GI Diet Breakfast

The Glycemic Index (GI) Diet promises you can reduce hunger and lose more weight by consuming meals with a low GI index. This means that the foods you choose affect how much you end up eating by the end of the day. The key to creating a meal with a low GI index is to make sure it includes vegetables and fruit, fiber, protein and a little bit of unsaturated (good) fat. To many, that sounds easy for lunch or dinner, but for breakfast, too?

Basics

• Low glycemic foods include beans, most vegetables and many fruits. Fruits with a high GI are high in sugar and low in fiber. These include watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple. Whole grains, such as oatmeal, barley and buckwheat, mostly fall in the medium GI range. You can, however, create a meal with a low GI from these foods by adding protein, fiber and fat. When adding fat to a meal, choose mostly healthy, unsaturated fats such as olive oil, canola oil, nuts, seeds, nut butter, avocado and tofu. Limit the saturated fats found in animal fat, dairy fat and chocolate.

  High glycemic foods include most breads (even many "whole wheat" breads), rice, white potatoes, most candy and most packaged snacks. To choose a whole grain bread or cereal look for items with the lowest amount of "total carbohydrates" and the most grams of protein and fiber per serving.

Breakfast

• The Glycemic Index Diet strongly recommends not just eating breakfast but eating a high-protein breakfast. This is because the brain needs a steady supply of protein and the amino acids contained in protein to function properly. Breakfast is also important because choosing the wrong foods in the morning can lead to excess hunger and cravings all day long.

  Whole grains suitable for breakfast include oatmeal or buckwheat. To avoid empty and high-GI sugar calories, sweeten grains with stevia (a natural herbal sweetener) or use a nonnutritive artificial sweetener such as Splenda or aspartame.

  To boost protein content and lower the GI value for hot or cold cereals, use low-fat, high-protein Greek style yogurt instead of milk. To add healthy (unsaturated) fat as well as extra protein, mix in some nuts or nut butter. To add extra fiber as well as healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, stir in one to two tablespoons flax-meal.

  To start the day off with some vegetables, try a veggie omelet or veggie scramble. For extra fiber, prepare a Southwestern or Mexican omelet with vegetables and beans. To reduce saturated fat, use olive or canola oil instead of butter and replace at least one of the egg yolks with an extra egg white.

  For a cold breakfast you can take with you, make a smoothie with fresh or frozen fruit and low-fat milk or yogurt. For some extra heart-healthy unsaturated fat, add a tablespoon or two of nut butter and give the mixture an extra blend.

  For a quick, no-fuss breakfast, grab a piece or two of fruit and measure out a quarter-cup of nuts or seeds.