Cake for breakfast. Really?

Can eating cake with breakfast be part of a healthy diet? It depends on how you define diet.

Some define "diet" as a four-letter word for deprivation. To deprive themselves, dieters often avoid all things sweet. Deprivation usually only works for so long, then, in a moment of weakness, many dieters cave. Caving often leads to unneeded feelings of failure.

As a Registered Dietitian, I prefer a more clinical definition of "diet," defining it as all foods a person consumes (whether healthy, gluten free, diabetic, or "see-food"). While some "diets" reflect a conscious effort to lose weight or address a health concern, everyone has a diet. They may not realize it, but it's part of their lifestyle.

A long-term unhealthy diet can lead to weight gain or health problems. Likewise, a healthy diet promotes good health and weight maintenance or even loss. If consuming large quantities of highly-processed, sugary food and drink is part of one's "diet," then, yes, consider doing some lifestyle (diet) clean up. However, clean up doesn't necessarily mean clean out. You can still enjoy most of your favorite foods in moderation.

This includes even cake for breakfast. Researchers recently found that obese, non-diabetic adult subjects consuming a 600 calorie breakfast--which included high protein and a dessert--lost an average of 40 pounds more than subjects consuming a 300 calorie breakfast lacking the dessert. The larger breakfast appears to help decrease sweet cravings and help regulate caloric intake throughout the remainder of the day, promoting more weight loss than the smaller breakfast.

Eating cake with a high protein breakfast may sound like poor dietary advice, but for those with a sweet tooth, it may be key. By enjoying all foods in moderation, including sweets, no food is glorified. If your doctor hasn't prescribed a medical diet and deprivation isn't working, consider adding a sweet indulgence to a breakfast that also includes approximately 20-25 grams of protein. After two weeks, if it hasn't helped reduce calories, cravings, and pounds, reevaluate.

However, eating sweets with breakfast isn't foolproof. The strategy may fail if a sweet tooth is continuously exposed to candy jars or cookies. Get your sweet indulgence out of sight for the rest of the day and keep weaknesses out of your home.

The thought of regularly eating sweets for breakfast makes some cringe; even those with a sweet tooth. Fortunately, some healthier sweet alternatives include fruit, vanilla Greek yogurt, pure maple syrup drizzled over a whole grain pancake, fruit smoothie, 72% or greater dark chocolate, chocolate milk, and flavored coffee creamer.

Is a high protein breakfast that includes a sweet indulgence really that different from a fruit smoothie or chocolate protein shake?