How many calories should I be eating for breakfast? Most days I just run out of the house with a piece of fruit in my hand eating on the way to work. I only live about a mile from work so I walk every day.
Dr. Gourmet Says...
I generally have patients target their breakfast between 250 and 500 calories depending on their weight, height and goals. There's a lot that goes into making that decision but at minimum we know that having a serving of a carbohydrate along with some protein will carry you better through the morning.
So a serving for breakfast might be an egg with a slice of whole wheat toast. Round this out with a piece of fruit (even mid-morning) for a great start to your day. Another example might be cereal with milk or yogurt and fruit.
You can find some breakfast suggestions in our eatTHISdiet section (eatTHISdiet is now The Quality Calorie Diet).
You can also login to The Quality Calorie Diet Planner and create a profile for yourself. The software will create two week meal plans and offer you suggestions for breakfasts along with serving sizes based on your height, weight and goals.
Thanks for writing,
Timothy S. Harlan M.D.
Dr. Gourmet
Eat well, eat healthy, enjoy life!