This article has been Fact-Checked by Kendall Kennedy MS, RD, RYT
Not sure what breakfasts are convenient, tasty, and good for weight loss? We got your back with these 10 breakfast ideas for weight loss
Some people claim it’s the best thing since sliced bread, others say it makes you fat. How does breakfast influence your weight loss and what are some great breakfast ideas to make the best of this meal?
Does breakfast help you lose weight?
Before giving you 10 breakfast ideas for weight loss are you need to know that it is ok and most likely even beneficial to skip breakfast.
There are claims that you need to “kickstart” your metabolism and such. This is not the case. Digesting food does increase the calories you burn but you can always have the same amount of food at a later time.
Extending the amount of time you fast overnight is a good thing for a lot of people. It can do things like increase insulin sensivity, control calories better and improve longevity.
If you are able to get enough nutrients in your other meals and don’t have any medical concerns, you can try skipping out on breakfast.
You can initially feel hungry but sooner or later this will go away.
If you do decide to have breakfast
Of course you can still lose weight and eat breakfast if you eat the right things.
First of all, a healthy breakfast for weight loss helps you feel full so you don’t snack too much.
Secondly it provides you with a steady stream of energy throughout the day. Some breakfast give you a quick boost in energy right after you eat them but a few hours later you feel lethargic. This can trigger you to eat more of those foods (that are usually high in calories). Not very helpful for weight loss.
So what exactly do you eat for breakfast when trying to lose weight? With these 10 breakfast ideas you can fill your weight loss breakfast menu.
One thing that stands out with a lot of “healthy” breakfast ideas is that they just replace things like sugar with other high calorie ingredients that are indeed a bit healthier but still not very good for weight loss.
These ideas are not like that. They will actually help you feel full without adding too many calories to your diet.
1. Omelet Deluxe
The first breakfast idea for weight loss is the classic omelet deluxe.
Eggs are a great weight loss food. They contain a nice amount of protein and micronutrients. Protein helps you feel fuller and helps with building and preserving muscle. Muscle in turn helps you burn more calories.
Now for the deluxe part you can add some of your favorite vegetables, mushrooms, meat, herbs or cheese.
Besides containing a good amount of protein and micronutrients this breakfast has a lot of other awesome advantages. It’s quick and easy to make, it’s pretty inexpensive, and you can customize it so you find it incredibly tasty.
How many eggs should you eat in the morning for weight loss?
For a long time eggs were considered to be unhealthy because they supposedly raise your cholesterol.
This thought lingers but more and more research is pointing away from this. Cholesterol in your food does not seem to influence key markers for heart health as much as previously thought (1, 2).
If you have a history of high cholesterol and a lot of relatives with heart disease you might still want to tread carefully. If you are not in higher risk groups you should be good to consume up to 3 eggs a day.
2. (Greek) Yogurt
Both regular Yogurt and Greek Yogurt can be a great base for a weight loss breakfast. There is a small difference between the two.
Compared to Greek yogurt, regular yogurt is usually:
- Higher in sodium
- Lower in protein
- Higher in carbs
- Higher in calcium
One or the other can be better depending on the rest of your diet and lifestyle. The most important thing for weight loss is to stay way from the brands that add sugar to them.
Yogurt on its own can be enough to fulfill your breakfast needs. However the great thing about it is that there are multiple things you can add to it to make it more tasty.
Some things you can add for great greek yogurt breakfast ideas for weight loss are:
- Blueberries
- Bananas
- Pineapple
- Apple
- Oats
- Seeds
- Other fruits
This is again a breakfast that doesn’t cost too much, doesn’t take a lot of time and can be incredibly tasty.
3. Avocado Deluxe
An avocado is another great food as the base of a breakfast. It’s a bit higher in calories than certain other vegetables (fruits acutally) but it are mostly healthy fats. They also are a great source of vitamins, minerals and fiber.
There are multiple ideas to make this food more than just an avocado. Altough just a bit of salt and pepper is enough to make it a breakfast.
For example, you can cut one up and combine it with other ingredients to make a great salad.
If you’re ok with a little more preparation you can slice your avocado in half, remove the pit, pour in an egg, put on some cut vegetables or pieces of meat and bake them in a 400°F (200°C) preheated oven for about 15 minutes.
Something like guacamole is also an option.
Depending on where you live avocados can be a bit more pricy but this is still a great breakfast option if you want to start your day right.
4. Oatmeal
This is another weight loss breakfast classic and there is a reason this is a classic. Oatmeal is a great source of micronutrients, protein and fiber. It’s true that its calorie content is a bit higher than some other foods. However the nutrients in it make oatmeal one of the better breakfast options in terms of feeling full and nutrients.
There are a lot of different ways to go with oatmeal.
You can just prepare it the classic way with water and/or milk. You can opt for overnight oats which is just letting the oats sit overnight with some milk or yogurt. Or you can just eat it raw with a little yogurt to make it less dry.
