As we age, our muscle mass gets lower with each year, making physical exercises a lot more difficult than they might have been in our youth. With that said, it’s important to promote healthy muscles with the right diet— and eating protein every day is a vital part of that. We checked in with Jakob Roze, CSCS, certified personal trainer and CEO and founder of RozeFit, Melissa Morris, ACSM-certified exercise physiologist and ISSN-certified nutritionist, and Chad Blair, fitness director at BIÂN to learn about protein-rich breakfast ideas that support muscle health over 50.
Why Complete Proteins Are Crucial Every Morning Over 50
When it comes to building muscle, acquiring high-quality proteins in your diet becomes essential especially after the age of 35., Blair explains. "At the age of 35, our bodies naturally begin to lose muscle mass, therefore if we want to preserve the muscle we have proper nutrition in addition to strength training as the key ingredients," he says. Morris agrees, and notes that there are two types of protein foods - complete and incomplete proteins. "A complete protein has all of the essential amino acids that you have to get in your diet while an incomplete protein is missing one or more of the essential amino acids," she says. Morris dubs the following foods as great sources of complete proteins: animal proteins like meat, eggs, and dairy products, soy, quinoa, eggs, low-fat Greek yogurt, low-fat yogurt, low-fat milk, low-fat cheese and tofu.
Roze also agrees in that the best type of protein for breakfast must be a complete protein like "eggs or yogurt because complete proteins have all of the requisite amino acids for protein synthesis." In his line of work as a personal trainer, Roze says that he recommends his clients consume 20-30 grams of protein first thing in the morning. "It is imperative that they start their morning off with a high protein meal because after age 30, you begin losing 2% of your muscle mass each year," he says. "This is a process called sarcopenia and the best way to prevent it is through eating more protein and lifting weights."
Breakfast can be a tricky meal to acquire protein due to some of the following constraints: lack of time, decreased appetite, morning bloat, etc, Blair says, stressing that however, "we all know the value of not skipping breakfast." For every common breakfast problem, he says, there is a solution. For example, If your mornings are busy and you don't have time to cook, Blair suggests preparing some hard boiled eggs the night before in replace of scrambled eggs. If you lack an appetite in the morning, "an easy and quick option could be a protein shake." (Find a high quality protein powder and add a scoop to your fruit smoothie).
In conclusion, when thinking about high-protein breakfasts, experts agree in that it matters that you prioritize getting the essential nutrient, and it doesn't have to be through one specific food. "Don't be reluctant to add non-traditional breakfast foods to your breakfast meal," Blair says in conclusion to inspire your next meal. "Chicken, lentils, quinoa, nuts and seeds, tofu, tempeh, etc. can all be great sources of protein if you are open to being creative for your breakfast meal."
