Eating a nutritious breakfast is a great way to jump-start the day, yet a tasty breakfast might not be finding its way onto your kitchen table.
Rushed morning routines, trying to lose weight, and lack of appetite early in the morning are all reasons people skip breakfast. Nevertheless, mounting evidence supports the idea that breakfast may indeed be the most important meal of the day.
Breakfast Benefits
Studies examining eating habits suggest that the regular consumption of breakfast can:
- Reduce risk of obesity and high cholesterol
- Decrease insulin resistance (a condition that increases risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease)
- Improve performance on memory-related tasks
- Minimize impulsive snacking and overeating at other meals
- Increase intake of essential nutrients that are rarely replenished by other meals of the day
- Enhance school performance in children and young adults
Although it would seem to make sense that skipping breakfast would save calories, data suggest otherwise. In a study of nearly 3,000 adults who lost and kept off at least 30 pounds for longer than one year, close to 90 percent reported eating breakfast on most days of the week. Interestingly, the breakfast eaters and breakfast skippers consumed almost the same total daily calories; the breakfast skippers made up the missed breakfast calories throughout the day. In addition, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School found that breakfast skippers are 4.5 times more likely to be obese than are breakfast eaters.
Quality Counts
Before reaching for that doughnut or pastry, keep in mind that what you choose for breakfast is just as important as eating breakfast. Think of breakfast as the perfect opportunity to start accumulating the minimum five servings of fruits and vegetables and three servings of whole grains recommended for optimal health. Furthermore, the National Academy of Sciences recommends that adults consume 21 to 38 grams of fiber per day. This presents quite a challenge for those choosing low-fiber breakfast options or for those skipping breakfast altogether. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds are the best sources of dietary fiber. High-fiber foods have the added benefit of warding off mid-morning snack attacks by creating a feeling of fullness. Likewise, adding some protein such as seafood, low-fat dairy products, skinless poultry, egg or egg substitute can also aid in suppressing hunger.
Serving as the Robinson Firm Chief. He is also a teacher in the Rheumatology Fellowship Program.
AETNA IntelliHealth.com, June 22, 2004, Last Reviewed on June 8, 2006, By Suzanne Proulx, M.S., R.D., L.D.N.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
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