Not milk, not yoghurt: the unexpected breakfast spread linked to steadier energy in over‑50s, say dietitians

The kettle had barely clicked off when Martin realised he was already tired. It was 8.15am, he was 57, and he’d done what he’d been told was “sensible” for years: bran flakes with skimmed milk or a low‑fat yoghurt, banana on top, maybe a small glass of orange juice. By 10.30, without fail, he’d be hovering by the office biscuits, brain foggy, stomach oddly hollow.

When his GP mentioned “blood sugar swings” and a dietitian friend suggested a small tweak, he expected something complicated: a supplement, a special shake, a long list of forbidden foods. Instead, she slid a small beige jar across the table. “Try this on your toast instead of jam for a fortnight,” she said. “Not milk, not yoghurt. A spread.”

The label was unimpressive. No picture of a cow in a meadow, no promise of “gut‑friendly cultures”. Just one word he mostly associated with houmous: tahini.

Two weeks later, the mid‑morning crash had quietly… stopped.

The quiet flaw in “light” breakfasts after 50

From the outside, the classic “healthy” breakfast looks textbook: cereal with milk, fruit and a low‑fat yoghurt, maybe a slice of toast with jam. It’s quick, familiar, and feels virtuous. The trouble shows up two hours later, when the first wave of energy ebbs away far faster than you’d like.

As we move through our fifties and beyond, our metabolism shifts. We tend to lose muscle, our cells become a little less responsive to insulin, and long gaps without food can feel harsher. A breakfast built mainly from fast‑digested carbohydrates - even wholegrain ones - can spike blood glucose, then let it slide back down in a way your 25‑year‑old self barely noticed.

The result is that faintly jittery start followed by a slump: hungry, slightly irritable, reaching for something sweet or another coffee just to feel “normal” again. Over time, that rollercoaster isn’t just annoying; it can make it harder to manage weight, cravings, and long‑term blood sugar health.

Dietitians working with midlife and older clients often end up giving the same piece of advice in different words: don’t make breakfast all about the carbs. Add something that slows things down.

For a growing number of them, that “something” isn’t milk or yoghurt. It’s a spoonful of sesame paste.

Meet tahini: the unshowy spread dietitians keep mentioning

Tahini is nothing more dramatic than ground sesame seeds, sometimes with a bit of salt. In Middle Eastern kitchens it’s as ordinary as butter on toast is in the UK, but on many British breakfast tables it still feels like the quiet guest at the back of the cupboard.

Open the jar and it doesn’t exactly shout. Pale, slightly oily, smelling faintly of toasted nuts and warm bread. Stir it, spread it, and you find it behaves a lot like a runnier nut butter - only with a faint bitterness that pairs surprisingly well with honey, cinnamon, or sliced fruit.

From a nutrition point of view, it’s doing several jobs at once:

• It brings protein, which helps preserve muscle and keeps you fuller for longer.
• It’s rich in unsaturated fats that slow down digestion and support heart health.
• It contains fibre and a spread of minerals, notably calcium, magnesium and iron.

For over‑50s who are starting to think about bone density, heart health and type 2 diabetes risk, that’s an interesting trio to have in one simple spread.

Why tahini on toast (or porridge) steadies energy

Underneath the beige swirl, there’s some straightforward physiology at work. When you eat toast with jam, or cereal with juice, your body gets a quick surge of glucose. That’s not evil; it’s just fast. Without much protein or fat in the mix, blood sugar can rise and fall more sharply, especially in later life when your insulin response is a bit slower off the mark.

Add a generous tablespoon of tahini, and the picture changes. The combination of protein, healthy fats and a little fibre slows the rate at which your stomach empties. Glucose from your bread or oats drips into the bloodstream more gradually, and insulin doesn’t have to slam on the brakes quite so hard.

In small studies looking at nut and seed butters, breakfasts that include them tend to:

• Produce a lower, smoother blood sugar curve.
• Keep people feeling full for longer.
• Reduce the urge to snack on sweet foods through the morning.

One London‑based dietitian keeps an informal note with her over‑50 clients who switch from jam or marmalade to tahini plus fruit on toast. Most report the same thing within a week: “I don’t think about food again until lunch.” Not because they’re stuffed, but because their energy stops crashing and clamouring.

Is tahini a magic cure for fatigue? No. It’s a small, practical lever that nudges your breakfast away from “sugar rush, sugar slump” and towards “steady burn”.

How to build a steadier‑energy breakfast with tahini

Think of tahini not as a fancy ingredient, but as your new base layer. The aim is simple: pair it with fibre‑rich carbs and, if you like, a little extra protein so the whole meal works harder for you.

