Breakfast ideas that will get me through to lunch?

Nedra19455

I eat breakfast around 5am and don't get a chance to eat anything again until at least 10:45am. That may seem like not too long of a time, but I have a fairly active job and I feel like I am STARVING by the time I get a chance to have lunch. I have found this to be the case no matter what I eat. I have tried high-carb and high-protein and high-fat. Examples:

Bagel and cream cheese or butter
Omelette with spinach
Oatmeal
Meat (just straight up meat)
Leftover dinner foods

I will always feel decently full at the time, but by the time 10:45 rolls around I am always starving. I can MAYBE sneak a snack in there if I really try, but it would probably need to be something that could be consumed in less than 10 seconds. I have tried the "handful of almonds" thing (before MFP...would never eat food by the "handful" without measuring nowadays) and it takes way too long to chew and does not satisfy my hunger at all.

Any ideas for foods that will keep me full longer? Do I just need a new job that lets me snack? I have considered protein shakes or something like that, but they are so expensive and I don't even know that they could keep me full as long as real food.

RaeRum82

Sounds like me and my job. Kinda interested in the answers you get!

970Mikaela1

I'm hungry at 11 whether I eat breakfast or not. so skip it and have a bigger lunch .

blf20

I find that a mid-morning glass of skim milk would work for me.
If you don't have refrigeration where you work, put the milk in a thermos or freeze the milk in advance.

Thunderfan66

I always have either 2 eggs scrambled with 100ml of milk, or 2 hard boiled eggs, with 1 grilled tomato and about 120g of grilled mushrooms. I eat breakfast at about 6:45am and this keeps me pretty full. My next snack is at 11am and by that time I usually feel a bit peckish, but not starving. I could go longer if I had to.

The other thing I make is protein pancakes, and they do keep me quite full as well. I use 1 scoop of protein powder (about 20g), 1 scoop of almond meal, 1 egg and a little bit of water to make into a batter. Then I top the pancakes with some frozen berries and cinnamon. They are yummy and they keep me quite full.

neveragain84

Greek yogurt? Good amount of protein. Add a glass of milk and you're already up to 20 or more grams of protein. The kind I get is 80 calories and 13 grams of protein. Three of them for 240 Calories and 39 grams of protein.

I think you'd do best with high protein. Whatever your typical breakfast is, try adding onto it. For example, eat some toast or Greek yogurt with your omelet. Eat a larger breakfast to get you through until lunch.

Nedra19455

I'm hungry at 11 whether I eat breakfast or not. so skip it and have a bigger lunch .

Huh. Glad that works for you. Definitely not something I'm going to try. I am hungry if I don't eat by 6am. If I were waking up later -- like at 7 or 8 -- I could probably wait until 11, but not when I'm waking up at 4:45am.

jmangini

A trick I use to curb my hunger is to drink the high fiber V8 vegetable juice when I get a craving. Fiber makes you feel full and does not store in your body. Any high fiber food you like should work. Drinking a bunch of water works too for some people. I've read that sometimes we can think we are hungry when actually we are dehydrated.

Nedra19455

Great tips -- I am going to try those protein pancakes! I think I could get away with a thermos of skim milk or fiber v8 too. I like Greek yogurt -- I will look into getting some more the next time I shop.

DivineChoices

Maybe it's not the type of food but the quantity?

The most filling breakfast I've had recently was onions and bell peppers sautéed in 1 tbsp. butter, then covered with three scrambled eggs. Its a little high in calories (around 500, if I remember correctly).

Have you considered protein bars for snacks? I nibble on one protein bar through the morning and it keeps me going strong until lunch. I just open it, but leave the wrapper on, and then fold everything up and stick it in my pocket or purse.

sodakat

If taking too long to chew is a real problem, then my idea may not work, but I suggest beef jerky for a snack. 1 oz is 80 calories. I find it satisfying and filling.

I also chew gum. Not sure if that is acceptable at your job of course. I chew juicy fruit or spearmint full sugar gum. Seems to work better than that sugar free stuff (for me).

gregallen549

I'm doing the ketogenic meal plan. I keep chopped bell pepper, chopped onion, and sliced sausage in my freezer. Each morning I saute onion and pepper in two tbs of butter. I microwave two slices of sausage, chop it, and add it to the onions and peppers. Then I add four large eggs and scramble. When it's nearly done I add a half cup of sharp cheddar. It's delicious and I never have any interest in lunch. It literally sustains me until late afternoon.

