As you sleep, your body works hard to digest the previous night’s dinner. And by the time you get up in the morning, your body demands its fuel for the day. ‘Breaking the fast’ is an important way to power up in the morning – and if you get it right, you’ll feel the benefits throughout the day!
Rachel Fletcher, a certified nutritionist, explains that “breakfast is a really important meal for our energy levels. As it says in the name, we are breaking our fast, providing us with much-needed energy as we haven’t eaten for many hours. Breakfast helps fuel our day and can prevent us from snacking mid-morning or over-eating later in the day.”
To find the 10 best breakfasts for energy, WellBox worked with Rachel Fletcher to look into popular breakfast choices and evaluate each meal’s credentials (including macronutrients and calories) before providing a score out of 10 for each recipe.
The 10 best energy-boosting breakfasts to energise your workday
Breakfast spinach wraps
Breakfast spinach wraps are a great energy-boosting breakfast, thanks to the meal’s high protein content. Nutritionist Rachel explains that it’s a “really balanced meal, providing a great combination of carbs, fibre & protein. Perfect for a savoury breakfast.”, which is why it scored an impressive score of eight out of 10.
What’s more, it takes minutes to prepare, can be eaten on the go, and freezes well.
Chorizo breakfast burrito
Chorizo breakfast burritos are packed with energy food, including eggs, cheese, and avocado, all wrapped inside a tortilla. Rachel points out that although it is higher in calories, “it will keep you energised for the day with lots of protein.” That’s why this breakfast was also awarded a high score of eight out of 10, however, it could score even higher if there were more carbs incorporated into the dish.
Tip: If you fancy adding more greens, consider substituting all or some of the chorizo for some veggies.
Banana zucchini baked oatmeal cups
Banana zucchini baked oatmeal cups are also among the top 10 energy-boosting breakfasts on our list. Although lower in calories, and so lower energy intake, this breakfast provides a good balance of macros – the carbs will provide energy, and the protein and fat will keep you feeling fuller for longer – which is why it scores a respectable seven out of 10.
Rachel explains that “protein is the macro to pay attention to at breakfast – think toast and butter, or cereal. Whilst these are super quick breakfasts, they won’t keep you full for very long as they lack sufficient protein. Our bodies take a little longer to digest protein, and this is why it helps keep us feeling fuller for longer. I’d recommend having eggs or Greek yoghurt in your breakfast or adding some nuts and seeds to your porridge to help fill you up. Scrambled tofu is a great option if you’re vegan.”
Carrot cake oatmeal
Carrot cake oatmeal offers a good balance of macros and fibre content, which will help with energy and fullness. This type of breakfast is a great way to kickstart the day and provides an energy boost first thing in the morning, resulting in this dish being awarded a nutritionist score of seven out of 10.
Fruit, yoghurt parfait
Also scoring seven out of 10 is fruit and yoghurt parfait. Rachel explains that this recipe was given a score of seven because “Greek yoghurt and chia seeds are good sources of protein to fill you up, and oats are a great choice for a slow-release energy breakfast”. The addition of frozen berries are great for fibre too!
Double berry breakfast parfait
Double berry breakfast parfait also had a great result, scoring seven out of 10. Loaded with Greek yoghurt and fresh berries, this breakfast is a real treat and one of the best breakfasts for boosting energy and keeping you fuller for longer.
In particular, fruit and honey are great for energy, and the yoghurt helps slow the release of sugar for sustained energy. Rachel recommends adding oats, cereal, or granola for more carbs.
Double PBJ breakfast parfait
Double PBJ breakfast parfait – the third parfait on our list – scores seven out of 10. Peanut butter is a breakfast time staple, and this crunchy creation is a way to make a protein-packed snack taste like dessert!
Rachel explains that this recipe has a “good amount of carbs from the fruit for energy, with the yoghurt and peanut butter providing protein to slow the release of energy.”
Peanut butter and banana smoothie
Continuing with the peanut butter theme, next up is peanut butter and banana smoothie, with the same score of seven out of 10. Made from only a handful of ingredients, it’s a good source of protein to keep you fuller for longer, with the bananas providing energy and fibre. What’s more, it’s proof that you can enjoy a nutritious beverage for breakfast with a little sweetness!
Remember: To prepare this, you’ll need a frozen banana, so always keep a good supply of frozen banana on hand.
Berry yoghurt smoothie
Berry yoghurt smoothies also makes the top 10 energy-boosting breakfasts, as it provides energy due to the higher carb content of the fruit – and it only takes around five minutes to whip up! The score would be higher if there was more protein so, for this reason, one point was knocked off, giving it a seven out of 10.
When it comes to smoothies, Rachel explains that they’re “nutritionally pretty good and balanced in terms of macros. However, as they are liquid, we digest them faster than solid foods, and as such, they don’t keep us full or energised as long.”
Pumpkin spice smoothie
Pumpkin spice smoothies offer a good balance of carbs and protein, which is what makes it one of the best breakfast smoothies for an energy boost in the morning. No matter what time of year it is, this smoothie makes for a great breakfast – it’s healthy, creamy, cool, and satisfying – resulting in a nutritionist score of seven out of 10.
Final thoughts from certified nutritionist, Rachel
Keep in mind that a good mix of macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and unsaturated fats) provide a balanced breakfast.
Rachel explains:
“Carbs are our body’s preferred source of energy, so it’s important to refuel for the day ahead – complex carbs such as wholewheat bread, cereals, and oats are ideal as they provide a slower release of energy. Fruit and veg will give you vitamins and minerals. Protein helps keep us fuller for longer, and as our body can’t store it, it’s important to eat protein-rich foods on a regular basis. Unsaturated fats, such as those found in oily fish like salmon and mackerel, nuts and seeds provide us with the healthy fat our bodies need to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K, plus the essential fatty acid omega 3 for brain health.”
Methodology
- WellBox sought to discover the best breakfast to keep you energised throughout the day.
- A seed list of breakfast recipes was collated using reputable online sources such as LiveStrong, Men’s Health and Tasty.
- WellBox utilised Health and fitness platform MyFitnessPal.com to extract the nutritional information for each recipe, such as calories, protein, carbs and fats.
- The macro percentages of the recipes were also calculated.
- A nutritionist evaluated and scored each recipe out of 10 for long-lasting energy, based on the nutritional information provided.