Protein for Morning energy!

[Bobberman]

I have been getting tired after 4 hours work in the morning and I guess I need a early doze of protein! I figured peanut butter would work but came across Sun Flower Butter at Wal Mart and was surprised to see it contained more protein than peanut butter! So I bought a jar. Eggs for breakfast I seldom eat so I get no protein with cereal! The sun flower butter taste pretty good!

[webmaster]

Cereal has protein, it's just incomplete. It's missing certain amino acids. That's why they put cheese on pasta, to make the protein from the pasta a complete protein. Similarly, if you're eating cereal with milk then the protein will be complete. Eating a good low sugar cereal that's fortified with vitamins is healthier than eating peanut butter or sun flower butter. The calories from peanut/sunflower butter is mostly from fat. That's called empty calories and that's not good. With a low sugar cereal you're getting your fiber, which will get your digestion on track moving things along, so to speak, and you get your protein and a healthy amount of carbs and calories. Plus the milk, whether it's cow milk, almond milk or coconut milk will provide the various vitamins like D and calcium that your body needs. Far healthier than what you're proposing. And if the cereal needs a little kick, then slice up half a banana or sprinkle a few raisins in it. It'll add sugar but that's offset by the low-sugar quality of your cereal, plus the fruit will give you a shot of potassium and other vitamins that you need, something that plain old sugar won't! It's a win-win.

[applestar]

I like granola or whole grain cereal, dried fruits, and a handful of nuts, sunflower seeds, pepitos/hull less pumpkin seeds, sometimes flax or sesame seeds. Rice milk, almond milk, hazelnut milk, coconut milk, soy milk are other "milk" alternatives for cereal. Extra fresh fruit, either in the cereal or on its own, fruit juice.... Yum!

[Bobberman]

I do eat hot oats all the time. I like rice milk and almond milk. I eat a banana also! I guess I must be doing the right thing! Life cereal or honey bunches of oats is another I like! thanks for the tips!

[hendi_alex]

I've read that the old teachings about complete and incomplete protein are archaic. A person's body draws what it needs from various foods, such that there is no requirement to eat special pairings in a single sitting. Most any varied diet will give adequate protein, but for vegetarians it is obviously much harder and requires more planning. I find it very difficult to consume over about 22%-25% protein when eating vegetarian, and we plan aggressively to have the best protein sources on hand. Take dairy from the equation and it becomes very, very difficult, but we do eat lots of dairy products.

Grains like quinoa and farro contain near 25% protein and those kinds of grains serve as the base for many of our entrees. Also, lentils along with other legumes give good protein, but at the same time are primarily carbohydrate foods.

As far at nut butter is concerned, they contain way too much fat IMO, to serve as a protein source. These products are not nearly as good a choice as eating seeds and nuts that are not salted or baked in other oils. They are however, fine as a small part of a balanced died, but should be considered fat foods much more so than protein foods. We always keep a bowl of mixed nuts and mixed seeds on the kitchen island, and eat between 1-2 ounces per day. They provide some protein and also provide a good dose of heart healthy oils.

The best fairly pure protein sources are lean meats, fish and fat free dairy. If a person doesn't mind the many negative issues associated with soy products, they are an excellent source of protein.

[hendi_alex]

For me the issue with those 'other' milk alternatives, is that outside of soy, they contain almost no protein. And while granola is great tasting and generally healthy, its energy is so concentrated that it is hard not to over do it wrt portion control. My limit is about 1/4 cup on top of yogurt, and that is still a lot of calories!

[applestar]

Yep. I think mixed whole grain granola with dried fruits and nuts/seeds (and honey) is very "filling" and "lasting" energy source even with non-dairy milk alternative. Eaten for breakfast, it lasts me for a long time before feeling any hunger. If you eat too much of it, it can weigh you down.

I think you do need to drink extra fluids to keep your energy up.

[hendi_alex]

My wife makes our granola. It is oat based, but contains some whole wheat flour, walnuts, raisins, cranberries, a mix of seeds, olive oil, and very local (from the top of the next hill) honey. It is the best that I've ever tasted!

[ElizabethB]

I have been having stomach problems. My doctor told me to eat more yogurt. I like Greek yogurt so I purchased a large container. Tasty but boring. I checked the pantry and had Raisin Bran and dried cranberries. Added that to my yogurt. My new favorite breakfast and afternoon snack. Went to the store for more yogurt and cereal and more dried cranberries and dried blueberries. Also picked up some fresh Louisiana Strawberries. I do like an egg for breakfast but supplement with my yogurt mix. Love the flavor and texture combinations. I don't have stomach problems any more.

[feldon30]

Line up 10 nutritionists and they will give you 50 different opinions. They contradict each other so much that I just ignore them and go with what works for me.

Eating 6 times a day keeps my metabolism going and eliminates the kind of hunger that causes the body to panic and hold onto fat.

I put alarms into my phone for 8am, 10am, noon, 2pm, and 4pm. For 2 months, I had Slim Fast for breakfast, a Special K bar at 10am, soup or sandwich at noon, piece of fruit at 2pm, and Special K bar at 4pm. Then I try to have dinner before 8pm. Once a week, I'd do a sort of cheat day where I just eat whatever I wanted. I lost 22 lbs in less than two months and have kept it off. That was late last year.

For the past few weeks, I have been starting out my day with a smoothie of orange juice, frozen strawberries, a banana, and frozen blueberries or peaches, and a squeezed lime with a little agave syrup if it's not sweet enough for my taste. What I really notice is, I don't feel like I need a nap and instead can get some stuff done and concentrate. When I would have cereal in the morning, I found that all those carbs just do me in and I am snoozing by 10am.


I like yogurt for a lot of reasons from taste to the positive effects on digestion. When I lived in Denmark, I really fell in love with Greek yogurt. Unfortunately, the food police here in the US have taken a great idea and ruined it by totally banishing the fat. It's almost impossible to find 2% milkfat Greek yogurt.

I will never understand what was so wrong about 2% fat in a 6 oz cup of yogurt. It amounts to such a tiny amount of calories, but makes the difference between a chalky inedible yogurt and a velvety one worth eating. Now, in Denmark I could get Greek yogurt anywhere from 3.5% to 10%, and the 10% was pretty rich stuff, but 3.5% is perfectly fine and enjoyable. I get flavored yogurt (peach, raspberry, lemon, or coffee flavored) as plain is rather boring.

It's probably time for me to dust off my yogurt maker and try out some recipes for Greek yogurt. And yes I'll be making it with whole (3.5%) milk!

[hendi_alex]

Emphasize whole grains, especially oats, emphasize veggies, fruit, fish, any red fruit or veggie, good fats, nuts, eat 10-20g of 90% dark chocolate per day, drink 4-6 ounces of red wine per day, balance carbs:fats:protein(40:30:30). Minimize cholesterol (<200mg per day) and saturated fat(<20 g per day), minimize refined sugar and any white starches, also minimize red meats and any processed meats. Always keep animal protein servings between 4-6 ounces. Minimize added salt. Buy ingredients, leave ready made products on the shelf. Four or five small meals and planned snacks are better than three conventional meals. Follow these guidelines and I believe that you will be eating as healthy as is possible.

A plan that works in managing weight is better than no plan at all, but that doesn't mean that the plan embraces nutritionally sound eating habits.