What to Eat for Breakfast to Not Gain Weight [+ Video]

This is not the normal post, but you asked and we are answering. Today we are sharing What to Eat for Breakfast to Not Gain Weight as so many wanted to know how we stay fit as food bloggers.

Don’t worry, it’s not just breakfast, we are also photographing what we eat for lunch, dinner, snacks and we will be sharing our health and fitness rules along with the workouts that keep us toned and healthy. So let’s get going with, What to Eat for Breakfast to Not Gain Weight!

That yogurt bowl pictured above is my all time favorite breakfast, but we both tend to do green smoothie protein shakes the most to get in more nutrients.  When I make a yogurt bowl I stir in protein, collagen, chia seeds and sprinkle on some fresh fruits and occasionally granola.

Our number one rule in the way we care for our bodies is we never skip a meal at our house. That means if we have to wake up 20 minutes earlier to ensure we get something to eat we do that. Starting the day out with the proper nutrition leads to better choices the rest of the day. And you know what I’m talking about, afternoon hits and suddenly you keep reappearing in the kitchen, specifically the pantry for me all day long.

Check out our full video at the bottom then keep scrolling around and feel free to ask any questions!

What to Eat for Breakfast to Not Gain Weight for us includes a few simple rules.

1. Protein– Getting in protein which is not only good post workout (yes, we work out 5 days a week, every single week) but it’s also good to help you maintain a healthy weight and to stay fuller longer. We use protein in everything from smoothies to oatmeal.
2. Variety– We are both big believers in not eating the exact same thing every morning. If we’ve had a few smoothies we try to throw in something opposite like oatmeal.
3. Fruits and Veggies- Breakfast always includes one or the other or both fruits and veggies. It’s too easy to miss your recommended servings so adding them in at breakfast starts us off right.
4. Chia or Flax Seeds- Chia seeds are a popular Superfood! They are nutrient dense and flavorless so they are perfect to add to anything! Flax seeds are very similar but are absorbed differently.
5. Collagen- Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides are our newest find and we never skip a day. Our hair, skin and bone health are totally improving and it’s not often we hop on bandwagons, so this one is worth it.

What to Eat for Breakfast to Not Gain Weight

We really just rotate through the same breakfasts, but switch up ingredients etc and on the weekends we eat whatever we feel like, which often has become the same things still, other than our Crepes tradition on Saturdays or those Melt in Your Mouth Buttermilk Pancakes. Once you’ve kicked yourself into gear to start the morning with a good breakfast it actually becomes something you not only want but helps you feel better so it’s harder to go back to a nutrient deficient breakfast.

Though not impossible, I’ll still dig into French Toast with you any day.

We will go through the links to recipes and then if you want to know what we love about certain pantry staples we keep on hand at all times you can keep reading.

Healthy Breakfast Ideas

• Protein Green Smoothies- Our Most Common Breakfast –Use whatever milk, never water, add power greens, baby kale or spinach, carrots, beets, fruits or whatever you’d like along with frozen fruit, protein, chia seeds and collagen, PB2 or peanut butter blend it all up and enjoy!

• Protein Shakes- I know it seems like I just talked about this, but sometimes we don’t add the greens in. Instead we do just fruit, milk, protein, collagen and flax or chia seeds, or even just straight protein powder with milk or water. And by we, I mean Cade does that last one because I never have water and protein, it’s not my thing.

• Oatmeal- Oatmeal never touched my lips as a kid. My dad loved cream of wheat which looked horrible to me so I looped oatmeal into the same category. I now love it. I buy both old fashioned and quick oats depending on our morning. We love to stir protein into the oatmeal before cooking it which adds flavor without covering it in brown sugar and I personally love raisins, craisins, fruit, a little peanut butter or Greek yogurt dolloped on top.

• Overnight Oats- One of the easiest breakfasts is overnight oats. I pile up yogurt, chia seeds and oats in a bowl, stir it and let it sit in the fridge. The next morning I scoop out what I want, add protein and collagen and eat up!

• Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits-Probably my all time favorite “healthy” breakfast is a fruit and yogurt parfait with a light sprinkle of granola. We mostly eat our Homemade Strawberry Almond Granola but occasionally I’ll buy some in bulk from the store or even break up nature valley granola bars. I still stir in protein and collagen and chia seeds!

• Smoothie Bowls-Yes, it’s basically the same thing as a smoothie but I add a little fresh fruit and granola on top and dig in!

Protein Green Smoothie Granola Parfait

One of our go-to smoothies combines everything you love about a green smoothie and a protein shake!  Plus, add granola and a little fresh fruit and it’s even better!

How to Freeze Fruit and Make Better Smoothies

We quickly learned an important lesson with smoothies and shakes and it all has to do with your fruit. Fresh fruit is never my go-to, it’s always frozen and there’s a reason why along with how I pair my fruits in a smoothie.

