Top 11 Best Breakfast Foods You Should Eat Every Day to Lose Weight

If you want to lose weight, it's time to amp up your breakfast – and not just in the form of oatmeal or eggs. There are some unconventional items you should be eating first thing in the morning, according to one doctor. Dr. Jia-Yia Liu (@Healthyimmunedoc) is an acute and critical care Infectious Disease doctor who regularly shares video content about healthy living. In one video, she reveals a bunch of foods she eats for breakfast that aid in weight loss.

Kale

Kale, "a food that contains a powerful antioxidant called sulforaphanes," is number 10 on her list. "If you haven't heard, sulforaphane is a longevity molecule that protects your DNA. Foods that contain sulforaphane are frankly not that tasty to eat. They are bitter and contain a lot of fiber, but they are very important to eat. And that's why I try to eat at least one cup per meal," she says. Dr. Liu prefers dinosaur kale "for that green color, and to make it taste better, I chop it up finely or sometimes I just blend it with some berries," she says in the video.

Vitamin C

Dr. Liu also recommends getting vitamin C every day. "Vitamin C is what allows your brain to work, your skin to look young and healthy, your immune defense to be strong, your blood to flow properly, and your bowels to get rid of toxins," she says. To get it from food, eat orange, kiwi, or bell pepper.

Fresh Fruit

"I always eat some kind of fresh fruit for breakfast and there are so many choices, and that's why number nine, pick any fresh fruit to eat," Dr. Liu says. "My kids usually make me a breakfast salad and chop up fruits and vegetables for me."

Blueberries

"Number eight is another fruit that has vitamin C, but it's also high in fiber and actually low in sugar. And this is really helpful because I blend this with my kale to make smoothies for my kids," Dr. Liu says about blueberries. "I don't actually like to blend other fruits like apples or pears because that releases the sugars and causes peaks and troughs of insulin when insulin spikes up and down. It's actually not beneficial if you're trying to control your mood, trying to stay full, and trying to lose weight. However, blended blueberries don't do that. People think it's because it's high in fiber, but it's also because it's low in sugar. And that dark purple color is loaded with anthocyanins, which are known to inhibit digestive enzymes."

Hummus

Hummus, a spread that she "fell in love with" is also on her list. It is "basically pureed garbanzo beans with roasted garlic tahini, which is ground sesame paste, onion powder and lemon juice and some olive oil," she says. "And if you want some salt, try adding some miso. I use this as a salad dressing. Beans have been shown to reduce cholesterol, blood sugar and help people lose weight."

Salads

Dr. Liu also adds it to her next item on the list: salad. "Now, I mentioned that I used to be overweight as a child in previous videos. I didn't decide to lose weight until I was a teenager, and really, I put myself on a salad diet. It was tasteless, but my mom kept canned beans in the house, so I decided to add some canned black beans and realized I really liked the texture. It helped me swallow the salad, and it kept me full for hours."

Avocado

Avocado has "10 grams of fiber, four grams of polyunsaturated fats, and is rich in vitamin E and potassium," she says, adding that the "fat-rich fruit" is delicious with any salad. "I'm always looking for foods high in potassium because potassium is critical for life. 97% of Americans struggle to meet their daily needs of potassium, which is literally mostly in beans and greens. And when you don't get enough potassium, you're gonna have elevated blood pressure, kidney stones, cramps, irregular heartbeats, and really, I don't think you're gonna think very clearly. Avocado is why I love eating my breakfast salad," she maintains.

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Balsamic Vinegar

Next up, balsamic vinegar, "a sauce that I try to eat with every meal, and it does taste great with salads," she says. "It has polyphenols and a compound called acidic acid. Now, if you have blood sugar problems, you really should add it to all your food. I vividly remember my parents eating this daily and using it as a dipping sauce for their dumplings." Dr. Liu explains that "acidic acid increases a metabolic enzyme called amp kinase to curb your appetite, reduce your total cholesterol, improve your blood sugar and insulin resistance, and to increase your metabolism," and also reduces fat in your liver. "Two teaspoons with every meal is the target. And as an infectious disease doctor, I'm actually comforted that it can help reduce bacteria in my food."

Tomato

Next up, tomato, "a fruit I have always loved that is rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant," she says. "If you eat a ripe tomato daily, you can improve your blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides and drop a couple of pounds after a month."

Nutritional yeast

Dr. Liu used to add shredded cheese on her salad "that really didn't help my cholesterol or weight loss," she says. After trying a plant-based cheese, "full of saturated fat, which I'm trying to avoid," she discovered nutritional yeast, "which has a cheesy taste and is rich in B vitamins. It reduces respiratory colds and allergies and improves your blood pressure and can actually help you lose five pounds in about 12 weeks," she says.

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Water

Finally, water, her "favorite beverage," is on the list. "I actually drink at least 24 ounces by noon. This beverage is essential to life, and drinking two cups of this before all your meals can help suppress your appetite and help you lose weight," she says. "Water is vital for all your machinery to work. People so easily get dehydrated, and they don't even realize it." And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.