Hard to believe, but there could be a benefit to loading up your breakfast plate. Besides helping us eat less later in the day, a big breakfast might also help us lose weight. But we have to be smart about it.

Okay, so we can’t completely overdo it at breakfast and hope to drop pounds. But when obese dieters ate a big 600-calorie breakfast of healthy protein and carbs (think scrambled eggs, diced turkey, whole-wheat toast, and a banana), they lost significantly more weight than dieters who ate only half that much. Why? Researchers speculate that eating a large balanced meal in the morning helps stymie carb cravings later in the day -- especially if we’re cutting carbs and calories in an effort to slim down.

There is a lot of controversy about carbohydrates and weight loss. True, eating a very low-carb, high-protein diet typically leads to more rapid weight loss than traditional balanced diets that include a variety of carbs. Unless carefully planned and supplemented, however, very low carb diets lack important nutrients and fiber, and they can be high in unhealthy fats, and they can be boring and hard to follow over time. When people do stick with this kind of diet, total weight loss over time has been shown to be comparable to the weight lost by people on low-calorie diets with moderate levels of carbs.

The healthiest weight loss diets include a nutritious variety of foods with a focus on low-calorie, less processed, high-fiber, foods with low amounts of saturated fat.

Here are some other ways to make our morning meal really count:

Put eggs back on the menu — they’re officially a health food again.

Never skip. As explained above, this is the meal that sets the pattern.

Try this recipe as part of a great breakfast (and it’s diabetic safe, as well):

Banana Cocoa Goat's Milk Smoothie

1 banana
1/2 cup silken tofu
1/2 cup goat’s milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey

Slice banana and freeze until firm. Blend tofu, soymilk, cocoa and honey in a blender until smooth. With the motor running, add the banana slices through the hole in the lid and continue to puree until smooth.

Per serving: Calories: 340; Carbohydrates: 60g; Fat: 8g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Protein: 17g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Dietary Fiber: 10g; Potassium: 749mg; Sodium: 121mg; Nutrition Bonus: Magnesium (29% daily value), Potassium (21% dv), Iron (20% dv); Vitamin A and Vitamin C (15% dv);

        

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