The Case for Breakfast Soup

What happens when you start the day with something hot?

Hi. Full Serving is on Substack now.

I’m glad you’re here. This is a newsletter about nutritional therapy for those of us who work late, get jet-lagged, and don’t always have fresh produce in the fridge.

If you’re new to Full Serving, I won’t bore you with a long intro. You can read a bit about what I do here, or in this interview.

What London’s Coolest Nutritionist Wants You to Know

What I will say is this: health and wellbeing feels a lot more doable when you’re surrounded by people who are curious, clever, and don’t take it all too seriously. That’s why I started hosting events, like these ones at Rita’s and SALT on a beautiful Autumnal day.

At the most recent one, the theme was how to feel good through Autumn. These were some of the ideas I had up my sleeve:

• Breakfast Soup

• Herbal teas for when you’re bloated, wired, tired (or all three)

• What to eat when you’re grumpy

• Supporting your immune system (it’s not just random ginger shots)

• Feeding your Face (aka food as skincare)

Over the next few newsletters, I’m going to go over what we explored. Not every last detail (you kind of have to be there for that), but enough to give you a feel for the ideas and why they stuck.

First up: Breakfast Soup.

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Why breakfast soup makes sense

When the weather shifts, so does our biology. Shorter days, colder mornings and lower light can affect energy, digestion and mood. None of this is just in your head, it’s your circadian rhythm and metabolism adjusting.

Breakfast often becomes the first casualty: we delay it, rush it, or skip it. But eating earlier in the day supports how your body regulates blood sugar and energy. Insulin sensitivity is highest in the first part of the day, meaning your cells are more efficient at using glucose from food for energy. This can help stabilise mood, focus and energy throughout the day, even if what’s on your plate doesn’t change. Isn’t that miraculous? I think so.

Okay, so why soup?

Well, first of all, I love it. Entirely subjective first point. When I think about meals growing up in Hong Kong, we often started with a simple broth. It warms your stomach, and you get a little something-something before diving into the rice.

From a nutritional therapy standpoint, warm meals are often easier to digest than cold ones, especially if you’re already feeling the chill. Eating something warm first thing gives your body a solid hit of protein, fat and fibre - the kind that keeps blood sugar steady and energy smooth.

I also like that it’s not a ‘classic’ breakfast food. Break the rules! Live it up!

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What goes in:

• Base: Miso paste, chicken stock, bone broth, splash of tamari. Store bought is fine, I’m not expecting you to slow cook at 7am. Just opt for organic options when possible, and avoid added sugar or fillers.

• Protein: Tofu, boiled eggs, tempeh, edamame, any kind of white fish is great, leftover chicken works well.

• Carbohydrate: Pre-cooked brown rice, potatoes, quinoa, lentils. Or a pack of konjac noodles.

• Fibre & Fat: Leafy greens, usually a shredded lettuce of some sort or spinach, broccoli, seaweed, carrots, any and all mushrooms but I’m loving shiitake right now, avocado, drizzle of olive oil. Sesame seeds.

If I fancy a more Chinese flavour profile (my go to), I’ll go hard on garlic, ginger and spring onions. Pick and choose your favourites from the list above, taste as you go, and you’ll have a batch of breakfast soup ready in ten minutes. Or five, if you’re the kind of person who always has glass tupperwares full of rice, potatoes, cubed tofu and chicken in the fridge, just waiting to be turned into soup - like me.

Tomorrow morning, instead of panic-eating a protein bar at your desk, warm up a bowl of Breakfast Soup. It doesn’t need to be pretty, heavy or creamy. Hot and hydrating is the move.

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Coming up next: a love letter to fennel, hibiscus and Pu Erh. Teas that taste delicious and actually do something for you when you’re feeling a little off or wake up puffy.

If you give Breakfast Soup a go this week, I want to know what ends up in your bowl. Or if you’ve got a question, ask away. This is my first go at this and I want to hear from you - it’s much more fun when it’s a conversation.