Crystal Nelson
A recent US study shows that people who skip the morning meal have a greater craving for sweet and fatty foods during the day. The reason: The brain then produces less of the reward neurotransmitter dopamine. The researchers recommend a high-protein breakfast, e.g. B. with egg, ham, cheese, and fish. After that, the dopamine levels rise significantly – and the craving for unhealthy food stays away.
Beware of these cheat packs for breakfast
A healthy start to the day includes a glass of juice and a bowl of muesli. Mistake. Sugar traps are already lurking at breakfast.
Grape juice: They must provide the necessary vitamins for the day – but also a lot of sugar! There are 18 cubes in 200 ml of grape juice. Better: water with a little lemon – contains many vitamins but no sugar.
Ready-to-eat muesli: They are considered a healthy breakfast: muesli mixes with nuts, raisins – and often chocolate. But these should be considered sweets. Because their sugar content is often over 50 percent. There are eleven pieces of sugar hidden in a portion of crunchy muesli. Rather mix oatmeal with fresh fruit and nuts.
Protein shakes for breakfast curb cravings
Do you simply lack the time for an elaborate breakfast in the morning? Instead, because it’s so convenient, you grab a quick bar or a ready-made shake from the drugstore – and two hours later you’re starving again?
Then try our protein trick: mix yourself with a healthy protein shake. You don’t need more than five minutes of prep time and a blender or hand blender. Prepare your shake at home and take it to work. If you have very little time, you can even mix it the night before and store it in the fridge overnight. Shake up before drinking – done! The biggest advantage: your homemade shake contains only a few good ingredients. Dairy products and nuts contain satiating protein that keeps blood sugar levels down and speeds up fat loss. And fruits provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals for an active metabolism. Put the ingredients together according to the modular principle. You can also find ideas for great shakes in our recipe planner.
Feel free to swap meals and drink the shake at lunchtime or in the evening. You should also eat protein-rich foods with the other two meals to avoid blood sugar fluctuations.
Mix up your protein shake
With healthy ingredients, protein shakes effectively protect against cravings:
dairy products e.g. B. approx. 200 ml milk, 1 cup yogurt, quark, cottage cheese, or whey. In the case of lactose intolerance, plant-based alternatives such as B. almond, rice, or coconut milk.
Low-carb fruits such as B. a handful of berries, papaya, strawberries (possibly frozen) – or avocado
nuts and seeds e.g. B. 2 tbsp almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
spices e.g. B. 1 pinch of cinnamon, vanilla, pepper, nutmeg
How to eat high in protein!
More protein is really good for weight loss: It ensures that the body breaks down fat during the diet and leaves the muscles alone. This helps:
Omit white flour
Vitamins and fiber are missing, but carbohydrates cause the blood sugar level to skyrocket – this also creates a craving for sweets.
Eat more vegetables
As a rule of thumb, whatever grows in the ground (e.g. broccoli, spinach, zucchini, etc.) has fewer carbohydrates than veggies that grow in the ground (e.g. potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc.) Increase your proportion of vegetables: It fills your stomach with low calories and low carbohydrates.
fish and lean meat
Try to include a protein-rich component with every meal, e.g. E.g. fish or lean meat. Vegetarian alternatives are egg and tofu.
Don’t be afraid of fat
Put a spoonful of butter or olive oil with your food without a guilty conscience. Fat fills you up and helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins.