Nedra19455

Have you considered protein bars for snacks? I nibble on one protein bar through the morning and it keeps me going strong until lunch. I just open it, but leave the wrapper on, and then fold everything up and stick it in my pocket or purse.

Do you have any brands/types that you recommend? I have yet to meet a protein bar that I can stomach, but I would love to find something easy and fast like that!

FatFreeFrolicking

English muffin with peanut butter.

Nedra19455

I'm doing the ketogenic meal plan. I keep chopped bell pepper, chopped onion, and sliced sausage in my freezer. Each morning I saute onion and pepper in two tbs of butter. I microwave two slices of sausage, chop it, and add it to the onions and peppers. Then I add four large eggs and scramble. When it's nearly done I add a half cup of sharp cheddar. It's delicious and I never have any interest in lunch. It literally sustains me until late afternoon.

I don't know what the ketogenic meal plan is, but that description made my mouth water!

aeb09

I eat breakfast at 5:45 and lunch around 12:30, no snack in between. Every morning I scramble 2 eggs with a giant handful of spinach and mushrooms which are sauteed in butter and garlic, then add 1oz of shredded mozzarella at the end. I am hungry for lunch when it rolls around but not starving and not hungry before 12 or so. Something to remember is that fat keeps you satiated longer than carbs do, so perhaps have something with a higher fat content to start your day.

SouthFloridaHolly

Definitely Oatmeal has been the most filling food for me personally. I cook Steel Cut Oatmeal with organic whole milk, fruit, and nuts in the crockpot over night. I also frequently make a baked oatmeal, again with organic whole milk, fruit, nuts, and honey.

earthsember

I've found that consuming tea or water as a midmorning snack tends to hold me over, that may or may not work for you

For breakfast I usually do a green smoothie and a café au lait with a piece of fruit.

ykomar

First thing I do when I get up is drink a glass of water. For breakfast, I usually have a smoothie with lots of protein in it. This is what I use:
banana
Hemp seed
Flaxseed meal
Almond butter
Spinach
blueberries
blackberries

Blend!

I then usually have an apple with about a tablespoon of peanut butter. The nut butters I buy are the non-sugar/ salt added varieties.

Then I have 2 more glasses of water.

That pretty much holds me off for about 4-5 hours.

Good luck!

SharonNehring

I agree that protein, with some fats and carbs is the way to go. One of my power breakfasts is 2 eggs cooked with EVOO, a slice of cheese and veggies wrapped in a Mission Carb Balance tortilla wrap, with a cup of milk or greek yogurt. Sometimes I'll add a little bacon or sausage if we have any just for variety.

Oatmeal made with milk and topped with berries, wheat toast with peanut butter, greek yogurt with berries or banana slices are good options. As snacks, I find milk to be filling. Cheese sticks, hard boiled eggs, protein bars, cashews, anything with protein.

Nedra19455

Oh my gosh. You are all so helpful! I am getting excited to try some of these ideas! Normally I dread having to find something to eat in the morning because it has seemed like nothing will do the job properly, but these are all sounding like tasty and satisfying options for me to try! I also appreciate the reminders about quantity! I think I forget that I may just need to make breakfast a bigger meal in order to properly prep my body for the rest of the day.

Archon2

Probably best to squeeze a snack in between if at all possible. A banana with some yogurt would work, or even a peanut butter sandwich.

But if you can not at all eat due to time constraints, then it sounds like you need a bigger breakfast.
I'd go a hearty good meal that has a lot of each macro nutrient.

Eggs (or lots of egg whites) with some cheese or other fat source like butter, and with some long-lasting carbs like a bowl of oatmeal or even a whole baked potato.

OR -- just deal with it and enjoy lunch all the more since you are extra hungry.

970Mikaela1

I'm hungry at 11 whether I eat breakfast or not. so skip it and have a bigger lunch .

Huh. Glad that works for you. Definitely not something I'm going to try. I am hungry if I don't eat by 6am. If I were waking up later -- like at 7 or 8 -- I could probably wait until 11, but not when I'm waking up at 4:45am.

