A healthy breakfast is key to fat loss. By eating a healthy breakfast, you’re less likely to eat something unhealthy the rest of the day. Eating breakfast will also make you less hungry which prevents cravings.

But what should you eat for breakfast? The most common fat loss mistake is to start your day with starchy carbs like cereals or muesli or oats. While you need carbs for energy, it’s easy to overdo them and get fat.

That’s why the 8 nutrition rules advise to avoid starchy carbs at breakfast. What should you eat then? Here are the 3 simplest & quickest breakfast recipes that don’t contain starchy carbs and that will help you lose fat.

1. Omelets. High in protein, low in carbs, high in veggies. You can remove the yolk if you don’t believe dietary cholesterol doesn’t influence blood cholesterol. But realize you’re throwing away all the vitamins and half the protein.

Avoid boredom by rotating the veggies. For even more variety, add meats or cheese and learn to use spices. Here are some ideas:

• Veggies. Baby spinach, mixed peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, …
• Meats. Ground round, minced beef, chicken ground/slices, tuna, bacon, …
• Cheese. Feta cheese, grated cheese like Pecorino or Parmesan, …
• Spices. Cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, sea salt, …

2. Cottage Cheese. High in protein, no carbs, zero preparation time. You might need time to get used to its taste. Quark cheese works too if you can find it. So does plain fat free yogurt although it’s lower in protein.

Avoid boredom by switching the fruits and/or nuts. And try cottage cheese with tuna so you can also add veggies like cucumber. Ideas:

• Nuts. Almonds, walnuts, cashew, peanut butter, …
• Fruit. Chopped banana, pineapple, apples, pears or berries.
• Tuna. Sounds gross, but tastes good: try tuna with cottage cheese.

3. Smoothies. Take zero time to prepare. Get a strong blender. Throw (frozen) veggies, fruits & whey in there. Mix it. Done. Some tips:

• Get cheap whey with little carbs like ON whey.
• Vary your fruits and veggies to avoid boredom.
• Check the smoothie/shake recipe thread in the forum.

What about portion size and calories? If you stick to the 8 nutrition rules for fat loss, you can eat your stomach full without ever having to worry about this and while losing fat. Check them out.

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You’ll never achieve your goals if you don’t prepare your own food. Here are 5 muscle building recipes I use. They all include spinach & proteins. They’re also easy to make and rather tasty. Enjoy.

Why Spinach? Spinach can prevent cancer and heart diseases. It’s one of the richest sources of vitamins & minerals.

• Alkaline. The protein you eat to build muscle is acidic. Spinach is one of the most alkaline foods. It prevents muscle & bone loss.
• Nutrient Dense. Spinach is rich in vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus, iron, folate, potassium, and many more vitamins & minerals.
• Fat Loss. Spinach fills your stomach, but is low calorie (25kcal/100g). It’s also high in insoluble fiber, improving digestion.

Keep it simple. Buy frozen, unprepared spinach leaves. Put some in a colander the night before consumption. They’ll be unfrozen on waking up. If necessary, drain the spinach by pressing it with a spoon against the colander.

1. Scrambled Eggs & Spinach. Nothing beats eggs & meat pre workout. I eat a variation of this spinach recipe each morning.

• 4x whole eggs
• 100g ground round (or chicken/turkey/tuna)
• 100g spinach (or broccoli/sprouts)
• Tomato/onion/bell pepper/mushrooms (whatever you like)
• Cumin/black pepper/sea salt

Cut veggies into pieces. Fry them with the meat in real butter or olive oil. Add the beaten eggs. Add spinach leaves on top. Spice. Double wrap when ready. Train 1 hour later and hit personal records.

2. Spinach Pizza with Ground Round. I made homemade pizzas with tomato paste for years until I got a spinach recipe with one of the pizza doughs. This is my variation of that recipe. I eat it post strength training.

• 1x pizza dough
• 300g spinach
• 250g ground round
• Tomato/onion/bell pepper/olives/mushrooms (whatever you like)
• Thyme, pepper, oregano

Preheat your oven to 240°C. Cut the veggies into pieces. Spread the spinach over the dough. Top with ground round & veggies. Spice. Bake for 15mins. The original recipe had shrimps instead of ground round.

3. Quinoa Chicken with Spinach. Quinoa is an alternative to rice & pasta. This recipes comes from Gourmet Nutrition. Ingredients are for a double portion. I eat this one post & post post strength training.

• 250g quinoa
• 300g chicken breast
• 300g spinach
• Chicken spice, sea salt, pepper

Cook quinoa in boiled water for 20 mins. Cut the chicken into pieces. Spice it. Fry it with the spinach in real butter or olive oil. Mix the spinach, quinoa and chicken. Add salt & pepper to taste. Done.

4. Chicken Pasta with Spinach. Brother cooked too much pasta. Asks if I want some. I have a qunoa chicken portion left, but feel like pasta. Turns out this tastes even better than chicken quinoa.

• 250g pasta
• 300g chicken breast (or turkey)
• 300g spinach
• Chicken spice, sea salt, pepper

Cook pasta al dente. Cut the chicken into pieces. Spice it. Fry it with the spinach in real butter or olive oil. Mix the spinach, pasta and chicken. Add salt & pepper to taste. Done. Eat this post strength training.

