When your alarm clock jangles, do you smack the snooze button until the final instant that you have to haul your sorry carcass out of bed, jump into your clothes, and race to work?
Bad idea. While you sleep, your blood sugar levels nosedive. If you don’t replenish them by breaking your fast (breakfast, pretty clever, huh?), chances are that the day’s demands will break you. You won’t have enough energy to even compete in the rat race, much less win it.
A good, nutritional breakfast is essential to the Hard-Body Plan. And it’s strategic. Because you burn food more efficiently in the morning, you’ll start the day with foods that are most quickly converted into energy: carbohydrates and proteins. If you consistently eat a Hard-Body breakfast of cereals, fruits, and fat-free milk instead of a Homer Simpson breakfast of doughnuts, bacon, and half-and-half, you’ll look less and less like the Pillsbury Doughboy and more like the stud muffin that nature intended you to be.
Remember, these breakfasts are for our 175-pound, 5-foot-10-inch reference man. You will need to adjust portions up or down a bit relative to your own weight and goals. Also if you can’t find some of these items in your area, feel free to make healthy substitutions.
| ScrambIed-Egg Sandwich | |
| • 1 large whole egg • 3 large egg whites • 2 slices whole-wheat bread • 1 tomato, sliced • 1/2 cup orange juice |
Scramble the whole egg and egg whites in a bowl. Fry them in a pan spritzed with vegetable oil spray, dump them onto the bread, and garnish with sliced tomato. Coat the bread with spicy mustard if you like. If you’re wide awake or ambitious, or if you just want to impress yourself, add green peppers, onions, or other vegetables to the eggs. If you’re in a hurry, munch on some of the tomato slices while cooking the eggs, toss a couple of slices on the sandwich, wrap the works in a napkin, and eat it while you drive. Gulp down a glass of orange juice on your way out the door.
Totals: 355 calories, 46 g carbohydrates, 24.1 g protein, 8.4 g fat |
|
Egg
|
Egg Whites
|
Whole-Wheat Bread
|
Tomato
|
OJ
|
|
| Calories |
75
|
46
|
146
|
31
|
57
|
| Carbohydrates (g) |
0.6
|
1
|
25.8
|
5.7
|
12.9
|
| Protein (g) |
6.3
|
10.5
|
5.4
|
1
|
0.9
|
| Fat (g) |
5.3
|
0
|
2.4
|
0.4
|
0.3
|
| Boiled-Egg Sandwich | |
| • 3 whole eggs, boiled • 2 slices wheat bread • 3/4 cup orange juice • 1/2 cup fat-free milk |
Hate to cook in the A.M.? Boil eggs the night before while you watch The Late Show, then stick ‘em in the fridge. At rise and shine, peel and slice the eggs. (Save all the whites, and toss two of the yolks.) Sip the 01 while you’re working with the eggs. Put the eggs on the bread and wash ‘em down with the milk.
Totals: 369 calories, 52 g carbohydrates, 23 g protein, 7.6 g fat |
|
Egg
|
Egg Whites
|
Wheat Bread
|
OJ
|
Milk
|
|
| Calories |
75
|
29
|
134
|
20.3
|
47
|
| Carbohydrates (g) |
0.6
|
0.3
|
24.8
|
20.3
|
6
|
| Protein (g) |
6.3
|
7
|
4.4
|
0.8
|
4.5
|
| Fat (g) |
5.3
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0.3
|
| Bagel Breakfast to Go | |
| • 1/2 cinnamon-raisin bagel • 1 tablespoon smooth, no-salt-added peanut butter • 1 small banana • 1.5 cups fat-free milk |
Spread peanut butter on the bagel. Stick it in an empty margarine tub or other container so it won’t end up facedown on your car seat. (If you use reduced-fat peanut butter, you can have 2 tablespoons, big guy.) Stash the banana in your briefcase, or put some slices atop the peanut butter and inhale the rest. Fill a water bottle or car mug with fat-free milk to wash the peanut butter down your throat in time for the morning meeting.
Totals: 382 calories, 52 g carbohydrates, 19.8 g protein, 9.8 g fat |
|
Bagel
|
Peanut Butter
|
Banana
|
Milk
|
|
| Calories |
36
|
102
|
103
|
141
|
| Carbohydrates (g) |
7.2
|
3.1
|
23.7
|
18
|
| Protein (g) |
1.3
|
4
|
1
|
13.5
|
| Fat (g) |
0.2
|
8.2
|
0.5
|
0.9
|
| Waffles with Frozen Fruit | |
| • 1.5 whole-grain frozen waffles • 1/2 cup frozen cherries • 2 cups fat-free milk |
This dessertlike breakfast is great for guys who hate real cooking. Just microwave the waffles and cherries for a minute, then wash ‘em down with fat-free milk.
