Let’s look at some powerful testosterone breakfast foods to give you a hormonal boost to your day.
But first, is breakfast really the most important meal of the day? You’ll hear a lot of people arguing that it is, saying that it’s the meal that starts off your day right, or it provides a hefty dose of nutrients to keep you going until lunch time. Others will say this is a nutrition myth, that there is no single meal that is more important than any others.
As a person who loves a good breakfast, I’m going to say that it’s MY most important meal of the day. I find that eating a healthy breakfast makes me more inclined to eat healthier lunches and dinners. It also gets me through my busy morning with lots of energy, and (most important of all) no hunger pangs or cravings. With a big, healthy breakfast, I’m less likely to snack—especially on the delicious, less nutritious foods in the vending machine.
But here’s one of my favorite benefits of a good breakfast: it can boost testosterone levels!
We all know that testosterone levels are highest in the morning, and they slowly decrease throughout the day. Exercise can speed up our testosterone production, as can certain foods. Eating the right foods for breakfast can take advantage of our morning peak testosterone levels, raising hormone production throughout the day.
Want to know what to have for breakfast?
Great Testosterone Breakfast Foods
Eggs
Eggs are, by far, the BEST of the breakfast foods!
First off, it’s hard to imagine a breakfast without eggs: fried, scrambled, in a basket, made into an omelet, poached, boiled, frittata’d, and the list goes on. Eggs can be made in dozens of different recipes, all of which are classic breakfast foods.
But what makes eggs such a powerful T-boosting food? Simple: cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a lipid molecule the body uses to produce hormones like testosterone. The liver naturally produces some cholesterol, which is where the body gets most of what it needs for endocrine function. However, adding a small amount of dietary cholesterol to your diet can be a good thing.
In this case, eggs provide both the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) your body uses to produce testosterone. At the same time, you also get high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which is used to prevent cholesterol levels from rising to dangerous levels.
Eggs are also an excellent source of protein, which contributes to the formation of new muscle tissue. Thanks to the fatty acids and cholesterol in eggs, you can increase the production of testosterone and thereby speed up your body’s muscle-building abilities.
Bonus: Eggs are also an AMAZING source of Vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as selenium, iodine, choline, and B vitamins. They’re one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Period!
Grass-Fed Beef
It’s not uncommon to see people starting the day with a juicy steak or red meat of some sort. Meat is a breakfast food in many forms: beef tips with your omelet, a Rib-Eye beside your scrambled eggs, or even breakfast fajitas.
Do you know what these breakfasts all have in common? They’re all loaded with healthy fats, complete proteins, and zinc.
You know that protein helps to build muscle, and fat is needed for the production of testosterone. But here’s something you might not have known: zinc plays a crucial role in reproductive health.
A 1992 study found that a lack of zinc can lead to low serum testosterone concentrations, as well as low seminal volume. That makes zinc one of the most important minerals for reproductive health. It’s also linked to testosterone production.
Red meat is one of the best sources of zinc. Grass-fed beef, in particular, is very high in zinc, more so than regular meat. Just 3 ounces of meat delivers 4.9 milligrams of zinc, or 33% of your DV. That means that a helping of meat for breakfast can seriously boost zinc levels.
Why else do you think steak and eggs is one of the most popular breakfast dishes for men? Now you have a good excuse to have it every day!
Nuts
Nuts are another high-fat food, but remember that your body NEEDS fatty acids in order to produce testosterone. Nuts also deliver B vitamins, zinc, and protein, all of which your body requires for hormone production.
Now, many people see nuts as a “bad” food, thanks to their high calorie content. But that’s just nonsense! The calories come from the healthy fats that make the nuts so healthy. Those healthy fats are what will increase your testosterone production, so they’re a good thing.
Of course, eating too much of any good thing can be bad for you. Overdoing it on calories will lead to weight gain, which will increase estrogen production and decrease testosterone.
The solution: add a single serving of nuts to your breakfast. Add sliced almonds into your breakfast oatmeal, or have a handful of cashews to eat for “dessert”. Put a spoonful of peanut butter in your morning protein shake. A small amount of nuts will do wonders for your testosterone levels.
Pomegranate
Breakfast should always include a fruit of some sort. Fruits provide vitamins (like Vitamin C) and antioxidants.
Pomegranate is considered a “superfood” thanks to its high vitamin and antioxidant count. It’s one of the healthiest of an already very healthy class of foods.
However, a recent study from Queen Margaret University in Scotland found a very interesting side effect of this delicious fruit: drinking a glass of pomegranate juice per day led to a testosterone increase. In the study, nearly 60 adults (21 to 64 years old) drank pomegranate juice every day. By the end of two weeks, there was a “significant increase” in their testosterone levels.
This, of course, added to the awesome antioxidant properties of the fruit. Already pomegranates are one of the highest-rated breakfast fruits around. Even a small serving (1/4 to ½ a fruit) can do wonders to improve skin health, boost immunity, and enhance cardiovascular function.
