What you should eat first thing in the morning to help you lose weight

By Emily DiNuzzo

Researchers and dietitians agree that starting your day with a healthy breakfast that includes this single source of protein could set you up for weight-loss success.

It’s often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day—especially if you are watching your weight. But not all breakfasts are created equal. Loading your plate with these not-so-healthy breakfast foods can ruin your diet and derail your goals, dietitians say.

Research suggests that one source of protein could be the ideal breakfast for weight loss—eggs. At least in studies funded by the American Egg Board, people who eat eggs for breakfasts can drop as much as 65 percent more weight over eight weeks compared to a control group that wasn’t restricting calories. (The research was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the International Journal of Obesity.) And a study published in Nutrition Research suggests that eggs can stabilize blood sugar and suppress hunger, too.

Alyssa Pike, RD, Manager of Nutrition Communications for the International Food Information Council, suggests that for a nutritionally sound breakfast that is both nourishing and satisfying, people should focus on high-protein and fiber foods, because they can help you feel full longer.

Think egg and avocado or egg on whole-wheat bread, she says. Caroline Apovian, MD, director of nutrition and weight management at Boston Medical Center, says that this feeling of fullness after breakfast helps cut down on grazing during the day. Grazing is one of the 13 reasons you probably aren’t losing weight.

Part of the reason eggs make a great morning meal is because they’re a satisfying protein source, according to Dr. Apovian: Two eggs deliver 180 calories and 14 grams of filling protein, she says. They also offer vitamins like B12, riboflavin, selenium, and vitamin A, Pike says. In addition, they’re cheap and easy to prepare.

Emily DiNuzzo is an associate editor at The Healthy and a former assistant staff writer at Reader’s Digest. Her work has appeared online at the Food Network and Well + Good and in print at Westchester Magazine, and more. When she’s not writing about food and health with a cuppa by her side, you can find her lifting heavy things at the gym, listening to murder mystery podcasts, and liking one too many astrology memes.