After that you can add basically any weight loss friendly food you want. Fruits, seeds, vegetables, cheese,…
You can try out these 4 oatmeal recipes to get started.
5. Beans
The amount of different ways you can use beans in your breakfast is endless.
Some people like to put in more time and effort with complete breakfast chili con carnes.
A more simple idea for a bean breakfast is to just combine beans with some vegetables and your favorite breakfast meat.
Beans are a great source of fiber, micronutrients and plant-based protein.
6. Chia seeds
Chia seeds are a food you can build a healthy breakfast on.
It’s true that they are fairly high in calories even compared to avocado but a lot of those calories are from fiber; protein and healthy fats. They also contain a nice amounts of certain micronutrients. With that being said it’s still a good idea to keep an eye on the calories count.
There are multiple ways you can make a breakfast out of chia seeds.
A first example is chia pudding. The way you make this is by combining 1/4 cup chia seeds with 1 cup of milk of your choice. Let this mixture sit in the fridge overnight. In the morning you can add your favorite berries, fruit or spices to improve taste.
You can also just combine them with some yogurt and other healthy ingredients, add them to smoothies, or with healthy juice like lemon or lime juice.
7. Smoothie
Smoothies can be beneficial for weight loss if you make them the right way. That means there are some mistakes you can make that can work against weight loss.
First of all you need to know the difference between juicing and blending because some people think they are the same.
Juicing removes more components of the foods you are using, usually healthy substances like for example fiber. What you’re left with is sugar, water and some vitamins depending on what ingredients you use. Juicing can be alright but in general you want to stick to blending.
Blending does make processing the foods a bit easier but without removing beneficial contents.
That being said for both the same rule applies. The ingredients determine how good or bad your brew is for weight loss.
In general you want to avoid using too much fruits and focus on vegetables. Vegetables are usually higher in vitamins and minerals and lower in calories and sugar.
8. Quinoa Combo
You can find many great breakfast ideas with quinoa. It’s fairly low in calories, it has fiber, it has micronutrients, basically the standard good things.
You can go multiple ways with quinoa. Combining it with fruit and spices like cinnamon makes for a sweeter breakfast.
However you can also go on the more lunch dinner route by combining it with vegetables into a salad.
9. Oven Baked Potato
The best way to prepare a potato for weight loss is cooking them but if baking can save you time in the morning it might be worth the swap.
You can just put one in the oven with some olive oil, salt and pepper without anything else. However, you can also flavor it up with some cheese, butter, sour cream, meat and your favorite spices.
Some of these extra ingredients can pump up the amount of calories but it will most likely still be a breakfast that keeps you full.
10. Keto Coffee
The following breakfast idea is from the ketogenic diet world.
The recipe is basically combining a cup of coffee with about 1-2 tablespoons of mct oil (or regular coconut oil) and 1-2 tablespoons of grass fed butter.
It’s far from the most nutrient dense breakfast idea on the list. It’s basically coffee and healthy fats. The good thing about this breakfast is that it feels a lot more filling and most likely more healthy than if you would eat the same amount of calories in foods like muffins, donuts, and most other bakes goods.
It’s not the greatest source of vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber on this list but for some people it’s a healthier alternative than their current breakfast.
Things that are important for a good weight loss breakfast
How good a certain breakfast is for weight loss depends on a few different factors. When you know these things it becomes easier to decide for yourself whether or not you should eat something first thing in the morning.
Filling
Hunger and cravings are some of the biggest reasons people fail to stick to their weight loss habits.
A good weight loss breakfast will set you up for a day of feeling satiated.
Bad breakfast foods get digested so fast you can already feel the hunger one hour after you’ve eaten.
Energy
When you really think about it, the ultimate role of food is feeding your body nutrients and energy.
The problem with bad breakfast foods is that they give you a short burst of energy but cause low energy after that. This is because they get digested so fast and contain a lot of calories. This causes a spike and then a dip in blood sugar.
When your blood sugar is low your body sends signals that you need to eat again. It usually craves the unhealthy high energy foods. Starting your day this way gets you started on a blood sugar rollercoaster.
Slow and steady energy sources will be a lot more helpful for weight loss.
Preferably with nutrients
Humans need all kinds of vitamins and minerals in certain amounts to be and feel healthy.
Most of these nutrients are present in whole foods like eggs, vegetables and meat.
If you want to get enough nutrients it can be helpful to implement those foods in every meal, including breakfast.
Convenient to make or prepare in advance
For most people the morning is the busiest time of the day. It’s just not the part of the day you want prepare a 5 course dinner.
Part of going on a weight loss journey is finding habits you can stick to. Simple meals can be a tremendous help with that.
Most of these weight loss breakfast are fairly low effort and thus on-the-go friendly.
Bonus points if you like what you’re eating
Another aspect that helps you stick to things, in particular your eating habits, is liking the things you’re eating.
You might have to get used to certain foods. However, if you can make your food tastier in a healthy way it will make your life better.
