There have been numerous studies done touting breakfast as the most important meal. In fact, a quarter of our daily calorie allotment should be taken in at breakfast time. A good breakfast should consist of a balance of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fat. Here are just a few reasons not to skip breakfast:
• Skipping breakfast can cause muscle loss. There are many reasons why breakfast is the most important meal. For starters, breakfast is “breaking the fast” of the night before. When we sleep at night, our bodies use up the carbohydrate reserves from the previous day. Upon waking, we need to eat. If we fail to fuel up, we are forcing our bodies to break down our existing muscle tissue for energy.
• Skipping breakfast can slow your metabolism. Consuming a meal first thing in the morning sets your metabolic rate for the rest of the day. If you don’t eat upon waking, you send a message to your body that sends it into conservation mode. Your metabolism slows as your body attempts to hold on to nutrients at your next meal.
• Skipping breakfast makes weight loss more difficult. Repeated studies have confirmed that missing out on morning fuel causes people to overeat later in the day. In addition, breakfast eaters have lower body mass index than their breakfast-skipping counterparts.
• Skipping breakfast hinders focus and concentration. Research done on children in a 1997 State of Minnesota Breakfast Study reveal that children who ate breakfast got higher scores in math and reading. In addition, they were better able to pay attention, focus on assignments, and their overall behavior was better than children who did not eat breakfast. Later studies confirmed that adults get the same benefits from a nutritious breakfast.
Breaking the fast
Ideally, about a quarter of your calories should be taken in at breakfast, but if you are not a big breakfast eater, a modest meal will still do the trick. Here are some ideas for a simple and delicious breakfast:
• Whole wheat waffles or pancakes with peanut butter and a small bowl of blueberries.
• Old-fashioned or quick-cooking oatmeal topped with fresh strawberries and 8 oz. of low-fat, low-sugar yogurt.
• A banana with a bagel and cream cheese.
• Scrambled eggs with a handful of spinach and whole wheat toast and jam.
• A whole wheat English muffin with almond butter and apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon.
If people skip a meal, it’s usually breakfast. But there is more than one reason not to miss this meal. Ongoing research reaffirms the notion that breakfast really is the most important meal.
References:
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2005; vol 105.
Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2003; vol 22.
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