Crash by 10 am? A glucose expert explains how to change your breakfast for the better

We’re all different when it comes to breakfast and what we want to eat in the mornings. But one thing that goes for all of us is that if we eat or drink sugary foods for breakfast, we’re going to end up feeling sluggish and hungry for the rest of the day.

This is something biochemist Jessie Inchauspé, who’s known as the Glucose Goddess on Instagram, is really passionate about. Speaking on the Diary of a CEO podcast, she tells host Steven Bartlett: “Your breakfast is very powerful.” This is because whatever you put into your empty stomach first thing in the morning will be digested quickly and can impact you for the rest of the day. Jessie explains that our breakfast choice can set us up for success or failure when it comes to our energy levels and focus.

With supermarket shelves and coffee shops full of tempting sugary breakfast options like pastries, smoothies or granola, it can be hard to know where to start. Eating these sweet foods gives us a big hit of the feel-good hormone dopamine first thing in the day, which some of us might need to get motivated for what lies ahead. But this dopamine won’t hang around for long, which is why Jessie says it’s best to keep it simple by sticking to savoury foods which fill us up and release energy slowly.

Jessie says starting your day with a sugary breakfast could lead to you riding a “glucose rollercoaster” for the rest of the day. Instead, she recommends spending time planning a variety of high-protein foods for breakfast to help you avoid a crash a few hours later.

She tells Steven: “The concept of a savoury breakfast comes from the realisation that, if you have a breakfast which creates a big glucose spike, you’re affecting your body in many bad ways. First of all, you’re leading to your brain not functioning too well during that day. It’s leading to brain fog. It can make you a bit confused. Second, it makes you tired, it increases cravings throughout the day, and it also deregulates your glucose levels for the rest of the day.”

We know there’s a lot of pressure right now to eat the right foods, but Jessie says this isn’t about perfection. It’s about setting your body up for stable focus and energy each day.

How to have a better breakfast

A savoury breakfast is simply one which doesn’t have sugar or starch-rich foods as the main ingredient. “Base it around protein and then add some healthy fats” such as olive oil, butter or avocado, Jessie tells Steven. The protein could be eggs, full-fat Greek yoghurt, meat, fish, nut butters or cream cheese.

Fibre is also important, especially for improving our gut health and staying fuller for longer through the day. It’s not too hard to incorporate some into our breakfasts. Examples include chia seeds, nuts, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes in an omelette, or other foods such as courgette, lentils and sauerkraut.

If you do want some carbs or starch as part of the meal, then Jessie suggests a piece of bread, tortilla or potatoes, but she says these should just be “for taste” and not as the main part of your breakfast. And opt for sourdough or rye bread if you can, because they keep our glucose levels more stable.

Jessie emphasises: “Importantly, a savoury breakfast contains nothing sweet. No cereal, no muffins, no orange juice, no granola, no fruit puree - none of that.” Fruit isn’t a total no-go, though. Jessie suggests sticking to whole fruit, such as berries or apples, rather than a store-bought fruit smoothie, because these contain fibre and less sugar.

This kind of breakfast does require a bit more planning and preparation than a bowl of cereal or a smoothie on the go, but as Jessie says above, it’s the best way to kick off your day and avoid any sugar side effects later on. If you’re not sure, try starting with eating a savoury breakfast a few times a week and see if it makes a difference.