Four dieticians tell us what they eat for breakfast
as told to daisy henry
Dietitian-approved breakfasts.
I’m a firm believer that how you start your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. The mornings when I snooze my alarm until the last minute often result in me rushing around feeling frazzled, anxious and scattered.
But the mornings where I allow myself time to properly wake up and consume some kind of food before my coffee, tend to go a long way in making me feel calm and regulated (shocker). Of course, everyone is different. Some of us may need a nutritionally dense plate to start their day, while others might be raring to go after a squeezable pouch of yoghurt or a sweet pastry.
For more perspectives on wellness, head on over to our Health section.
Though balancing out probiotics, omega-3 intake and antioxidants can be a lot to think about, for dieticians, it’s their bread and butter (mind the pun). Whether you prefer sweet or savoury, quick or slow mornings, we’ve rounded up four dietitian-approved breakfasts.
Breakfast oats
Chosen by: Cass Mangan
A diverse diet is great for gut health. As someone who often wakes up hungry, I prioritise meals that are both satisfying and nutritious. Most mornings, I opt for a bowl of oats, topped with seasonal ingredients. Pictured here is my breakfast in France, where summer berries are in full swing. Despite recent misinformation, oats are not inherently bad for blood sugar – what matters is the type you choose, how you prepare them and what you pair them with. Even if eaten alone, they are rich in fibre, contain beta-glucans which lower cholesterol, and are so warm and comforting.
I use a half cup of rolled oats and one cup of unsweetened soy milk, sometimes adding a pinch of salt to enhance the flavour. I bring this to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer, stirring regularly for about five to seven minutes until the oats are soft and creamy. If the mixture thickens too much, I’ll add a splash more milk to loosen it.
Once cooked, I pour the oats into a bowl and add my favourite toppings, often a mix of fresh (or frozen) seasonal fruit, like berries or banana, along with a spoonful of Greek yogurt or skyr for protein and probiotics. I also love adding pumpkin seeds (for iron), flaxseeds (for plant-based omega-3s), and Brazil nuts (for selenium). These slow digestion, support satiety and add extra nutrients.
Eggs and a smoothie
Chosen by: Rebecca Gawthorne
Most mornings, I’ll fry some eggs (for protein and iron) in extra virgin olive oil (for healthy fats) along with some veggies like mushrooms, capsicum or baby spinach (for a good hit of fibre and micronutrients).
I’ll pair this with a fruit smoothie made with probiotic yoghurt like Activia (for probiotics for gut health), fruit like passionfruit for more fibre, chia seeds or walnuts (for omega-3 healthy fats), red ginseng, Manuka honey (for antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits), and soy milk (for protein and calcium).
Or if I’m in a bit of a rush, I’ll swap out the smoothie for some fresh seasonal fruit like a Kanzi apple for vitamin C and fibre. And of course a coffee! This balanced combination keeps me satisfied all morning, supports gut health and gives me steady energy for my workout and busy day ahead.
Coffee, fruit and protein bars
Chosen by: Olivia Morrison
Honestly, I’ve always struggled with breakfast. Even as a child, my parents struggled to get me to eat before school. Research on morning hunger has increasingly shown to be influenced by genetics and your circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle), so if you’re someone that’s more of a brunch person or a chronic breakfast-skipper, my style might be for you!
I eat a ‘snack’ breakfast. I’ll have a protein iced coffee, with flavoured whey protein powder, milk, a shot of coffee, one teaspoon of chia seeds and ice. I’ll also have a piece of fruit, usually a no-prep type like an apple, banana, mandarin or berries. And then I rotate between Carmen’s ‘plant protein’ muesli bar, a squeezy Chobani yoghurt or a handful of mixed nuts.
Although it’s a little different, it’s balanced with everything you’d want from a healthy breakfast. It’s high in protein for appetite control, with low GI carbohydrates to stabilise energy, blood sugars and mood, and high in fibre for healthy digestion and satiety.
This is a great option if you’re time poor, don’t love stereotypical breaky options or get sick of eating the same foods every day. As someone who specialises in binge eating and ADHD, I’m aware of how important breakfast is for the management of cravings, mood, energy and executive function. This simplified version of breakfast makes eating earlier more manageable and improves consistency.
Breakfast isn’t a type of food, it’s a timeframe. I don’t believe in rules around eating certain things at certain times. It’s more important to find approaches that suit your individual needs and eating preferences because, at the end of the day, eating something is always better than nothing.
Chocolate Walnut Granola Yoghurt Bowl
Chosen by: Amanda Maiorano
If you know me, you know I adore breakfast. It’s easily my favourite meal of the day and I’d happily eat it morning, noon and night. Lately, I’ve been making a batch of my Chocolate Walnut Granola at the start of the week and it’s become such a good way to set myself up for the week. It’s made with rolled oats, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and coconut flakes, gently toasted in coconut oil and sweetened with maple syrup.
I usually serve it over some Greek yoghurt, topped with banana, some fresh berries (if they’re in the fridge), and a generous scoop of peanut butter. It’s naturally rich in fibre, heart-healthy fats, and protein – all important for keeping blood sugar steady and energy sustained through the morning. But more than anything, it’s something I actually look forward to. Slow mornings, something warm to drink and a bowl of this. It’s the kind of breakfast that makes getting out of bed feel easy, a small but steady way to set the tone for the day.
For more breakfast ideas, try this.
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