There are two types of people in the world: Those that think about their breakfast before falling asleep at night and those who have to force themselves to eat something in the morning. But the older you get, the harder it can be to tap into your natural energy reserves, especially if you neglect to start your day with a nutrient-dense meal. Skipping breakfast may seem like a shortcut to weight loss, but this can create obstacles that hinder you from burning pesky belly fat. Whether you’re a breakfast lover or not, eating this meal at the top of each day can help support your overall health and wellness while supplying you with the energy you need to show up with your best foot forward. Furthermore, particular breakfast foods can help reduce belly fat and slow aging at the same time.
When it comes to losing belly fat, it is even more important to focus on this as you age because aging can slow down your metabolism, making you more susceptible to developing the most harmful type of belly fat, visceral fat. Visceral fat grows around your abdominal organs, and carrying too much of it is a known risk factor for diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. Unfortunately, age in and of itself is a significant risk factor that can leave you vulnerable to developing these conditions, in addition to other chronic illnesses. However, there are healthy ways to leverage your diet to manage and even lose belly fat while slowing down your biological aging.
To find out which breakfast foods were best to help lose belly fat and slow signs of aging, we spoke with a handful of expert dietitians and rounded up their suggestions for the best healthy breakfast options that address these factors. Read on to learn which breakfast foods are best for burning belly fat and retaining your youthful vitality.
1. Avocado toast with eggs
This meal’s fiber, protein, and healthy fats will keep you full longer, preventing overeating and rapid glucose spikes. Top a slice of whole-grain toast with avocado and a poached egg.
One study published in Nutrients found that participants who consumed avocados regularly gained less weight than those who didn’t eat avocados. Another study noted that pairing eggs with high-fiber food (i.e., avocado and whole grain toast) was associated with greater feelings of fullness and fewer calories consumed at the next meal. These findings show that this breakfast meal may help you consume fewer calories, aiding in weight loss.
Researchers have also discovered that avocado consumption can help improve your cognitive function as you age. It may even help improve your skin’s elasticity, reducing the appearance of skin sagging that can emerge over time as you grow older.
2. Vegetable omelet
Because eggs are a fantastic source of protein, many dietitians suggest using eggs to make an omelet so you can pack in a ton of other nutrient-dense ingredients. In addition, the eggs and vegetables nutrients can help with aging and belly fat loss.
A veggie-packed omelet is a great breakfast option for weight loss and anti-aging benefits. They are loaded with healthy fats and antioxidant-rich produce that will directly fight inflammation, are low in calories for weight loss, and rich in nutrients that fight age. They are also an easy and tasty way to get lean protein and vegetables, which can help with weight loss efforts. In addition, the protein from the eggs and fiber from the vegetables will help keep you feeling full for extended periods, offsetting your hunger and overeating throughout the day.
3. Fruit salad
Combining a variety of fruits like kiwi, grapefruit, bananas, and berries can be mixed to create a fruit salad medley that provides several nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants. The thread will keep you feeling full for longer, and the antioxidants will help reduce oxidative stress in the body.
Oxidative stress—which can contribute to chronic disease—can accelerate the biological signs of aging. This form of stress occurs when there’s an imbalance in your body of antioxidants and free radicals, so eating antioxidant-rich foods like fruit can help avoid it.
Fruit plays a role in slowing the aging process and can also be a helpful breakfast food for belly fat loss. For instance, consuming fruits and vegetables was linked to less visceral fat in both men and women.
4. Oatmeal with fruits, nuts, & seeds
No matter your personal health goals, oatmeal is one of the healthiest breakfasts. And specifically, it can help with both belly fat and the aging process.
Oats are an excellent source of dietary fiber and help you stay full longer. You can make your oatmeal as nutrient-dense as you like through the ingredients you choose to top it with. For example, adding nuts will help raise the protein content and help you feel longer satisfied. Protein also helps build muscle and eliminate fat around the belly area. Blueberries and flaxseed will give you natural sweetness. Flaxseed is high in omega-3 and could help stabilize your blood sugar levels. And blueberries are high in antioxidants, which can help your skin look and feel better.
5. Nuts & nut butter
Topping off a bowl of oatmeal with almonds, adding peanut butter to your yogurt bowl, or spreading some almond butter on top of a piece of whole-grain toast, nuts, and nut butter can contribute to healthy aging and belly fat loss.
Nuts are packed with protein and healthy fats. Several studies have shown that nuts help people lose and maintain weight. This may be related to the satiety they produce. Satiety is the feeling of being full yet also satisfied. Nuts also have an anti-aging effect. In addition, they have been linked to a decreased risk of mortality from heart disease.
6. Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt is an excellent choice for yogurt lovers as a breakfast to help with belly fat loss because it is often higher in helpful nutrients and lower in added sugars.
Greek yogurt is high in protein, and the higher protein content makes us feel fuller longer. It can also provide a bit of sweetness that some may miss at breakfast. It is also high in calcium, which contributes to its anti-aging properties and plays a significant role in bone health which is essential as we age.
Eating Greek yogurt for breakfast can also help your anti-aging and belly fat loss efforts by giving you a vessel for more nutrient-dense add-ons like fruit, nuts, and seeds.
Learn more: 8 High-Quality Proteins You Should Eat Every Day