A fitness coach shares the four nutrients in five Australian women who don’t eat enough at breakfast – and how to increase your intake now
- Fitness trainer Sally O’Neill, from Sydney, says four out of five women are protein deficient
- He said about his customers, 80 percent do not have enough at breakfast time
- To avoid cravings and eat less throughout the day, she recommends protein
- Baked beans on protein toast, mango smoothies and tofu scrambles are all good
A fitness trainer has shared why four out of five Australian women don’t get enough protein at breakfast, and how you can quickly and easily increase your intake now.
Sally O’Neill, from Sydney, said a ‘shocking 80 per cent’ of her female clients get ‘less than the recommended amount of protein at breakfast’, and many of them skip breakfast at all.
‘It makes sense that your body needs more fuel in the morning than in the evening, so why not try incorporating a high protein brekkie and see how your cravings drop and blood sugar normalizes every day?’ Sally posted on Instagram.
A fitness trainer shares why four out of five Australian women don’t get enough protein at breakfast, and how you can quickly and easily increase your intake now (photo by Sally O’Neill)
Sally (pictured), from Sydney, says a ‘shocking 80 per cent’ of her female clients get ‘less than the recommended amount of protein at breakfast’, and many of them skip breakfast at all
She adds that women who eat some form of protein with their breakfast often find they are far less likely to overeat later.
Nutritionists and fitness trainers say there are many good sources of protein that work well at breakfast, including baked beans on toast, mango smoothies and tofu scrambled eggs.
‘Whether you’re trying to maintain a healthy weight or working towards a goal, getting protein into your breakfast is really important,’ says Sally.
‘Protein, an essential macronutrient, helps build muscle, repair and grow new tissue, and it aids weight loss.’
Sally says upping your protein intake at breakfast will keep you at bay throughout the day, and one of the best options is baked beans on high-protein toast (pictured)
He added: ‘A high-protein breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day. It can keep you feeling full for longer, so you’re less likely to snack here and there.
‘Eating a protein-rich diet has even been linked to healthier eating.’
Sally highlighted one particular study which found that increasing the amount of protein ‘even slightly’ in a person’s intake from 18-20 per cent improved the quality of the food choices they made, including ‘less refined and added sugar grains and more green vegetables’.
When it comes to how much protein you need, Sally says the best rule of thumb to think about is 1.8-2kg per kg of body weight per day (high protein mango smoothie pictured)
When it comes to how much protein you actually need each day, Sally says the best rule of thumb to think about is 1.8-2kg per kilogram of body weight per day.
‘Most customers struggle to get a high protein snack,’ says Sally.
‘We’re more drawn to simple foods full of carbs and fat (mostly because they provide a greater euphoric dopamine effect).’
Instead, you’re better off choosing a protein smoothie or protein ball to fill you up and avoid cravings.
Sally says the scrambled tofu ‘egg’ option (pictured) is one of the best ways you can set your protein needs for the day
To make Sally’s high-protein baked beans on toast, she says you only need two slices of Herman Brot high-protein bread, 220 grams of baked beans and two tablespoons of nutritional yeast.
A high-protein mango smoothie can be made with calcium-fortified soy milk, one cup of frozen mango, one tablespoon of Macro Mike protein, one tablespoon of peanut butter, one tablespoon of flax seeds, one tablespoon of chia seeds and one brazil nut.
Finally, Sally says to recreate her tofu, you need 150 grams of firm tofu, one tablespoon of nutritional yeast, half a cup of mushrooms and tomatoes, two slices of Herman Brot bread and two tablespoons of hummus.
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