Totals: 376 calories, 56.7 g carbohydrates, 22.1 g protein, 5.8 g fat |
|
Waffles
|
Cherries
|
Milk
|
|
| Calories |
129
|
59
|
188
|
| Carbohydrates (g) |
20.2
|
12.5
|
24
|
| Protein (g) |
3.1
|
1
|
18
|
| Fat (g) |
4.1
|
0.5
|
1.2
|
| Yogurt That Packs a Crunch | |
| • 1 cup low-calorie, fat-free yogurt • 1 ounce low-fat granola • 1 teaspoon flaxseed oil (Yes, some oil is good for you!) • 1 ounce toasted plain wheat germ |
Choose any flavor of yogurt you want, as long as it has 90 to 100 calories per cup. Dump it into a plastic container, mix in the goodies, and spoon it down as you speed along the freeway.
Totals: 365 calories, 49.7 g carbohydrates, 20.7 g protein, 9.2 g fat |
|
Yogurt
|
Granola
|
Flaxseed Oil
|
Wheat Germ
|
|
| Calories |
92
|
114
|
42
|
117
|
| Carbohydrates (g) |
13
|
22.6
|
0
|
14.1
|
| Protein (g) |
10
|
2.4
|
0
|
8.3
|
| Fat (g) |
0
|
1.5
|
4.1
|
3
|
| Hot Cereal That’s Whey Cool | |
| • 6 ounces Maypo (or other whole-grain cereal) • ¼ cup fat-free milk • 1 teaspoon flaxseed oil • 1 ounce seedless raisins • 1 scoop powdered whey protein, such as Designer Protein Chocolate Whey |
Mix the Maypo with unsalted water and nuke it. Then mix the milk, flaxseed oil, raisins, and powdered protein into the cereal. The result: a great hot breakfast and only one lousy bowl to wash.
Totals: 395 calories, 53.5 g carbohydrates, 27 g protein, 7.8 g fat |
|
Maypo
|
Milk
|
Flaxseed Oil
|
Raisins
|
Whey Protein
|
|
| Calories |
122
|
47
|
42
|
95
|
89
|
| Carbohydrates (g) |
22.6
|
6
|
0
|
22.4
|
2.5
|
| Protein (g) |
4.1
|
4.5
|
0
|
0.9
|
17.5
|
| Fat (g) |
1.7
|
0.3
|
4.1
|
0.1
|
1
|
| Hot Cereal with Vanilla Whey | |
| • 6 ounces Quaker Creamy Wheat Enriched Farina • ¼ cup fat-free milk • 1 teaspoon flaxseed oil • 1 cup unsweetened frozen blackberries • 1 scoop whey protein, such as Designer Protein French Vanilla Whey |
Not a chocolate lover? Try this vanilla variation. Mix farina and unsalted water, and nuke ‘em in a bowl. Mix the milk, flaxseed oil, frozen blackberries, and vanilla whey into the cereal.
Totals: 364 calories, 50.9 g carbohydrates, 24.9 g protein, 6.5 g fat |
|
Farina
|
Milk
|
Flaxseed Oil
|
Blackberries
|
Whey Protein
|
|
| Calories |
88
|
47
|
42
|
108
|
79
|
| Carbohydrates (g) |
19.2
|
6
|
0
|
23.7
|
2
|
| Protein (g) |
2.6
|
4.5
|
0
|
1.8
|
16
|
| Fat (g) |
0.1
|
0.3
|
4.7
|
0.6
|
0.8
|
| Hot Cereal That’s Peachy Keen | |
| • 4 ounces Wheatena • 1 cup fat-free milk • 1 teaspoon flaxseed oil • 1 ounce whole grain amaranth • 1 medium-size fresh peach |
Mix Wheatena and unsalted water, then microwave. Add milk, flaxseed oil, amaranth, and the peach minus the pit. (We like crunchy, but not that crunchy) If you prefer, have the peach on the side.
Totals: 358 calories, 55.1 carbohydrates, 16.1 g protein, 7.8 g fat |
|
Wheatena
|
Milk
|
Flaxseed Oil
|
Amaranth
|
Peach
|
|
| Calories |
68
|
93
|
42
|
108
|
47
|
| Carbohydrates (g) |
13.4
|
12
|
0
|
18.8
|
10.9
|
| Protein (g) |
2.3
|
9
|
0
|
4.1
|
0.7
|
| Fat (g) |
0.6
|
0.5
|
4.1
|
1.9
|
0.1
|
| Bacon and Cold Cereal | |
| • 6 slices light, lean Canadian-style bacon • 2 ounces plain shredded wheat • 1/2 cup fat-free milk
|
Cook the bacon in a pan. Serve it alongside the cereal and milk. Lean meats are okay once in a while, but don’t overdo it. Most bacon is so high in sodium and chemicals that it’s a wonder it doesn’t glow in the dark.
Totals: 321 calories, 52 g carbohydrates, 28.5 g protein, 3.3 g fat |
|
Canadian-Style Bacon
|
Shredded Wheat
|
Milk
|
|
| Calories |
66
|
208
|
47
|
| Carbohydrates (g) |
0
|
46
|
6
|
| Protein (g) |
18
|
6
|
4.5
|
| Fat (g) |
3
|
0
|
0.3
|