So with all that said, it’s time to start learning some easy recipes and meals we can quickly knock together for maximum nutrient density and minimum carb influx!
Why not start with the beginning? With breakfast! Here are a few things you can have for breakfast that will help you start your day with 200-300 calories and will also fortify your body!
Grapefruit
Having a grapefruit for breakfast is a popular move in the Mediterranean and is a great option if you’re losing weight. Grapefruits have very low calories and actually have the added benefit of increasing metabolism to burn more calories!
Despite this almost negative calorie status though, they still provide tons of nutrition in the form of potassium, lycopene, vitamin C and choline! They’re very good for your blood pressure too! And cutting a grapefruit in half takes approximately 10 seconds…
The Nootropic Cereal I call this the ‘nootropic cereal’ because it contains several ingredients that can give your brain an energy boost in the morning.
Grab some muesli and add a few grapes, some chopped banana and some sunflower seeds. Keep in a Tupperware and then add some milk. This will fill you up, rehydrate you and provide a steady release of energy throughout the day. It also happens to be very delicious and the texture that comes from the grapes and seeds is addictive.
Oats
Having oats for breakfast is one of the best and easiest ways to fill yourself with a complex carb for a steady release of energy throughout the day!
Ham and Cheese Croissant
Buy or bake yourself a croissant or two, slice it in half and then add in some ham and cheese. The combination of sweet and savory is incredibly satisfying and the protein will help to keep you feeling full.
Is this a healthy meal per say? Not entirely – the croissant for instance is covered in butter (healthy but high in calories) and is a simple carb.
But nevertheless, this is also a satisfying and tasty meal that provides some different and interesting nutrients. If you just have one, then your calorie count still won’t be much above 200 at this point.
And this is the point – it’s fine to bend the rules if you’re tracking your calories and getting your nutrition! Sometimes you’ll want a treat and this is a great way to get it.
Eggs Royale
Now here’s a meal that will absolutely pack in the nutrients and amino acids and that also tastes delicious. Simple cook up some toast (rye bread if you want to go slow carb) and then lay some salmon on top. Now add a poached egg and sprinkle on some seeds. If you’re happy to add a few extra calories, then just a smidge of hollandaise sauce goes a long way – but vinegar will do a similar trick.
This is a brilliant choice because it gives you the ’30 before 30’. That’s 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, as recommended by Tim Ferriss. This is great for preventing hunger pangs and for increasing the metabolism.
And this meal will also give you a boat load of amino acids, fatty acids, choline, potassium and more!
Remove the salmon for plain old eggs benedict (still delicious!).
Scrambled Eggs
A simple and easy classic! Just fry some eggs in a pan mixed with a little milk and ensure you’ve greased the pan thoroughly with butter. The butter will increase the calorie count a little but the eggs are brilliant for providing nutrition and the meal will fill you up in a satisfying way!
Stuffed Avocado
Avocado is an excellent source of the best kinds of fats while containing barely any carbohydrates. They raise testosterone, improve the blood pressure and keep you feeling full. They’re also quick to create and crazy delicious.
For breakfast, try cutting one avocado in half and taking out the stone. Now hollow out a small section in the middle and add some tuna fish here, or perhaps some flavoured rice or even a scrambled egg! An avocado only contains 160 calories but half will keep you going!
Smoothie
A smoothie is a brilliant way to pack yourself with nutrients and freshen up with a good supply of sugar for the day. If you want to reduce the sugar hit though, you can make your smoothie with more vegetables (and avocado is again a good choice to make your drink creamy and smooth!).
The biggest problem with smoothies is that they involve a lot of washing up and preparation. A nutribullet though can go some way to solving that problem! As can just buying one on the way into work…
Protein Shake
Like I said – paleo dieters go a little overboard with their avoidance of anything man-made! Some man made foods and drinks are actually great for you. This is a perfect example as a quick way to get all the amino acids you need quickly and often foritifed with creatine, branch-chained amino acids and more.