Why I eat a savoury breakfast

I switched to a savory breakfast a couple of years ago when I discovered that eating sweet or starchy food in the morning affected my appetite and energy through the day.

Cereal, toast, sweet spreads, fruit juices, or pastries can cause a sharp rise in blood sugar levels (a glucose spike), followed by a rapid dip. This dip can leave you tired, hungry, and craving more starchy carbs or sugar for energy (1).

Most breakfast cereals are made of refined corn or wheat kernels that have been heated to high temperatures, rolled out flat, and then puffed up and shaped. This process removes all the fibre, leaving just pure starch, which can be quickly converted to glucose (sugar) in your digestive system (= glucose spike).

In addition, the body may be more sensitive to glucose first thing in the morning after fasting overnight, so starches and sugars can cause a more significant spike at this time of day.

Avoiding starch and sugar at breakfast has helped my satiety through the day and improved my energy levels. If I eat any carbs, I make sure they are high-fibre, whole grain, and accompanied by a decent amount of protein (2) and 'healthy' fats (Greek yogurt, nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil) to slow their digestion (1).

I did the Zoe gut and metabolism study a few months ago and wore a continuous glucose monitor to see how my body metabolised carbohydrates. I was surprised to see the big spikes when I ate carbs on their own, including even whole grains and wholemeal bread, without protein and fat. It made sense of why I was getting snack/sugar cravings and mid-afternoon energy slumps.

Of course, we are all different, and not everyone will be super sensitive to carbs, but the point is that these types of food affect blood sugar levels to a greater or lesser degree in most people.

If you feel hungry and tired two hours after a meal and crave sugary or carby snacks, try a savoury breakfast containing a *'complete' protein (see below for explanation) and healthy fats to see if it affects your appetite and energy throughout the day.

Savoury breakfast ideas

• Any kind of egg (scrambled, poached, fried, boiled, omelette) with veggies: tomatoes, artichokes, onions, spinach, mushrooms, greens, and an optional slice of wholemeal sourdough. You can also add smoked salmon for extra protein and fat.

• Scrambled egg with feta cheese, roasted tomatoes, and basil pesto

• Avocado, tomatoes, or any veg on sourdough with a drizzle of tahini or avocado with humous and carrot sticks

• Wholemeal bagel with smoked salmon and/or cream cheese, any veg,

• Tomato and mozzarella with basil on whole grain toast

• Halloumi, roasted tomatoes, avocado, spinach and warm lentils

• Green smoothie: spinach, kale, avo, celery, lime, mint, broccoli, spring greens

Kinda savoury options (low starch and sugar)

• Chia pudding with any combination of toasted nuts, flax seeds, nut butter, berries, chopped apple, desiccated coconut - ‘savoury’ as in a low starch and sugar option

• Smoothies: make sure they have 1 tbsp of protein powder, plus fat and fibre, to slow the conversion of any fruit into glucose. (I use Plenish nut milk as it only contains nuts and water, no nasties.)

  Healthy fats: nuts, nut butter, avocado, seeds, olive oil, Greek yoghurt, (oily fish – salmon, sardines, mackerel)

  Fibre: veggies, nuts, seeds (pumpkin, flax, sunflower, chia), oats, berries, banana, avocado, spinach, celery, greens

  Protein: bovine (I use Will Powders, which has good provenance from grass-fed Swiss cows), amino acid powder, whey, pea protein

  Protein

Complete protein contains all nine essential amino acids, and we need to eat these as they can't be synthesised by our bodies Eg. meat, fish, milk, cheese, yoghurt, tofu, eggs, quinoa, buckwheat, edamame, and hempseed.

Dairy, eggs, and plant-based sources contain a lower percentage of protein than meat and fish, so if you are veggie or vegan this might be something to keep an eye on, eg. meat and poultry approx 30%, fish 20%, dairy (milk 3.5%, cheese 25%, cottage cheese 10%), plant sources (tofu 16%, edamame 11%, quinoa 8%)

Resources

1. Carroll, H. A., Chen, C., Templeman, I. S., Wharton, P., Reeves, S., Trim, W. V., Chowdhury, E. A., Brunstrom, J. M., Rogers, P. J., Thompson, D., James, L. J., Johnson, L., & Betts, J. A. (2020). Effect of Plain Versus Sugar‐Sweetened Breakfast on Energy Balance and Metabolic Health: A Randomized Crossover Trial. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 28(4), 740-748. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22757

2. Xiao, K., Furutani, A., Sasaki, H., Takahashi, M., & Shibata, S. (2023). Effect of a High Protein Diet at Breakfast on Postprandial Glucose Level at Dinner Time in Healthy Adults. Nutrients, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15010085

   Clemente-Suárez VJ, Mielgo-Ayuso J, Martín-Rodríguez A, Ramos-Campo DJ, Redondo-Flórez L, Tornero-Aguilera JF. The Burden of Carbohydrates in Health and Disease. Nutrients [Internet]. 2022 Sep 1 [cited 2024 Mar 3];14(18). Available from: /pmc/articles/PMC9505863/

   Extra reading ‘Glucose Revolution' by Jess Inchauspé - https://www.glucosegoddess.com/ - easy to read book on how blood sugar or glucose affects all aspects of your health