The ULTIMATE Kenyan Weight Loss Meal Plan-(Breakfast)

15 November 2023|General Discussion

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Discover this effective breakfast weight loss meal plan tailored for Kenya, designed to help you achieve your fitness goals. Transform your diet to meet specific calorie targets for successful and sustainable weight loss.

So, if you want to lose weight by changing your diet, but you’re unsure what to eat within a certain calorie limit, this post is exactly for you.

While there are thousands of weight loss meal plans on the internet, none are actually based on the Kenyan or African diet, so this post exists.

It is easy to follow and based on readily available foods, so there is no feature of exotic ingredients that you have to go out of your way to secure, No! It is as easy as finding everything in your local mini-mart or mama mboga stand.

Let’s get into the post, shall we?

Table of Contents

Should you Skip Breakfast?

While intermittent fasting, skipping breakfast, is an option(and actually works for others), it is not the healthiest manner to approach weight loss. Here are some options.

The following are some of the healthy breakfast foods you should consider on this journey; Feel free to customize them and pair them as you wish for each meal.

Healthy Breakfast Foods to Consider

Smoothies
Porridge (Uji)
Weetabix
Overnight Oatmeal
Strawberries
Arrow Roots (Nduma)
Ripe Bananas
Avocados
Greek Yoghurt
Boiled Eggs
Peanut Butter
Brown Bread
Brown Chapatis
Apples

If you’re in a rush, smoothies are a great choice. They’re quick to make—just two minutes if you’ve got your ingredients ready. You can even sip them on your way to work or school.

Smoothies work well for weight loss because they’re low in calories, packed with essential proteins and vitamins, and don’t have problematic carbs.

But sometimes, you might crave more solid food for breakfast. That’s when other options come into play. Porridge (uji) and oats are the next best choices.

They keep you feeling full for a long time due to their high fiber content. These options also provide the low amount of carbs you need but can’t get from smoothies.

Uji is the easiest to find and a good choice, but if you can get your hands on oats, they’re a better nutritional option, although a bit pricier than porridge flour.

Kenyan Porridge, Comprehensive Recipe

Even though Weetabix is processed, it’s a good choice for nutrition and weight loss. It’s low in fats, low in sugars, and high in fiber, keeping you full throughout the day.

Berries, like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, are rich in pectin, which helps curb your appetite, making you feel full.

If you tend to snack on processed or fast foods, having berries for breakfast could be a smart move.

Among them, strawberries are not only more affordable but also more accessible, making them the best sustainable berry option for breakfast.

Brown bread is fiber-rich and contains complex carbohydrates that are generally healthy for you. Wholemeal bread has a low glycemic index, meaning it has long and complex-chain carbohydrates that take a while to break down, leading to smaller insulin spikes.

While they may contain a higher calorie count, Avocados support weight loss by providing healthy fats and promoting a feeling of fullness, helping control appetite and reducing the likelihood of overeating. They also pack vitamins and a ton of nutrients

Avocados in normal quantities won’t make you gain weight, they have the good kind of fat that is also found in nuts; the bad fat that causes weight gain is from fast foods and processed snacks.

My personal favorite way to use avocado for breakfast is in the legendary avocado toast; Ascend your Avocado Toast Toppings Skills

Bananas always pack less than 120 calories for a medium piece, plus they are delicious and sweet and importantly nutritious with a high amount of potassium, so bananas are good when incorporated into your breakfast to add sweetness and you don’t have to use sugar

Bananas go well with oatmeal and toast, plus they are key in some smoothie recipes

Eggs, at around 70 calories each (for a large one), are rich in nutrients and highly satisfying. They make for a fantastic snack or meal. Two pieces are just fine, and eggs tend to pack the highest amount of nutrition per small serving.

Make your eggs boiled or poached as frying and scrambling will add more fat calories, and we don’t want extra of those

Not just any yogurt, but strictly low-fat Greek yogurt which is rich in protein, which helps to promote a prolonged feeling of fullness.

This satiety factor can be particularly beneficial for individuals aiming to maintain a calorie deficit, as it supports a sense of satisfaction, making it easier to adhere to a lower-calorie intake.

The high protein content in Greek yogurt not only contributes to its nutritional value but also plays a key role in supporting weight management by assisting in the regulation of appetite and promoting a sense of sustained energy.

Taste Test: Ranking The Best Yoghurt Brands in Kenya

While being greasy and fatty, peanut butter is probably the healthiest breakfast choice when compared to margarine, butter, Nutella, and fruit jams. It is good when consumed in small amounts like a spoonful

On the topic of moderation, peanut butter can indeed be challenging for MOST individuals. It’s a calorie-dense food, and its rich flavor and texture can make it tempting to consume in larger quantities.

If you love chapatis but love managing your weight, then brown chapatis are the better pick over the regular ones.

The difference is brown chapatis are made from whole grain wheat flour or Atta Mark, meanwhile, regular ones are made from all-purpose flour that is more processed.

The Atta flour has a lower glycemic index and a higher fiber content keeping you full for longer.

Apples are a good breakfast option without ingesting fat, so if you craving something sweet as well, apples come to play, they are not the most affordable fruit in Kenya, but if you can keep them around.

Apples provide a rich source of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants, contributing to the promotion of digestive regulation.

Breakfast Foods to Avoid (Or Regulate)

Mandazis, KDFs & Mahamri
Donuts
Cakes & Pastries
Processed Meats: Smokies, Bacon, Sausages
White Bread
Margarine
Fruit Jams
Nutella & Chocolate Spreads
Chapatis
Cereals;: flakes,

You can just have a normal breakfast but in small quantities for that gratification and morning mood so that you don’t feel like you’re dieting, but rather starting a day off. This is as simple as a pastry and a hot beverage.

Some options are;

Tea + 1 Chapati
Coffee + 1 Muffin
Tea + 1 Mandazi

While these are not the healthiest combinations for weight loss, they just take 2 minutes to prepare, and the key is ingesting small amounts of those.

Mandazis and donuts are deep-fried options, deep-fried foods will pull you in the opposite direction if you are managing weight.

From a nutritional standpoint, donuts, mandazis, mahamri’s, and KDF are not optimal, as they often contain high levels of trans fats that can elevate LDL (bad cholesterol) and reduce HDL (good cholesterol). Also, to mention the high-calorie count of deep-fried foods.

Weight loss aside, processed meats are categorized as carcinogenic foods by the WHO. So yeah, if you are health conscious you shouldn’t be having these on your fridge.

When it comes to weight loss, processed meats are often less favorable due to their higher fat and salt content, in addition to other additives. These components may not align well with a weight loss plan, as the excess fat and salt can contribute to increased calorie intake and potential water retention.

White bread can contribute to weight gain for several reasons. One factor is its high glycemic index, which means it can lead to a rapid spike in blood sugar levels. This can increase insulin production, potentially promoting the storage of excess calories as fat.

Furthermore, white bread is often low in fiber compared to whole-grain alternatives. The lack of fiber can lead to a less satisfying feeling of fullness, potentially causing individuals to consume more calories overall.

Breakfast cereals can contribute to weight gain, especially those that are high in added sugars and low in fiber and with a ton of processed ingredients. They are generally empty calories and will leave you feeling hungry thus eating more and more and more

For weight management concerns, choosing whole-grain cereals with minimal added sugars, and pairing them with protein-rich foods like yogurt or milk can be a more balanced and satisfying option.