How Adding More Veggies to Your Breakfast Can Help You Lose Weight Faster

What’s your breakfast of choice? Is it healthy, or do you opt for something with more calories and sugar? Choosing the right foods to start your day can go a long way toward determining how successful you’ll be at losing weight and staying fit. Adding more veggies to your breakfast in particular can help you lose weight faster and stay healthy over time because they’re full of fibre and vitamins that boost your metabolism, so you burn more calories throughout the day, which in turn helps you lose weight even faster.

Is breakfast your favourite meal?

Some people love breakfast, while others prefer to sleep in a little bit and enjoy brunch. A 2013 study out of Tel Aviv University found that people who ate breakfast every day lost an average of 15 pounds more than those who didn’t eat breakfast. This was true across all demographics, including men and women; people over 50; and even overweight individuals. If you have time in your mornings, then make sure you’re getting up early enough to consume a healthy breakfast before heading off for work or school.

Many people skip breakfast because they think it's unhealthy

they think it's going to make them fat. In reality, breakfast can be a powerful way to lose weight and start your day feeling energized and refreshed. The key is making smart decisions about what you eat to control your blood sugar levels and maximize energy output all day long. Skipping breakfast is one of the worst things you can do for your health; it deprives you of nutrition, especially fibre, which slows down digestion. When you don't eat fibre in the morning, by lunchtime you'll probably be hungry again. Eating fibre first thing in the morning helps keep hunger at bay so that you're not snacking on empty calories all day long.

What are some healthy options?

While it’s good for you and can give you energy, eating a bagel with cream cheese at breakfast isn’t going to do anything for your waistline. If you want to lose weight faster, skip processed food and avoid eating carbs at breakfast (and all day long). Eating an egg with spinach on a whole-wheat English muffin is one of my favourite ways to start my day—and it also happens to be a delicious way to help you shed pounds. It contains more than 10 grams of protein as well as fibre and iron, which will keep you full. And if that’s not enough, spinach is packed with vitamins A and C.

Choosing foods with a high amount of fibre helps you feel full longer

As a 2015 study in The Journal of Nutrition reveals, overweight women who ate more whole grains lost more weight and visceral fat over a year than those who ate refined grains. That’s because fibre helps increase satiety (aka keep you feeling full) and reduces food cravings, says Cynthia Sass, RD, author of Slim Down Now: Shed Pounds and Inches with Real Food, Real Fast. Women should aim for at least 25 grams of fibre per day (specifically soluble fibre found in oats, beans, and peas), which can translate into 31⁄2 cups of oatmeal or bran flakes or 4 cups of cooked brown rice.

Fibre-rich foods also keep you regular, which can lead to increased weight loss

fibre makes you feel full faster and longer, preventing you from eating extra calories throughout your day. If you’re trying to lose weight, aim for at least 30 grams of fibre per day—that’s about five servings of veggies.

You'll see an improvement in digestion within weeks

Fruits and veggies contain a lot of fibre, which helps with digestion. Healthy digestion means your body can digest food better, which results in better absorption of vitamins and minerals. Because fruits and vegetables are so healthy for you, you'll notice an improvement in your digestion within weeks.

Try mixing protein with veggies if you want more variety in your diet

Protein and veggies aren’t just a breakfast match made in heaven—they’re also ideal for weight loss. Protein keeps you feeling full, so if you include more in your meals, it might help you eat less overall. One study found that eating eggs for breakfast along with vegetables resulted in greater weight loss compared to those who only ate vegetables.