A basic template many dietitians use looks like this:

1. Pick your base. Wholegrain toast, rye bread, oatcakes, or a bowl of porridge.
2. Add 1–2 tablespoons of tahini. Stir it first so the oil and solids mix, then spread or swirl.
3. Layer in something fresh. Sliced apple, pear, banana, berries, or even grated carrot.
4. Finish with flavour. A drizzle of honey or date syrup, cinnamon, or a squeeze of lemon.

On a plate, that might look like:

• Rye toast with tahini, sliced pear and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
• Warm porridge swirled with tahini, topped with berries and a teaspoon of honey.
• Wholegrain toast with tahini, tomato slices and a pinch of salt and oregano for a savoury option.

You’re still eating familiar foods - toast, oats, fruit - but the spread in the middle has changed the way the whole meal behaves in your body.

Let’s be honest: nobody really weighs their tahini at 7.30am. A rough guide is a good‑sized smear that covers the bread without puddling at the sides, or a heaped tablespoon stirred into porridge.

Small tweaks that make a big difference

• Stir the jar. Tahini separates; a quick stir before you scoop stops the last third being a solid brick.
• Go wholegrain where you can. More fibre means an even gentler blood sugar rise.
• Add a protein side if you’re very active. A boiled egg, a small pot of natural yoghurt, or a slice of cheese if you tolerate dairy.
• Mind the extra sugar. A drizzle of honey is plenty; the idea is to soften tahini’s bitterness, not recreate dessert.

“But isn’t it too fatty?” - common worries, answered

For anyone who grew up in the era of low‑fat everything, a spread that’s mostly fat can feel wrong. This is where the type and context of fat matter.

Sesame seeds are rich in unsaturated fats - the kind associated with better heart health when they replace saturated fats like butter. When tahini takes the place of jam or chocolate spread on toast, you’re often swapping refined sugar for fats that your body can use more slowly and steadily.

Calories do count, especially if you’re trying to lose weight, but they’re not the only story. Many over‑50s find that a slightly higher‑calorie breakfast that keeps them satisfied actually leads to fewer biscuits, pastries and “emergency snacks” later in the day. The total evens out, often in your favour.

If you’re managing high cholesterol or type 2 diabetes, this is still food, not medicine. It’s wise to:

• Keep portions sensible (1–2 tablespoons).
• Use tahini to replace, not add to, other calorie‑dense spreads.
• Talk to your GP or dietitian before making big changes if your condition is unstable.

The goal isn’t to anoint tahini as a superfood, but to recognise it as a quietly effective tool in the breakfast toolbox.

What this small swap can change in your morning

Shift the spread and you often shift the rhythm of the first half of your day. A tahini‑based breakfast tends to:

• Take the edge off mid‑morning sugar cravings.
• Leave you feeling comfortably full, not bloated.
• Make concentration easier because you’re not fighting a crash.

Just as importantly, it’s a change most people can stick with. No exotic powders, no separate “over‑50s” product line, just a jar that migrates from the back of the cupboard to the front of the breakfast shelf.

Point clé	Détail	Intérêt pour le lecteur
Protéines & bons gras	Tahini apporte protéines, fibres et graisses insaturées	Énergie plus stable, meilleure satiété après 50 ans
Index glycémique plus doux	Ralentit l’absorption des glucides du pain ou des céréales	Moins de coups de barre et d’envies de sucre en fin de matinée
Nutriments “bonus”	Source de calcium, magnésium, fer et antioxydants	Coup de pouce discret pour les os, le cœur et les muscles

FAQ:

• Do I have to use tahini, or will any nut butter do? Other nut and seed butters (like almond, peanut or sunflower seed) offer similar benefits in terms of protein, fat and fibre. Tahini is particularly rich in certain minerals, but the key is adding a savoury, unsweetened spread rather than more sugar.
• Is tahini suitable if I have high cholesterol? In general, tahini’s unsaturated fats sit well in a cholesterol‑friendly diet, especially if it replaces butter or sugary spreads. If you have very high or complex cholesterol issues, check with your GP or dietitian for personalised advice.
• What if I’m trying to lose weight - won’t this add too many calories? A tablespoon of tahini is energy‑dense, but many people find it helps them feel full and snack less. Start with a modest amount and notice whether it reduces mid‑morning nibbling; adjust from there.
• I don’t like the slightly bitter taste. How can I soften it? Pair tahini with naturally sweet foods: sliced banana, grated apple, or a teaspoon of honey. A pinch of cinnamon or a squeeze of lemon can brighten the flavour without turning breakfast into dessert.
• What if I’m allergic to sesame? Skip tahini completely; sesame allergies can be serious. Opt for other unsweetened nut or seed butters you tolerate, and follow the same principle of pairing them with fibre‑rich carbs and some fruit.