The American Dietetic Association says breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Making time for breakfast on busy and rushed mornings can be a big challenge. But eating a breakfast energy one needs after sleeping and fasting all night. After all breakfast literally means break the fast!
Despite the healthful benefits, breakfast may be the meal that is most often neglected or skipped. Eating breakfast not only aids in weight management, it fuels the body to help provide energy, better concentration and problem-solving ability throughout the day.
Why breakfast?
Forty years of breakfast related studies show that jump starting the day with breakfast benefits everyone — children, teens and adults. Eating breakfast is very important for the brain and the body first thing in the morning. Breakfast skippers often feel tired, restless or irritable in the morning.”
Breakfast is the first chance the body has to refuel its glucose levels, also known as blood sugar, after eight to 12 hours without a meal or snack. Glucose is essential for the brain and is the main energy source. Blood glucose also helps fuel the muscles needed for physical activity throughout the day.
Breakfast is also very important for weight loss and weight management You ‘break the fast’ of not eating for the past eight to 12 hours. It helps curb your hunger and prevent binge eating later in the day. Breakfast is important to manage your weight and potentially lose weight by eating less calories throughout the day.
Simple ideas to help add breakfast to your daily eating plan.
- Ready-to-eat whole-grain cereal topped with fruit and a cup of yogurt
- A whole-wheat pita stuffed with sliced hard-cooked eggs
- Hot cereal topped with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or cloves
- Peanut butter on a bagel with fresh fruit (banana or apple wedges) and low-fat milk
- Breakfast smoothie (milk, fruit and teaspoon of bran, whirled in a blender)
- Millet Roti with a bowl of curd
To get the most out of a quick breakfast, follow the A.M. FUEL rules
Anything is better than nothing
Mix it up Fill up on fiber and protein Useless calories from sugar and fat make you feel sluggish.
Myths and Facts about Eating Breakfast Myth: It is okay to skip breakfast, because it is not an important meal of the day. Fact: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Myth: Eating breakfast will make you tired during the day. Fact: Breakfast provides the energy needed to start the day off right! Myth: A healthy breakfast consists of high protein, low carb foods such as eggs, sausage & bacon. Fact: A healthy breakfast consists of milk, fruits, and cereal. Myth: Children who eat breakfast tend to have poor
performance in school. Fact: Children who eat a good breakfast perform better in school, pay more attention, are more creative, think better, score higher on tests Myth: Children who eat breakfast tend to be overweight. Fact: Children who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight.
So tomorrow morning set your alarm 10 minutes earlier to give yourself a chance to have a morning meal. Your body and mind will thank you later on in the day.