
Adding chia seeds to your morning cereal is also a way to make a classic breakfast food a little morning balanced, Rizzo says. Use a low-sugar cereal, add the milk of your choice and top it with sliced fruit and a sprinkling of chia seeds, she suggests.
Leftover Lunch or Dinner
Just because you’re eating breakfast doesn’t mean you have to eat a stereotypically “breakfast” type food, the experts say.
For instance, Derocha, who is Filipino, grew up eating savory flavors for breakfast like pickled vegetables with rice and fish. Now, she sometimes makes a savory breakfast bowl with quinoa or sorghum, leafy greens, beans or chickpeas, roasted vegetables and an egg. And her kids will sometimes eat leftovers from dinner as breakfast, like her veggie-packed meatloaf.
And Rizzo agrees: “If you prefer to eat a turkey sandwich in the morning or something like that, it’s balanced so go for it,” she says.