Freezer Prep Green Smoothie Protein Shakes

Don’t worry, we aren’t taking 15 minutes to prepare these smoothies every morning. We are usually 30 seconds to a smoothie thanks to our smoothie prep we do about every 6 weeks.

Strawberries and Cream High Protein Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a great breakfast that keeps you feeling fuller longer, but add in a bit of protein and you’ll also be maintaining your waistline.

Avocado Toast

We LOVE avocado toast!! This version with avocado and berries is amazing for breakfast.

Raspberry Pineapple Coconut Smoothie

Ohhhh how I love a fresh and fruity smoothie like this one on a hot day!

Banana Blueberry Overnight Oats

Fast and easy is often what we need for breakfast because we have school aged kids which changes EVERYTHING. Life doesn’t slow down when your kids are older, it gets crazier.

Instant Pot Homemade Yogurt

We love this yogurt so much!! It’s WAY cheaper to make from home and it’s healthier too! Save a few tablespoons as your next starter to keep making it!

Almond Joy Protein Shake

While I tend to go fruity, Cade loves a chocolate shake so this Almond Joy Protein Shake is a favorite.

Chia Peach Berry Protein Green Smoothie Bowl

Mix up your smoothies so you don’t get tired of it by turning it into a smoothie bowl!

Healthy Blueberry Cottage Cheese Pancakes

MMmmmm, ready for a healthy but still totally craveable breakfast, try these Healthy Blueberry Cottage Cheese Pancakes.

What Protein Powder to Buy

The type of protein powder you buy will depend on what you’re using it for. Cade buys protein to build muscle, while I use protein mostly to maintain muscle and to stay trim. Many protein powders have a lot of sugar and a little protein and/or are higher in fat and carbs, so start comparing them before you just buy one.

• For Him- Because Cade is looking to push his fitness level more he buys Muscle Pharm Combat Protein in Chocolate
• For Her- I stick with buying my protein in Vanilla because it goes better with fruits etc in Optimum Nutrition Vanilla Ice Cream. Both of us order from Amazon or snag some at the big Costco sales.

Collagen Peptides

• Are collagen peptides worth it? 

We think so! We’ve been using Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides for months now, and although I was a total skeptic, we love it and never skip adding it to our breakfast. You really can’t taste it and I’m weird about that stuff so you can trust me. My hair and skin have noticeably improved and I’m sure my bone health has as well. It’s one of those things like skincare, I really wish I would have started sooner.

• What are the benefits of collagen peptides?

There’s a lot of good information on the Vital Proteins site, you may want to visit there really quick as it’s a very short read, but here are a few things…

• Healthy Hair, Skin, and Nails – Collagen is responsible for supporting skin elasticity, stronger hair and nails.
• Bone and Joint Health – Collagen has been shown to improve joint health as a result of it’s gel consistency and ability to replenish ligaments and tendons surrounding joints.  I’ve got cracking joints and I know my genetics have me set up for osteoporosis so everything I can do will help.
• Helps Digestion – Research has shown that people battling inflammatory bowel disease are at a deficit of collagen and when collagen is supplemented in the body gut issues are easier to manage.
• Weight Management – Glycine, an important amino acid in collagen, has been shown to help maintain a healthy body.

If you have more questions just leave a comment or DM our Instagram and we would be happy to chat more.

Chia Seeds

Ah yes, the first healthy thing I thought was weird and would never use. Chia seeds sound like they are for growing chia pets, but this tiny seeds packs great nutrition.

Chia seeds are a rich antioxidant, but there’s a lot more too!

• 137 calories
• 12.3 grams carbohydrates
• 4.4 grams protein
• 8.6 grams fat
• 10.6 grams fiber
• 0.6 milligram manganese (30 percent DV)
• 265 milligrams phosphorus (27 percent DV)
• 177 milligrams calcium (18 percent DV)
• 1 milligram zinc (7 percent DV)
• 0.1 milligram copper (3 percent DV)
• 44.8 milligrams potassium (1 percent DV)

And that’s not the whole list but it’s good enough, haha.

Ground Flax Seeds

We both bounce back and forth between adding flax seeds or chia seeds to smoothies. Both are great so don’t worry that you have to be using them both, it’s just a simple buy that adds great nutrition without us stressing over making some kind of perfectly nutritious meal. Again, Amazon or our local Kroger grocery store is where we buy this.

Ground flax seeds are better than whole as they are easier to digest.

Flaxseed’s health benefits are that it’s high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as phytochemicals called lignans. One tablespoon (7 grams) of ground flaxseed contains 2 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids (includes the omega 3s), 2 grams of dietary fiber and 37 calories.

PB2 or Peanut Butter

Finally, PB2 isn’t all that different than Peanut Butter but because it does have a slightly better breakdown for nutrition and it’s way easier than peanut butter to dump into oats, yogurt and smoothies we tend to use that the most. Peanut Butter is great too, so we use either.