Bread for Breakfast

katorihanzo
katorihanzo Posts: 234 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I always feel as though I need complex carbs for breakfast. If I don't eat a piece of toast or something I'm always worried I'll be hungry later. I've been trying to just have yogurt with blueberries and a small amount of granola with coffee for breakfast.

I know bread isn't bad for me but I would love to cut a bit of it out my diet and breakfast would be the easiest way to do it. I often end up eating bread at every meal, if, say, I have one piece of toast in the morning, a sandwich or sub for lunch and fajitas for supper. Sometimes I even have homemade hummus and pita chips for a snack throughout the day.

Again, I don't prescribe to this gluten-is-the-devil thing and don't try to convince me. And I do think a calorie is a calorie. But learning to cut out some bread would free up my calories for a more varied diet.

Anyone else feel they need bread in the morning? Or, is it even healthier to trade the complex carb of bread for the simple carb of yogurt?

Replies

  • pyrowill
    pyrowill Posts: 1,163 Member
    It's pretty universally a given that protein fills you up more than anything. Try having an omeltte or something instead. Guarantee it'll fill you up more than bread.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
    I usually eat my most carbs at breakfast so if I don't have bread, I will have cereal or oatmeal. I would look to cut down at lunch or dinner instead. I also found that it is the protein that really keeps me full and not hungry.
  • TArnold2012
    TArnold2012 Posts: 929 Member
    Protein !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • FrauMama
    FrauMama Posts: 169 Member
    Carbohydrates digest faster than anything else, so technically they will make you feel hungry sooner (even complex ones). Fats and protein take a lot longer to digest, so eating a combination of them in the morning should keep you feeling fuller longer.

    I don't eat bread in the morning, just coffee with heavy cream and maybe a hard-boiled egg or some almonds. That is plenty of energy for a hard workout a little later (for me...of course everyone is different!) Sometimes I'll eat a Quest bar, too, which does have some carbohydrates, but also a ton of fiber. Those also keep me full for a long time.
  • icimani
    icimani Posts: 1,454 Member
    I live in the US - I like Arnold's Healthful Whole Grain bread. It's only 45 cals per slice so it still leaves me plenty of room in my daily calorie goal.
  • willdob3
    willdob3 Posts: 640 Member
    Personally, I need a good amount of protein for breakfast along with some fat. Too much fat & I'll be hungry.

    I don't eat processed foods so no bread for me these days. I used to eat a bowl of steel cut oats & add a serving of protein powder to it and also a tablespoon of virgin coconut oil (fat burner, added this to every meal at the time with great results). It was my favorite breakfast & very filling.
  • aprilwilliams2729
    aprilwilliams2729 Posts: 107 Member
    I have tried both eating just protien (egg or egg whites/cheese) and making a sandwich with the egg or egg whites/cheese and two slices of 35 calorie bread (Nature's Own with 3X fiber). Eating both the protien and the carbs/fiber in the bread works for me. If I only eat the protien I feel hungry sooner. This could of course be just because the bread adds calories, but I think the fiber has something to do with it as well.
  • weaving2fast
    weaving2fast Posts: 64 Member
    Stick to protein in the morning and ditch the bread! It always drags me down it seems. A couple eggs will get you going.
  • renatewolfe
    renatewolfe Posts: 91 Member
    I generally eat nonfat yogurt with flaxseed for breakfast, but if I'm out of yogurt, I will have 2 pieces of whole wheat toast with 1T peanut butter spread on them OR oatmeal with raisins and a T of brown sugar. I often have bread for lunch, and supper often includes a pasta, or a starchy veggie. I don't think complex carbs are a bad thing at all, as long as you are logging them and staying under your calories. If you want to eat less bread, you might try eating more protein. How about a hardboiled or poached egg or two for breakfast some days? For lunch, try substituting a hallowed out cucumber with a wedge of Laughing Cow light cheese in one half of the hollow, then stack some turkey or lean ham and tomato on top. It's like a veggie submarine sandwich. Try spreading hummus on turkey slices and rolling them up too. Or someone gave me the idea of spreading some mustard on two turkey slices, splitting a piece of string cheese lengthwise, and rolling each half in one of the turkey slices. Yummy! Or tuna with a wedge of Laughing Cow light as a binder and minced carrot, pepper and cucumber or whatever veggie you like mixed in. Cottage cheese with minced veggies is good too. Any of the above work great as a snack in the afternoon when you are hungry too. But really, if you are loosing and you enjoy bread, better to learn how to eat it in a healthy way, then to deny yourself.
  • FerretBuellerr
    FerretBuellerr Posts: 468 Member
    I grew up eating either 2 pieces of toast or a big bowl sugary cereal every morning, so for myself, yes, I've always associated needing bread/grains with breakfast.

    For breakfast now I usually have a single piece of toast with 2 eggs (and sometimes ham or bacon), or oatmeal with fruit. I find the oatmeal keeps me fuller longer, has a greater volume to it (so it sort of feels like I'm eating more), and is about equivalent to 2 pieces of toast with butter calorie wise. I switch between the two to keep myself from getting bored with what I'm eating.

    I don't think I'd ever be able to pull myself completely away from eating grains at breakfast (or at any meal for that matter), and I don't plan on forcing myself to, but I try to replace those breakfast carbs with breakfast proteins instead.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    It's funny because carbs typically don't fill me up as much. I know people rave about oatmeal but it will keep me full maybe 2 hours, if that... forget bread... It doesn't mean I don't have it sometimes (heck I had a bagel this morning), but typically, I avoid.
  • mgreen10
    mgreen10 Posts: 229 Member
    Carbs are not evil. Carbs are good for you. I eat bread for breakfast most days. It fills me up and keeps my breakfast low calorie and enjoyable. I prefer dark grainy whole wheat rougher breads, simply because to me they taste better. Also love a good croissant. Whatever floats your boat and makes you happy, and keeps you under your calories.
  • bunnies26
    bunnies26 Posts: 149 Member
    Go carbs! esp high fiber low calorie bread!
  • katorihanzo
    katorihanzo Posts: 234 Member
    I should add that I totally know grains are great for me. And I eat them a lot, which is why I'm looking to cut down just a bit so I can fit a more varied diet into my day.

    And thanks everyone, these are all great suggestions. I knew about the protein but have never attempted to up my protein in the morning besides the peanut butter I put on my toast or the yogurt I eat. I'll boil up some eggs to eat alongside my yogurt. I don't love eating meat in the morning because I don't like cooking in the morning but I will definitely try to add in some more protein.
  • Acaputa
    Acaputa Posts: 9 Member
    Some days I do, some days I don't. I am not a sweet breakfast person, so I love my veggie scrambles but a couple of times a week I'll have sprouted Ezekiel toast. It is SO good and a slice is 80 cals, I think ;)
  • laele75
    laele75 Posts: 283 Member
    I always eat carbs for breakfast. Usually a baked oatmeal with fruit in it. A little bacon on the side because protein is important too. My breakfast usually comes to around 400 calories and fills me up until lunch.
  • xmysterix
    xmysterix Posts: 114 Member
    Breakfast here almost always means a protein, a bread (toast, tortillas, grits/polenta, pancake, waffle, oats, barley, muesli/granola), a fruit. I've tried all sorts of other combinations and that's what works best to keep me full and energized until lunch. My breakfasts average between 300 and 400 calories so would fit with most calorie limits. By the end of the day, I'm always over my protein count and under my carb count, usually treading right on the line for fats so that's what I'm sticking with :)

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