Have a bit of pomegranate for breakfast! Either a cup of juice or a serving of fruit will do. Make it your fruit for the day and you may notice a testosterone spike in just two weeks.
Cruciferous Veggies
Veggies for breakfast is the latest trend for healthy eaters, and it’s one I heartily endorse. After all, what could be better than starting your day with foods rich in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and antioxidants?
Here’s another awesome benefits of cruciferous veggies: they lead to the production of something called indole-3-carbinol. Indole-3-carbinol (IC3) is the byproduct that occurs when your body breaks down glucobrassicin, a glucosinolate found in broccoli, brussels sprouts, collard greens, kale, cabbage, and cauliflower.
IC3 has the unique ability to decrease estrogen levels. Basically, it helps your liver metabolize estrogen more efficiently, leading to lower serum estrogen. This balances out your estrogen/testosterone ratio, leading to better testosterone production. A bit of cruciferous veggies for breakfast can help to balance your hormones all day long.
Want to add more veggies into your breakfast? Make yourself a veggie omelet or veggie scramble, using spinach, kale, or collard greens. Or, have a small helping of brussels sprouts, broccoli, or cauliflower with your bacon and eggs. My personal favorite: make yourself stir-fried rice and eggs with cabbage and broccoli!
Spinach
Spinach is a dark, leafy green, and one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Spinach delivers nutrients like iron, folic acid, Vitamin C, and more.
One of the minerals contained in spinach is magnesium. Magnesium levels are directly linked to hormone production. Magnesium deficiencies can lead to lower serum testosterone levels, but getting more magnesium in your diet can lead to higher total testosterone, lower SBGH, and more IGF-1.
Just 100 grams of spinach contains 79 mg of magnesium, roughly 20% of the magnesium you need every day. This makes spinach one of the best foods to eat to increase your magnesium intake and give your body the mineral it needs to produce sufficient testosterone.
Breakfast recipe of choice: Make yourself either a spinach-tomato-feta omelet or a spinach-laden version of French quiche. Both recipes combine the testosterone boosting properties of eggs with the high-magnesium leafy green.
Avocadoes
Avocadoes are a fairly high-fat food. Even a single serving (half of a medium-sized avocado) delivers well over 100 calories. That’s a lot of calories (mostly fatty acids) from such a small fruit!
On the flip side, the fat in avocadoes is all good. Avocadoes are loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids, the kind that improves your cardiovascular health and contributes to an increase in hormone levels. Avocadoes increase your HDL cholesterol levels, which can lead to a rise in testosterone production.
Avocadoes are one of the best breakfast foods you can eat. They make a great addition to just about every part of your breakfast:
- Make yourself a creamy lemonade by blending water, ice, honey, lemon juice, and half an avocado.
- Add a few slices of avocado on top of your breakfast omelet.
- Use avocado to replace a creamy cheese spread on your bagel or morning toast.
- Dice avocado to add into your breakfast scramble.
Avocados will raise the calorie content of your breakfast, but it will be all good calories from monounsaturated fats. Plus, you’ll get A LOT of dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is another high-fat food, but as we’ve seen above, fatty foods are excellent for your hormone production. After all, your body turns fats (particularly cholesterol and unsaturated fatty acids) into hormones. Getting more fat in your diet is a good thing where your hormone levels are concerned.
First off, coconut oil protects your heart, improves thyroid function, and can help to balance your cholesterol levels. It will increase your HDL cholesterol while controlling LDL cholesterol. It’s a potent antioxidant, increases your metabolism, and can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. For these reasons alone it deserves a place on your breakfast menu.
A 2008 study found that rats that consumed coconut and olive oil had higher testosterone levels than rodents that consumed other oils. The enzymes in coconut oil helped to not only increase testosterone production, but actually protected the produced hormone from being broken down by oxidative stress.
How can you make your breakfast more coconutty? Have coconut milk in place of cow’s milk. Use coconut oil to cook your eggs. Spread coconut oil on your bread instead of butter. Put a spoonful of coconut butter into your coffee (Bulletproof Coffee). A serving of coconut oil or butter will make your breakfast a powerful T-boosting meal!
Green Tea
Green tea is a good source of antioxidants like EGCG and polyphenols, all of which can protect your body from oxidative stress, toxins, and cortisol. But here’s an awesome testosterone-related benefit of green tea: it can help to reduce estrogen levels.
The polyphenols in green tea will inhibit aromatase, the enzyme that produces estradiol and estrogen from androgens. By preventing the production of estrogen/estradiol, the green tea provides more androgens for testosterone production.
The metabolism-boosting effects of the caffeine in green tea can also play a role in weight loss, which will further decrease estrogen levels (body fat produces estrogen). Green tea can help to normalize/balance hormone levels.
If your goal is to increase your testosterone levels, these are the foods for you to eat for breakfast every day. The best part is that they won’t just improve your hormone production, but they’ll provide the nutrients your body desperately needs. It’s a win-win in every sense of the word!
