The Importance of Eating Breakfast

by Kenneth Snyder

Eating breakfast helps your body to refuel from “fasting” all night while sleeping, jump start your day, and may benefit your overall health. The basics of a healthy breakfast can include whole grains (i.e. old-fashioned oatmeal), lean protein (like eggs or Canadian bacon), low-fat dairy (such as skim milk or non-fat Greek yogurt), and fruits and vegetables (such as asparagus in your omelet, low-sodium V-8, or a banana).

Eating breakfast, along with consuming >60% of your calories in the first half of the day, are both associated with successful weight management in several research studies. You are also more likely to consume a lower amount of fat, cholesterol, and total calories, and research has shown a positive link between routine breakfast and academic performance.

In order to fit in a healthy breakfast, plan ahead by deciding what you want the night before. Cook ahead of time by preparing your selection, such as putting plain Greek yogurt, fruit and nuts in Tupperware, cooking a hard-boiled egg, or setting a timer for steel-cut oats in a crock pot or pressure cooker. Finally, pack up your delicious breakfast in a lunch box to go in the refrigerator overnight.

There’s a reason why breakfast is often considered “the most important meal of the day,” so give it a shot, and see how big of a difference it can make in your life.