Breakfast is rightfully referred to as “the most essential meal of the day.” So why is breakfast so important?

Breakfast, as the name implies, is a meal that breaks the overnight fast. It replaces your glucose supply to help you feel more energized and alert, as well as supplying other vital nutrients for optimal health.

Try a Quinoa Breakfast Bowl, Oatmeal Breakfast Bars, or a Blueberry Pomegranate Vegan Parfait!

  • A healthy breakfast has many health benefits, so try not to skip it. 
  • Breakfast replenishes the stores of energy and nutrients in your body.
  • People who do not have breakfast may not meet their recommended daily intakes of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. 

Breakfast has been demonstrated to offer several health advantages in numerous studies. It boosts your energy and concentration in the near term, and it can help you lose weight and lessen your risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in the long run.

Despite the health and wellness advantages of breakfast, many individuals avoid it for a number of reasons. The good news is that there are a variety of strategies to make breakfast more convenient in your day. 

Why is breakfast so important?

You may not have eaten for up to 10 hours when you wake up from your overnight nap. Breakfast refills your body’s energy and nutritional supplies.

Increase energy

Glucose is the body’s main source of energy. The carbs you consume are broken down and absorbed as glucose. The majority of the body’s energy is stored as fat. However, your body stores some glucose as glycogen, the majority of which is stored in your liver and a minor amount in your muscles.

The liver breaks down glycogen and releases it into your circulation as glucose during periods of fasting (without eating), such as overnight, to maintain your blood sugar levels steady. This is especially crucial for your brain, which runs on glucose nearly exclusively.

Your glycogen levels are low in the morning after going without eating for up to 12 hours. When your glycogen stores are depleted, your body begins to break down fatty acids to provide the energy it requires. Fatty acids, on the other hand, are only partially metabolized in the absence of glucose, which might lower your energy levels.

Breakfast increases your energy levels and replenishes your glycogen stores, allowing you to keep your metabolism going throughout the day.

Skipping breakfast may appear to be a smart approach to cut down on total energy consumption. However, research reveals that breakfast eaters are more physically active in the morning than those who don’t eat until later in the day, even with larger energy consumption.

Essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients

Breakfast meals are high in folate, calcium, iron, B vitamins, and fiber, among other nutrients. Breakfast accounts for a large portion of your total nutritional consumption throughout the day. In fact, persons who eat breakfast are more likely to satisfy their daily vitamin and mineral requirements than those who do not.

Essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients can only be obtained from food, so even if your body has enough energy to get you to the next meal, you still need to supplement your vitamin and mineral levels to be healthy and vibrant.

Breakfast helps you control your weight

Those who eat breakfast on a daily basis are less likely to be overweight or obese. The reason for this is still being investigated. Breakfast is supposed to help you lose weight due of the following reasons:

  • It helps you regulate your hunger by preventing big swings in your blood glucose levels.
  • Breakfast fills you up before you get hungry, so you’re less inclined to grab whatever food is available when hunger comes (for example high energy, high-fat foods with added sugars or salt).

Breakfast boosts brainpower

If you don’t have breakfast, you may feel lethargic and find it difficult to concentrate. This is because your brain lacks the energy (glucose) it needs to function. According to studies, skipping breakfast has an impact on your mental function, including your attention, concentration, and memory. This can make some jobs feel more difficult than they would otherwise.

When compared to those who skip breakfast, children and adolescents who have breakfast on a daily basis perform better academically. They also have a stronger sense of connection with their instructors and other adults at school, which leads to improved health and academic performance.

A healthy breakfast may reduce the risk of illness

Compared with people who don’t have breakfast, those who regularly eat breakfast tend to have a lower risk of both obesity and type 2 diabetes. There is also some evidence that people who don’t have breakfast may be at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Breakfast decreases overeating

People who have breakfast have healthier diets, better-eating habits, and are less likely to be hungry for snacks during the day than those who miss breakfast. Children who do not have a nutritious breakfast are more likely to make bad dietary choices during the day, as well as in the long run.

People who miss breakfast are more likely to munch in the afternoon or mid-morning. This can be an issue if the snacks are heavy in fat and salt but poor in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Some individuals become drowsy without the extra energy that breakfast may provide, and they resort to high-energy foods and beverages to get them through the day.

If you skip breakfast, have a healthy snack like fresh fruit, yogurt, vegetable sticks with hummus, or a wholemeal sandwich to tide you over until lunchtime.

china bowl with smoothie an toppings, spoon of goji berries, spoon of seeds, on wood

Skipping breakfast

In the most recent national nutrition study of Australian children and adolescents, skipping breakfast was shown to be prevalent, however, the majority did not do so on a regular basis.

The folks who were most inclined to miss breakfast were elderly women and those who:

  • are under or overweight
  • have a poor diet
  • have lower physical activity levels
  • do not get enough sleep
  • are from single-parent or lower-income households.

Some common reasons for skipping breakfast include:

  • not having enough time or wanting to spend the extra time being in bed
  • trying to lose weight
  • too tired to bother
  • bored of the same breakfast foods
  • don’t feel hungry in the morning
  • no breakfast foods are readily available in the house
  • the cost of buying breakfast foods
  • cultural reasons.

