Overall I like to have a rather small breakfast (and then make up for it at lunch and snacks) as I can't quite stomach very much early in the morning (I get up at 5-6 am o.o). So, I was considering a few different options and have come to a crossroads.

Either I pick something slightly higher in natural sugars (like fruit salad, a old favorite) or something higher in protein (think, protein shake). Problem is, I'm not sure which would set me up for the day on the best note!

Any thoughts or tips?

I find that eating more protein in the morning helps to control hunger later in the day, probably because it doesn't do a number on my blood sugar. However, that said, I will admit that I don't feel like eating protein on most mornings, nor do I have time. So, my breakfast is really a snack of a fruit (apple or 2 plums) and then, after I workout, I have something with protein. I think it's good to experiment and see what works best for you since everyone's so different.

What about a healthy balance of both? Carbs to fuel your energy, protein to sustain it.

Personally, I prefer protein packed breakfasts over carb heavy ones. I can eat the same amount of calories, but the carbs don't keep me full as long and I feel like my stomach is eating my spine before lunch rolls around. It really depends on what makes you feel best, though, so experiment and see what works for you.

I have any carbs I'm going to eat at breakfast (oats/gluten free wholemeal bread) and/or lunch (gluten free wholemeal bread/corn pasta/brown rice/potatoes). With protein too, obviously. Just mostly protein doesn't keep me as full.
I don't eat carbs from anything other than veg. or berries at the evening meal.

I prefer protein for breakfast cos it sustains me more than carbs, i leave the carbs for the other meals of the day.

I eat a high-protein, high-fiber breakfast (cottage cheese with bran). This seems to keep me full, and is super easy.

I have a protein shake and a wheat english muffin with pb. Protein, carbs and fat for fullness for 330 calories. I could shove down 3 donuts and be starving in an hour.

I like a combination of carbs and protein but I think its the protein that keeps me going. I usually have a piece of homemade wheat toast with a Tbsp of light peanut butter or a bit of oatmeal with peanutbutter.

I have tried eating my toast with a bit of light margarine instead of the PB and I was starving in an hour. The protein really made the difference!

i'm still experimenting with this. the pattern i'm noticing is a healthy small portion. it doesn't seem to matter what it is. a piece of fruit. 1 bowl of cereal. 1 bowl of soup. a sandwhich. eggs. a small amount so i don't stretch my stomach too much, and set my mind up to think i'll be eating all day long. which is what i used to do, just keep eating. so some days it's better to have something already portioned out like fruit, bc i can't stop at 1 bowl.

as far as the most longlasting breakfast. salmon at anytime sticks with me for some reason. lentil soup. people must be so tired of that suggestion. but beans/lentils last seemingly forever in digestion. firber one cereal, original. fiber and legumes keep me going the longest.

I eat carbs and protein, usually oatmeal/cereal and peanut butter. I never feel hungry on just eating carbs though.

I always hear that a balance of both is best but personally I go carb. Just a small wheat round or multi grain bagel thin. I like the bulk in my tummy to start the day.

I need protein in the morning. If I have a lot of carbs I burn out too fast.

Try it both ways, and see what makes you feel the best.

Lately I've been mixing it up - sometimes just a bowl of cereal, sometimes cottage cheese instead for an extra protein boost. I would love peanut butter toast but PB is one of those things I can't moderate on my own - it's way too delicious! So I stick with dairy for protein in the morning. Sometimes in the afternoon I will have one serving of cocktail peanuts though; that helps me through the rest of my work day until dinnertime.

I read an article about a month ago (cant remember where, but will dig for it if anyone is interested) that said that your body sort of resets itself each day with what you eat in the morning. Not sure how true this whole thing is, but the theory was that if you feed your body high protein in the morning, it is going to assume that it will be getting high protein that day, and will thus be ready to metabolize that protein throughout the day, and be more efficient with the protein. If you give it a high carb breakfast it is going to say " okay, today is a high carb day, so lets kick in gear for metabolizing carbs", and will take care of carbs better that day. No idea on just how accurate this is..it was, of course, a scientific study, but scientific studies also told us back in the 80s that 2 eggs a day would lead you into an early grave and totally clog your arteries, and we all know that was bogus. It was an interesting theory though.