I get up s 5 am. I eat lunch at noon. lately I've been eating blackberries on the days I m really hungry.

DivineChoices

Have you considered protein bars for snacks? I nibble on one protein bar through the morning and it keeps me going strong until lunch. I just open it, but leave the wrapper on, and then fold everything up and stick it in my pocket or purse.

Do you have any brands/types that you recommend? I have yet to meet a protein bar that I can stomach, but I would love to find something easy and fast like that!

I just started trying the Quest protein bars and I love them!! You can order a 12 bar sample pack on their website for like $31 (including flat rate shipping). So far ALL the bars are amazing, though I do have favorites. The chocolate chip cookie dough, warmed up only by being in my pocket, was like heaven. It was delicious and decadent; tasted like real cookie dough and hit the spot right where I needed it.

Linnaea27

I find that if I have anything with sugar, or high in carbs, for breakfast, I am hungry too early on as well. My schedule works out so that I eat breakfast around 9 am usually, and I've always had trouble with being hungry again by 11, whether I am doing a very active job or a sedentary one. Through my weight loss journey I've come to realize that that was mainly because I was usually eating carbs/too much sugar for breakfast. I now have a yogurt mixture I make that actually keeps me full, and is very high-protein. I combine Greek yogurt (either a 1/2 or whole serving depending on the fat content of the yogurt, or how active I'm going to be that day); 1 serving of plain whey protein powder; a tablespoon or so of grated coconut; the same amount of hemp seeds; and some vanilla and 1/2 cup of some berries from my freezer. It's quite good, very filling and staying, and around 350 calories. And, it doesn't require cooking at all, which I hate doing in the morning!

Question: could you make a smoothie of some kind, stick it in a thermos, and have that with you and sip it throughout the morning? Surely you are allowed a water bottle/thermos with you at your job?

Nedra19455

I'm hungry at 11 whether I eat breakfast or not. so skip it and have a bigger lunch .

Huh. Glad that works for you. Definitely not something I'm going to try. I am hungry if I don't eat by 6am. If I were waking up later -- like at 7 or 8 -- I could probably wait until 11, but not when I'm waking up at 4:45am.

I get up s 5 am. I eat lunch at noon. lately I've been eating blackberries on the days I m really hungry.

Wow! That's amazing.

azyzzam

Spinach or mushrooms with eggs and goat cheese!

Or you could make protein powder pancakes!

sealionwoman23

I have a terrible time trying to figure out what to have for breakfast! Lately, I've found something that actually keeps me full (and I always feel very energized and alert after eating it!) I scramble an egg (sometimes throw a small amount of chorizo that I cook and then freeze) and put it in a toasted tortilla with melted cheese and usually some avocado and hot sauce. I keep my scale handy and have it saved as a meal, then just adjust the amounts as needed. It's pretty quick and, as I said before, very filling. I've also found that eaton a few more calories at breakfast and scaling back a bit at lunch works really well for me (I used to do the opposite). I'm also enjoying all the other great ideas in this thread!

alereck

Not sure what kind of a job you have but I'm sure they will let you drink something in 5 hours? Instead of a bottle of water a protein shake?

When I have to go a long way without eating this is what I have;
A shake:
One scoop of protein powder (I love ON whey isolate they sell at Costco)
One cup of 2% milk (the bit of fat helps :-)
One banana
Sandwich:
Two wheat bread toasts
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/4 cup of cottage cheese

Protein makes you feel fuller and the cottage cheese has casein which digests slowly. This usually gets me thru a 5-6 hours stretch, but I'm a girl that weights 128, so it might not work for a guy. Good luck, starving is not a good feeling. Make sure not to chew gum, that always makes me hungry.

Good luck

alereck

I'm hungry at 11 whether I eat breakfast or not. so skip it and have a bigger lunch .

Never skip breakfast, bad idea. Not when you are trying to lose weight or build muscle. Don't they teach that when you're little?

jmwu :noway:

snazzyjazzy21

I'm hungry at 11 whether I eat breakfast or not. so skip it and have a bigger lunch .

Never skip breakfast, bad idea. Not when you are trying to lose weight or build muscle. Don't they teach that when you're little?

jmwu :noway:

Why? As long as you're getting in the right number of cals/macros, why does it matter when you eat?