How Important Is Breakfast?
Breakfast has been widely recognized as ‘the most important meal of the day’. This belief has been derived from studies that associated breakfast consumption with a lower BMI, which may suggest that skipping breakfast could lead to an increase in energy intake or reduction in energy expenditure. Moreover, research has found that skipping breakfast is more likely to be associated with a lower total daily energy intake.
The reality is it depends on the context.
For athletes, consuming breakfast can help maximize performance and aid in continued recovery from training the day before. Skipping breakfast reduces the amount of available energy, which could decrease performance and affect recovery.
For weight loss goals, studies have shown breakfast is not essential. However, this could mean food consumption increases later in the day to compensate for the missed meal, which is dependent on behavior (higher intake of high-fat foods) and environment (little to no exercise).
For children, consuming breakfast provides nutrient intake and adequate nutrition is crucial for growth and development.
Food provides energy for the brain and eating first thing in the morning can help improve mental alertness and cognitive performance.
Breakfast improves glucose control in the afternoon and evening, which helps the body to function properly.
What we consume first thing in the morning is important. While, pastries and breakfast bars are portable, easy and appealing, there is often times not much nutritional value and tend to be high in sugar. A healthier breakfast can help meet daily nutrient requirements, maintain body weight, improve concentration and alertness. This includes whole grains, lean proteins, dairy, fruits and vegetables. Examples are:
Whole grain cereal with low-fat milk and a side of fruit
Omelet (with vegetables and lean meat) with whole wheat toast
Oatmeal topped with almonds and dried cranberries, and hard-boiled eggs
Scrambled eggs and whole grain pancakes with fruit
Whole grain bagel with eggs, lean meat, low-fat cheese, spinach and tomato
Smoothie with Greek yogurt, fruits and oats
To determine whether to eat or skip breakfast, understand your needs and goals, and then make a plan that will positively affect health and performance.