What to eat when you break your fast

Question:

What do I eat when I break my fast?

Short Answer:

Having a meal made of mostly protein, fiber, and healthy fats (and limiting carbohydrates) is the ideal post-fast meal. 

Longer Answer:

There are numerous reasons to implement fasting into your weekly routine, namely to boost growth hormone (burn fat/build muscle), help regenerate cells, rev up your metabolism, and improve your insulin sensitivity. If you haven't performed one yet, you basically don't eat for 24-hours (say from dinner one day to dinner the next day) and only drink water, tea, or black coffee. However, what you eat to "end" the fast after the 24-hours is key to reap the most benefits without affecting the rest of your day/night. 

When it's time to break your fast, we recommend eating a LARGE serving of vegetables and protein, and a bit of healthy fat. The type of veggie doesn't matter as much and you can use any protein source you prefer (chicken, fish, steak, etc). Our go-to is a large mixed greens salad with your protein source on top, mixed with some healthy extra virgin olive oil, and a dash of salt/pepper. You can even add on additional veggies on top for an extra crunch or flavor burst and I guarantee you'll scarf it down! At this time, your body will be primed for nutrient uptake so ensuring you are getting whole, nutritious items is important. If you'll notice, the one macro that is missing from the post-fast meal is carbohydrates. The reason you'll want to avoid a higher-carbohydrate meal is that carbs can spike your blood sugar more than proteins/fats and with this quick spike, you may find a crash later. Plus, a higher-carb meal may kick-off a vicious cycle of over-eating so that's why we recommend a meal higher on protein, fiber, with some healthy fat to keep you satiated longer.

For more info regarding fasting, check out this video. 

Note: If you are coming off a longer-term (i.e. 3-day) fast, breaking your fast with something even easier to digest is even more important. At this point, since your stomach hasn't been producing as much hydrochloric acid to help break down foods, breaking your fast with fruit is recommended. It's easy to digest, full of water, and contains plenty vitamins/minerals. Consider trying a bowl of watermelon, cantaloupe, or musk melon/honey dew to wake up the digestive system. If not fruit, consider some bone broth that is also easy to digest and full of nutrients. Then an hour after that, have your normal scheduled post-fast meal.

Yours in Health & Friendship,

- The Fit Father Project  
Customer Success Team

*DISCLAIMER: This information is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. This FAQ content is for informational purposes only. See our full terms and disclaimer here. Always talk with your healthcare provider about any questions you may have.