5. Turkey & Spinach Wrap. Fast foods sell doner kebab at every corner of the street in Belgium. The turkey & spinach wrap is a healthier version of the durum filled with kebab/french fries.

• 2x flour tortilla
• 200g turkey (or chicken/ground round)
• 200g spinach
• Tomato/onion/bell pepper
• Chicken spice, sea salt, pepper

Cut turkey into pieces. Spice it. Fry it with the spinach & veggies in real butter or olive oil. Throw everything on the toritillas. Fold them on one end and roll them up to form a wrap. Eat post strength training.

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Breakfast is king of meals. Quality breakfasts help you lose fat by making you less hungry the rest of the day. Quality breakfasts also provide your body with the nutrition & calories it needs to build muscle.

What’s a quality breakfast? Something that consists of proteins for muscle growth, slow digesting carbs for energy & healthy fats. If you can add extra fiber, fruits & veggies that’s even better.

The problem. Preparing breakfast takes time. Many solve this by skipping breakfast or buying stuff at work/school. The former is unhealthy. The latter is more expensive than making breakfast yourself & also often unhealthy.

The next breakfast recipes take less than 15 mins to prepare. Not only will they help you build muscle, they’re also easy & rather tasty. Here are 7 tasty & easy breakfast recipes that build muscle.

1. Oats & Bananas. Put rolled oats, whey & flax seeds in a bowl. Add milk & a sliced banana. Microwave for 2 mins. Add cinnamon, let it cool & eat. Switch the banana by apples, raisins or berries for a change. Try also honey & almonds.

2. Omelets with Veggies. I like omelets with onions & tomato. Spinach is also great. Bell peppers, zucchini & broccoli work too. Olive oil in pan. Chop veggies. Fry them. Pour the eggs. Cook until firm. Spice it up with cumin & pepper. Done.

If you use frozen veggies, unfreeze them the night before. For fresh veggies: cut them into pieces the night before & put them in your fridge. This speeds up preparation time in the morning.

3. Protein Shake. Take your shaker. Add milk, whey, instant oats & 1 tbsp olive oil. Shake it. Drink. I know some readers drink raw eggs on waking up. I prefer cooked eggs, but you might want to try it.

Make a double protein shake if you need extra calories. Drink half on waking up & take the other half with you to work/school. If you don’t have much time in the morning, prepare your protein shake the night before & keep it in the fridge.

4. Smoothie. Get a solid blender that doesn’t break when crushing frozen food. Two scoops whey, 1 cup frozen broccoli, 1 cup frozen berries, 1 apple, 750 ml water, 1 tbps flax seeds, 1 tbps olive oil. Mix everything in your blender. Drink.

The whey you use influences the taste of the smoothie you’ll end up with. Make sure you use a quality whey.

5. Granola Crunch. I’m not a fan of granola, but for those who are this is an easy breakfast recipe that builds muscle. Pour quark or yogurt in a bowl. Add granola, whey & berries. Mix. Eat.

6. Quark & Fruit. Quark with berries or apples or bananas. Add flax seeds for extra fiber. Replace the quark by cottage cheese if you prefer. You can use yogurt although it’s often less protein rich. Solve this with extra whey.

7. Scrambled Eggs with Bacon. The breakfast of champions. Takes longer to cook, but definitely worth it. Scrambles eggs with bacon or with ground round. You can add veggies like onions & tomatoes.

Eat the whole egg. The yolk has half the protein and vitamin A, D & E. Saturated fat increases testosterone levels. You won’t become obese if you train hard & eat healthy the rest of the day. Go for red meat & eggs. This is man food.

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Smoothies are easy & quick to prepare and full of vitamins, minerals & anti-oxidants.

If you don’t have time in the morning to prepare an egg breakfast, try smoothies.

Ingredients for the Berry & Broccoli Smoothie

• 2 scoops Optimum Nutrition ON Gold Standard 100% Whey
• 1 cup Frozen Broccoli (250g)
• 1 cup Frozen Berries (250g)
• 1 apple
• 750ml water
• 1 tablespoon Flax Seed
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil (Extra virgin, cold pressing)
• Blender

The Blender. Frozen veggies & fruits are hard to crush. Cheap blenders will break. By investing in a solid blender, you’ll avoid buying a new one after some weeks.

I recommend the Oster 6684 12-Speed Blender from Amazon.com

• Crushes ice thoroughly
• Big capacity jar
• Does not split liquids
• 12 blending speeds
• Easy to clean
• Only 34,99$
• Free shipping for US residents
• 30 day risk-free money-back guarantee

Get the Oster 6684 12-Speed Blender from Amazon.com

Making the Smoothie. Preparing the berry & broccoli smoothie is easy:

• Take your blender
• Insert all ingredients
• Put the blender on high speed for 5mins
• Drink up

Nutritional Value. For your info the nutritional value of the berry & broccoli smoothie:

• Protein: 55g
• Carbs: 20g
• Fats: 40g
• Fiber: 20g
• Calories: 600kcal

If you need more calories, just up the quantities.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

For this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 6 whole medium eggs
• 1 eggplant
• 3 garlic cloves
• argan oil
• white pepper & cumin spice

Start by taking your pan & putting the heat to low. Add enough argan oil to coat the bottom of the pan. One tablespoon should do it.

