Before We Get Into The Best Foods To Eat For Breakfast, I Have A Sugar Laden Confession To Make...

I used to love Corn Pops. A lot.

I grew up in Toronto, and while the Corn Pops we could buy in Canada were pretty great, Corn Pops sold in America were different... and even better. Around the age of 10, I was obsessed with cross-boarder Corn Pop shopping!

I don't remember when or how I discovered this Corn Pop recipe gap, but any time my family was on vacation and I had access to American Corn Pops, I'd load up BIG time.

In fact, my dad traveled a lot for business and when possible he would bring some back from across the boarder. If customs had a secret watch list for unusual cereal activity, he'd have been on it. 

I'd sometimes eat so many bowls of sweet, delicious Corn Pops that my pee would actually turn electric/neon yellow from all the food dye. Yes, that really happened. More than once. 

Looking back, it's seems pretty crazy compared to how I eat now. Let me be clear: Corn Pops are NOT the best food to eat for breakfast.

But my childhood love affair with Corn Pops does illustrate the cultural challenge that we face with breakfast... We're programmed to think that they're a proper breakfast option. Moreover, they're tasty, cheap, fast and basically never go bad.

Not all so-called "breakfast" foods are as terrible as Corn Pops, but they all tend to be carbohydrate and sugar bombs that set us up for a bad day.

And while I could sort of get away with that as a 10 year old, it doesn't work so well as a 30, 40 or 50 year old.

What Makes A Good Breakfast?

What makes a good breakfast depends a lot on what your goals are that day and where you're starting.

In general, stick to lean protein, healthy fats, and (if you can) vegetables. Food quality is #1, and that means avoiding processed and sugary foods.

None of the following foods are your friends:

• toast 
• bagels 
• pancakes 
• french toast 
• most yogurt & dairy
• cereal - even Corn Pops

As a general rule, if a food item doesn't need to be kept in the fridge or freezer to prevent it from spoiling quickly, chances are it's not a great breakfast food... or any time food.

If you've taken my free (and extremely fantastic!) e-course NUTRITION BASICS then you'll know how critical it is to get your breakfast correct. Otherwise you'll suffer from low energy, cravings, and feeling hungry before lunch time.

What Are The Best Foods To Eat For Breakfast?

Breakfast has to be fast, easy and something we can all look forward to.

For me, better breakfast options are usually eggs. I either boil them or beat them into an omelette/scramble/frittata so I can add veggies. 

Occasionally I'll base my breakfast on high quality sausages too. I really like the ones from the Butcher's Son in Toronto. They source high quality meats, the seasoning is delicious, and they don't make the incredible common mistake of creating a sausage that is way too salty to be eaten by itself.

This may sound strange to anyone still stuck in a traditional Western breakfast food paradigm, but I really enjoy eating soups in the morning. They taste wonderful and are very fast to heat-up. I also tend to eat leftovers of the same food I'd eat at dinner the night before. Mainly those meals consist of protein (meat or fish), healthy fats, and as many veggies as I can get down, depending on how much time I have to chew!

Personally, I've always been a bit of a night owl and struggle to wake up early. That's why for me, a good breakfast is often a simple shake. 

Beyond eggs, soups, leftovers, and shakes... there aren't many traditional breakfast foods that I can recommend.

The key to improving your breakfast game is truly to stop thinking that certain foods are suitable for breakfast and that other foods aren't. Think outside the box and get creative! And defineitly steer clear of the Corn Pops. 

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