There are two types of people in the world: those who love breakfast and those who are wrong. Here at Trojan, we’re firmly on “team breakfast.” Not only is a morning meal the ideal way to ease the pain of an early start to the day, but it also has significant health benefits and may be the factor that sets the tone for the rest of your day. Breakfast is especially integral if you’re training or working out, as a solid foundation of fuel will likely be a major factor in determining your performance level. You can’t hit that PB if you’re skipping the PB&J!

In this handy guide to a powerful breakfast, we’re covering WHY the morning meal is a must and the building blocks to creating one that gives you the head start you deserve. If you’re not sold on the power breakfast by the time we’re done here – just loop back around and give this another read. You obviously missed something.

So, why IS breakfast the most important meal of the day? 

Let’s start this off by establishing that the information here isn’t just the opinion of a Trojan team member who really loves a hotel breakfast buffet. Everything we’re about to tell you is backed by the medical professionals at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre. Granted, they probably enjoy a good buffet too, but that’s beside the point.

1. A solid breakfast encourages healthier eating during the day

A well-constructed breakfast will help you reach your daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. You’re also likely to consume more milk and grains with breakfast than other meals, which are essential to a balanced diet. PLUS, if you fill up first thing, you’re unlikely to get hangry and overeat later in the day. More breakfast = less chance of an impulse garage pie.

2. It balances out your blood sugar levels

We’re probably not qualified to tell you how it works, but we know that morning eating helps your body better break down glucose, also called blood sugar. We also know that you can avoid glucose fluctuations throughout the day by eating fruit, grains, and lean protein within two hours of waking up. That means no wobbliness, weakness, or being unnecessarily mean to your colleagues. Even if they DO take long at the copier.

3. It kickstarts your metabolism

Especially if one of your goals is getting lean, it’s imperative to ensure your metabolism is consuming calories optimally. Breakfast makes that happen. This happens because when you skip a morning meal, your body goes into “scarcity” mode and hangs on to calories rather than burning them. We know that eating calories to burn calories seems counter-intuitive, but it’s science. The folks at UPMC have degrees that mean they know what they’re talking about.

4. Food is fuel 

You’re not setting off on a road trip with an empty petrol tank, so how do you think your body will get any closer to achieving your goals if your tank is empty? If the destination is success, then your petrol station is the breakfast table. Thankfully, though, you probably won’t have to take out a bank loan to be filling up your body’s tank every morning.

5. Breakfast makes your heart healthier

When it comes to “organs that you should definitely be taking care of,” we’d place the heart in a priority spot. Heart health is crucial to optimal physical performance, and, simply put, studies indicate that people who skip breakfast tend to gain extra weight. Weight gain contributes to high cholesterol and blood pressure, which are some of the main culprits in heart disease.

6. Breakfast stimulates the brain

A bowl of Weet-Bix isn’t going to turn you into a chess grandmaster, but it might stabilise your glucose levels. Stable glucose levels can help your ability to focus, reason, and process information. So, you might get a little better at chess after breakfast if that’s what you’re into.

Building the best breakfast

Now that you’re sold on the concept of breakfast, you should work on the execution. It matters that you eat, but what you eat matters even more. You should include certain food groups to get the most out of the meal. We recommend building a healthy breakfast by adding whole, unprocessed foods from each of the following food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy. Here are some examples of these “building blocks” in each group:

Fruits: 

• Summer berry mix
• Stewed apple and cinnamon
• Pineapple fingers
• A cup of cold pressed orange juice
• Pomegranate and chia seeds

 Vegetables: 

• A tomato shakshuka
• Smashed avocado
• Sauteed Mushrooms
• Baked Beans
• Charred corn salsa

 Grains:

• Muesli or granola
• Quinoa
• Buckwheat
• Oats
• Rye bread
  

 Protein: 

• Smoked Chicken
• Hummus
• Peanut butter
• Lean beef strips
• Eggs

 Dairy:

• Greek yoghurt
• Oat or nut milk
• Sour cream
• Cottage cheese
• Butter (in moderation)

An example of a healthy breakfast made from these building blocks would be a cup of cold pressed orange juice, accompanied by a tomato shakshuka and two poached eggs, with a side of lightly buttered rye bread toast. Sounds delicious, right? Mix and match these categories for endless variety AND adequate nutrition.

How else should I fuel myself? 

An adequate breakfast is a great start, but it’s by no means the only cornerstone of dietary health. Alongside your 5-element power start, you should supplement your nutrition with consciously healthy choices to achieve your utmost potential.

That’s why the Trojan team has developed a range of nutritional supplements that you can use to fine-tune that fueling process. Our Heavy Weight Mass shake is an all-in-one multi-protein that will help you meet your protein intake needs and gain mass. BCAA 10:1:1 Citrus Blast is a drinkable Base Chain Amino acid blend that will help you recover and build muscle faster.

Our Pre-Workouts (KO and KO Size-On) are designed to energise you and help you push your limits when you hit the gym. Super-Whey is perfect for ensuring you’re getting enough protein to solidify the muscle gains you’re working towards.

Shop Trojan Health products today and add even more to your nutritional routine to push that potential. Just make sure you’re grabbing breakfast, too.