Chop the eggplant & garlic. Let them fry in your pan.

In the meanwhile, break your eggs into a bowl. Beat the eggs if you want them perfectly scrambled.

After a few minutes, the eggplant & garlic should be fried.

Pour the eggs. I scramble them in the pan.

Cook until eggs are firm. Then serve on a plate.

Spice it up with white pepper & cumin. You’re ready.

For your info, this is the nutritional value of this breakfast recipe:

• Protein: 42 grams
• Carbohydrates: less than 10 grams
• Fats: 50 grams
• Calories: approx. 650 kcal

If you need more calories, just up the quantities.

This is a great way to start the day: solid mix of proteins, healthy fats & veggies. Let me know how you liked it using the comments.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

This time, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 4 whole medium eggs
• 1 can of tuna
• 1 green pepper
• 1 shallot
• olive oil (extra virgin, cold pressing)
• white pepper spice

Start by taking your pan & putting the heat to low. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. One tablespoon should do it.

Chop the green pepper & shalot. Let them fry with the tuna in your pan.

In the meanwhile, break your eggs into a bowl. Beat the eggs if you want them perfectly scrambled.

After a few minutes, the mix of tuna, green pepper & shalot should be fried.

Pour the eggs. I scramble them in the pan.

Cook until eggs are firm. Then serve on a plate.

Spice it up with white pepper. You’re ready.

Few minutes later…

For your info, this is the nutritional value of this breakfast recipe:

• Protein: 60 grams
• Carbohydrates: less than 10 grams
• Fats: 35 grams
• Calories: approx. 560 kcal

If you need more calories, just up the quantities.

This is a great way to start the day: solid mix of proteins, healthy fats & veggies. Let me know how you liked it using the comments.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

You’ll need the following ingredients:

• 5 whole medium eggs
• 100 grams ground round (extra lean)
• half a zucchini
• 1 tomato
• olive oil (extra virgin, cold pressing)
• cumin spice

Start by taking your pan & putting the heat to low. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. One tablespoon should do it.

Chop the zucchini & tomato. Let them fry with the ground round in your pan.

In the meanwhile, break your eggs into a bowl. Beat the eggs if you want them perfectly scrambled.

After a few minutes, the zucchini, tomato & ground round should be fried.

Pour the eggs. I scramble them in the pan.

Cook until eggs are firm. Then serve on a plate.

I add camun. It makes it taste even better.

Don’t forget to clean up the dish

For your info, this is the nutritional value of this breakfast recipe:

• Protein: 55 grams
• Carbohydrates: less than 10 grams
• Fats: 40 grams
• Calories: approx. 650 kcal

If you need more calories, just up the quantities.

This is a great way to start the day: solid mix of proteins, healthy fats & veggies. Try it out & post how you liked it.

Copyright © 2007-2009 STRONGLIFTS BVBA. Disclaimer.

Why Post Workout Shakes? If you workout in a commercial gym, it can take you an hour before you can eat something. You first have to shower & drive back home. Easier is taking a shake with you & drinking it post workout.

But whole food remains better than supplements. I workout in my home gym. When I’m done working out, I go straight to the kitchen & get a whole meal. Usually tuna, rice & banana.

Ingredients for Post Workout Shakes. Protein for muscle recovery. Carbs for energy. Water for rehydration.

• Whey. Get 1g/lbs protein daily. 40g per meal if you weigh 200lbs & eat 5 meals daily. 1.5 scoops whey contains 40g protein.
• Oats. Quick oats work best: they’re smaller than instant or rolled oats. Get as much carbs out of oats as you get out of whey.
• Milk. Helps weight gain if you’re skinny. But watch out with milk if you want to lose fat.
• Fruit. Full of vitamins & minerals. Bananas, raisins, etc.

What about Dextrose & Maltodextrin? Both have a higher Glycemic Index (GI) than oats. However their GI is irrelevant. Other ingredients influence the total GI: whey also spikes insulin for example.

Oats contain vitamins, minerals & fiber. Dextrose/maltodextrin don’t. Stick to oats. You’ll never achieve immediate absorption of nutrients anyway. Eat well pre workout so you have nutrients available when your muscles need them.

How to Make Post Workout Shakes

1. Take Shaker. Fill your Protein Shaker with 500 ml water (or milk). The whey won’t stick at the bottom of your shaker if you add water first.
2. Add Whey & Oats. I use Optimum Nutrition Whey: never clumps & tastes good. Add quick oats.
3. Shake it. Make sure your shaker doesn’t leak. Close the shaker & shake it hard. Add water if the mixture is too thick.

Quick oats. Instant & rolled oats are too thick for shakes unless you grind them.

Water first so the whey doesn’t stick at the bottom. Quality whey won’t clump.

Shake it. Add water if necessary. Put in gym bag. Done.

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