While missing breakfast is not a smart idea, optimal nutrition includes more than just how many meals you have each day. If you don’t have breakfast, try to compensate with your lunch and supper to make up for the nutritional deficit.

Healthy breakfast ideas

Research has shown that schoolchildren are more likely to eat breakfast if easy-to-prepare breakfast foods are readily available at home. Some quick suggestions include: 

  • porridge made from rolled oats – when choosing quick oats, go for the plain variety and add your own fruit afterward as the flavored varieties tend to have a lot of added sugar
  • cereal made from entire grains (such as untoasted muesli, bran cereals, or whole-wheat biscuits) fresh fruit, milk, and natural yogurt
  • fresh fruits and raw nuts
  • baked beans, poached or boiled eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, salmon, cheese, avocado, or a couple of tablespoons of spreads such as hummus or 100 percent nut pastes on wholemeal, wholegrain, or sourdough toast, English muffins, or crumpets (such as peanut or almond butter)
  • natural yogurt with fresh fruit for sweetness and raw almonds for texture.
  • smoothies made from fresh fruit or vegetables, natural yogurt, and milk

Breakfast for busy mornings

Many of us don’t have time to have breakfast before leaving out for the day because of early starts, long commutes, and hectic morning schedules. If you’re short on time in the morning for any reason, there are still methods to get breakfast in. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Prepare some simple and nutritious breakfast dishes the night before or on the weekend, such as zucchini slices, healthy muffins, or overnight oats (rolled oats soaked in milk overnight in the refrigerator – simply add fruit/nuts and serve). You may get a pre-made breakfast and enjoy it at home, on the way to work, or after you are at your location.
  • Keep some breakfast foods at work (if allowed) to enjoy once you arrive.
  • Make it a habit to set your alarm 10 to 15 minutes earlier than normal to provide time for a home meal.
  • Replace whatever time-wasting habits you have in the morning (such as reading emails or scrolling through social media) with breakfast.
  • Prepare for the next day the night before to free up time in the morning to have breakfast. 

Not hungry in the morning?

Some people can’t stomach food first thing in the morning, possibly because they have their final meal of the day late at night, or because traditional breakfast foods don’t appeal to them, or because eating first thing in the morning turns their stomach.

If eating first thing in the morning is difficult for you, you might want to try:

  • reducing the size of your meals in the evening and eating them earlier so you’re hungry in the morning
  • investigating some new recipes and stocking your cupboards with some different types of foods to increase your breakfast appetite
  • Switch your breakfast to morning tea or mid-morning snack time instead – perhaps try some of the portable breakfast ideas listed above so you’ve got healthy options ready to go when you feel ready for your mid-morning breakfast.

Reduce metabolic syndrome

Instead of a hefty dinner, start your day with a substantial breakfast. As a result, metabolic syndrome problems such as obesity and insulin resistance may be avoided. In a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, researchers looked at the types of meals and when they were consumed that caused metabolic syndrome symptoms in mice.

Mice fed a high-fat meal after waking up had normal metabolic profiles, but mice fed more carbs in the morning and a high-fat meal at the end of the day gained weight and displayed other metabolic syndrome indicators. Researchers discovered that when fat is consumed early in the day, metabolism is more effective, which affects the animals’ reaction to other types of food later in the day.

Improve your skin

Eggs, the amazing and popular morning item, do a lot more than just keep you full. Eggs are great for your skin no matter how they’re prepared. Lutein, a carotenoid antioxidant contained in eggs, aids in skin elasticity preservation and protects skin cells from free radical damage. One egg each day might increase your lutein levels by 26%. Oatmeal, walnut pancakes, and breakfast smoothies are just a few examples of additional morning dishes that will suffice.

Help your heart

Breakfast not only keeps you alert, but it also helps you maintain a healthy heart by avoiding diabetes and decreasing blood pressure. In studies, those who skipped breakfast had higher cholesterol levels, which is a key risk factor for heart disease. Breakfast eaters consume less fat and more fiber, resulting in less overeating and fewer harmful snacks in between meals.

Less likely to develop eating disorders

Breakfast skipping is a kind of disordered eating, despite how widespread it is. Breakfast actually means “breaking the fast,” and it’s essential for your body to get going. According to Australian research, 13-year-old girls who skipped breakfast were more dissatisfied with their body shape and had tried more diets than those who broke the fast with regular morning meals. It’s a disordered method of eating because missing breakfast frequently entails skipping a meal for weight loss.

Keep yourself thin

While eating breakfast by itself will not miraculously help you lose weight, it may help you improve your emotional relationship with food (and that invariably affects your weight). Fasting for an extended period of time can boost your body’s insulin response, which leads to fat accumulation and weight gain. Breakfast also helps to prevent overeating and frenzied snacking on doughnuts and vending machine food.

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References: 

  1. https://www.thedailymeal.com/cook/10-reasons-eat-breakfast-slideshow/slide-6
  2. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/breakfast
  3. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181126-is-breakfast-good-for-your-health
  4. https://www.rush.edu/news/why-you-should-eat-breakfast
  5. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/The-Case-for-Eating-Breakfast.aspx?gclid=Cj0KCQiAybaRBhDtARIsAIEG3kmOxkupjthu26q70woEDzf6jQ1VC9Bxt2kfG0ZC6LEEZOx3_7rAAA0aAhFJEALw_wcB