Should I eat only food for breakfast?
Natural sugars in fruit are easily digestible by your body. Instead of your body using loads of energy to digest processed sugars, it quickly processes the fruit and the rest of the energy goes straight to you.
Any kind of fruit or vegetables in any form — whole fruit, freshly pressed juices, or smoothies — gives your body the jumpstart you need in every way to get your day going. It will refresh you, jumpstart your system, boost your immune system, strengthen your heart, help bloating, and help detox your system.
You’ll also find that you’ll be a bit more acquainted with the “loo”. (Trust me though- you won’t be complaining. If you’re not going at least once a day, you need to consider your diet.)
But I want a REAL breakfast!
For the record, having fruit for breakfast was not an easy transition for me. Give me coffee, eggs, and toast, please! If you’re not a morning person like me and crave hearty food first thing in the morning, I feel your pain. But honestly, if you can push yourself through it anyway for a few weeks, you’ll find yourself feeling better, feeling more clear-headed, and more energetic.
But I’m on a “no sugar” diet!
If you’re concerned about how eating fruit for breakfast can affect your health, by all means, see your doctor.
If you’re worried about eating any sugar from now until the end of time, I want to encourage you to watch the documentary Fed Up and Sugar Coated. The real culprit of the incredible amounts of sugar that we consume as a nation is the hidden sugar found in the majority of foods we wouldn’t suspect, and frankly, would be infuriated to discover.
Do you think the rate of diabetes has tripled in the past three decades because of fruit? Nah.
Do you often hear of those struggling with obesity having an orange addiction? Nope.
Listen, fruit is natural. I believe God created it as sweet little presents all wrapped up in their perfect shapes for our consumption. As with anything, use moderation.
Your sugar-free diet is your call, totally, and I won’t judge you for it! But before you skip fruit to have sugar-free cookies packed with fake sugar and chemicals, take a second, zoom out, and use common sense. What does your body already know how to digest?
Isn’t fruit for breakfast expensive?
Fruit doesn’t have to be expensive.
I used to use this excuse frequently, but the truth is, there are plenty of great fruits and veggies out there for a very reasonable cost. In fact, fruit can be cheaper than a “real breakfast” and MUCH quicker to prepare for those of you who are always in a rush out the door in the morning.
If you live in a big city, find an International food store, such as a Latino or Indian market. You’ll generally find that their fruits and veggies are much cheaper and sometimes better than your average grocery store. If you can’t find one of those, no worries.
If you don’t have the budget for a full organic produce drawer, I officially give you permission to buy (gasp!) non-organic fruits and vegetables (!!).
You didn’t hear it from me.
What’s the best kind of fruit to have for breakfast?
If the idea of fruit for breakfast still makes you sick to your stomach, or you have blood sugar issues that hinder you from only sweet items in the morning, there are options.
Try munching on a more substantial type of fruit or vegetable like a banana or avocado. Maybe even spread a spoonful of natural peanut butter on top, or just a few peanuts! A great source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, and you’ll feel full afterward.
Also, if you don’t like sweets in the morning, cut up a nice fresh avocado, cucumber, and tomato and throw a few spices on top or drizzle with a splash of balsamic vinegar. A salad like this can last for several days in the refrigerator.
If you go for juice or a smoothie, my personal favorite thing is to throw in fresh spinach! Doesn’t taste like anything, turns your smoothie a rad color, and adds tons of nutrients to the breakfast. Also, for smoothies, buy frozen fruit rather than fresh.
I also really like adding things like hemp hearts, ground flax seed, or collagen for taste-free ways of bumping up the load of nutrients!
One thing you should do is definitely have a little fruit when you wake up before you eat ANYTHING. I have a big bowl of clementines in my room. Snack on it first, then eat a small, low-carb, high protein breakfast after that. It’s important to get fruit in there first. I bet you that if you do this for a few months, any former cravings for coffee or huge breakfasts will be thrown out the window!
If those fruits bore you like they bore me, spend a few more bucks and experiment with some different fruit you’ve never tried before. Check out kiwi, papaya, mango, a whole FRESH pineapple, pomegranate, etc. Keeping it interesting may just keep you going one more day at a time!
Just watch out that you’re not consuming an incredible amount of sugar by keeping portion size in mind.
What if I want to eat fruit and take a shower at the same time?!
DO IT.
If you’ve never eaten fruit in the shower, now is your chance to try it. It sounds crazy but you’d be surprised how nice it is. While traveling in the Dominican Republic, my host family served pears and apples in a serving bowl right there in the shower! It was amazing!
While you let your conditioner do it’s magic, or while you’re just standing there in the hot water while you think about your life, eat a piece of fruit before that pesky existential dread sets in! I’m a big fan of apples and pears which are cool and fresh. And no need for a napkin if you dribble!
What if I don’t eat breakfast at all?
If you’re one of those people who just don’t eat breakfast, you should try eating some fruit anyway. It gets your body in a nice digestive state so when you eat lunch your body’s ready to roll. By the way, if you know of stores in your town that sell local fruit, GO LOCAL! If you’ve never had a tomato picked right off the vine for you and always bought them from the grocery store, you really have no idea what you’re missing.
I'm sure you could, depending on the fruits- but the problem is that because the fruit contains so much water, it'll be frozen solid in the morning. You could pack it in a to-go cup that night and eventually have it later in the morning too. My guess is that some fruits just don't work well if you freeze them, or don't have them immediately- namely apples and bananas. They get pretty gross. I'm not sure why you felt so sick! Fruit shouldn't make you sick like that unless you're dealing with funky soils, pesticides. Hmm not sure, anyway, thanks for the compliments! Keep up the fruit eating!
Hey Ande!
Seriously love the site 🙂 Chris and I have started adding more fruit into our daily routine, esp mornings, but I had a very random smoothie question . . . can I make a smoothie and then freeze it overnight for breakfast the next day? I tried it once years ago, it turned brown, and I felt sick all day . . . I'm wondering if it was just a bad smoothie haha. Anyways, thanks so much again!