The Best Breakfast Foods for Weight Loss, According to Science

So you’re trying to lose weight and you’re looking for breakfast foods for weight loss. Figuring out what to eat to lose weight and making lifestyle changes is the very first step when determining how to lose weight. Waking up with a healthy breakfast can help regulate your appetite and enable you to carefully cut calories for weight loss. Of course, all bodies differ, and some people have naturally fast metabolisms, while others have slow metabolisms. However, no matter your age or metabolism, Dr. Charles Galanis, a board certified surgeon in Chicago, and Robert Dorfman, Research Fellow at Northwestern Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, advise that a healthy breakfast generally includes the same foods, with serving sizes varying based on athletic regimen, body type, and sex.

“When attempting to lose weight, it’s better to be conservative with your calorie cuts, and give yourself an extended time period to achieve your desired results. It is far better to cut 100 or 200 calories from your baseline and lose one pound per week for six months than to cut 800 calories from your baseline and lose all that weight in one month,” Galanis and Dorfman explain.

What should you be eating for breakfast to lose weight?

“Eggs are one of the best sources of protein and essential amino acids in existence, with 94 percent net protein, as opposed to approximately 70 percent for meat and poultry. High protein content means that you stay fuller for longer,” say Dr. Galanis and Dr. Dorfman.

Lean meats, coupled with eggs, can further increase protein and iron content. “Pork sausage is high in calories and unhealthy fats. Chicken sausage is lower in calories and fat, but equally high in protein,” Dr. Galanis and Dr. Dorfman say.

“Almonds, pecans, and walnuts are great sources of healthy polyunsaturated fats. Remember that nuts are very calorie-dense foods, so limit yourself to no more than a handful,” Dr. Galanis and Dr. Dorfman advise.

Fresh fruit is “low in fat and calories, but high in fiber and other key nutrients, including vitamin C. Avoid canned or frozen fruit, as these typically contain additives and are generally less nutritious,” Dr. Galanis and Dr. Dorfman recommend.

“Nonfat Greek Yogurt is a great source of B vitamins, calcium, protein, potassium, and zinc,” Dr. Galanis and Dr. Dorfman explain.

“A 16-ounce cup of coffee can have as much as 300mg of caffeine. Caffeine can slightly boost the human body’s mechanism for burning calories (also known as thermogenesis). To avoid empty calories, avoid cream and sugar in your coffee, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Some studies have also shown that drinking coffee can protect against Type 2 diabetes,” Dr. Galanis and Dr.Dorfman recommend.

If you’re looking for full breakfast meals to enable weight loss, Susan Berkman, RD at The Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center suggests whole wheat toast with peanut butter, a small apple and veggie omelet, whole grain cereal with hard boiled eggs, Greek yogurt with berries, cottage cheese and peaches, or oatmeal with blueberries and string cheese.

A combination of these suggested foods will ensure a healthy and nutritious breakfast if you’re trying to lose weight.