January 2001

 

Breakfast: A Healthful Way to Start the Day
Vera Massey Nichols, nicholsv@missouri.edu

You’ve heard it many times before: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And after more than thirty years of breakfast-related studies, it’s clear that breakfast benefits everyone.

Studies indicate that children and adults who eat breakfast do better in school and at work than those who skip it. In fact, breakfast eating is associated with better attitudes and higher productivity in the later morning hours. Breakfast eaters also tend to have more strength and endurance, and better concentration and problem-solving ability. In contrast, those who skip breakfast tend to tire more quickly, be more irritable, and react less quickly than those who do eat breakfast. Total nutrient intake is typically higher for those who eat breakfast—specifically more calcium, iron, folic acid, and vitamins A, B6, C, and D. Breakfast skippers will no doubt make up for the lost calories, but they’re unlikely to make up the nutrients they miss without a morning meal.

However, despite all its benefits, breakfast is the one meal most often neglected and skipped. Some people say they just don’t feel hungry when they wake up. For others it’s a matter of being short on time and energy first thing in the morning. And then there are others who falsely believe that skipping breakfast is an effective strategy for weight control.

The fact is your body needs refueling each morning. After 8 to 12 hours without food, your body needs to replenish its glucose (blood sugar) stores. When you eat breakfast, you provide your body with a new supply of food that can produce more glucose—something your brain needs because it has no stored reserves. And we know sustained mental work—in school or the workplace—requires a large turnover of glucose in the brain. Your muscles also need a replenished blood glucose supply for physical activity throughout the day.

Breakfast is definitely a healthful way to start the day. Here are some tips for beating those common breakfast barriers:

"I’m not hungry in the morning." Breakfast skippers often report they aren’t hungry in the morning and if they do eat something for breakfast they get hunger pangs by mid-morning. In reality, you will often feel hunger pangs by mid-morning whether you eat breakfast or not. Hunger pangs are a healthy signal that you need to respond to and not deny. After all, denying hunger typically leads to bingeing. So your best bet is to start the day with a light breakfast, like juice or toast and then when you are hungry have a nutritious mid-morning snack: yogurt, bran muffin, or a bagel. Remember, eating even small amounts of food in the morning helps restore blood glucose stores after a nightlong "fast."

"I don’t have the time or energy to fix breakfast." Breakfast doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Keep quick-to-fix foods on hand: cereal, toaster waffles, bagels, juice, milk, cheese, and peanut butter. You can prepare many breakfasts in less than two minutes—reheated leftovers, peanut butter sandwich, cereal and milk, yogurt and fruit, fruit with crackers and cheese. It might help to set your alarm clock just a few minutes earlier.

"I don’t like traditional breakfast foods." That’s not a problem. Breakfast can be almost anything you like, even a slice of pizza, soup, or a grilled cheese sandwich. Reheating some of the leftover macaroni and cheese in the microwave oven makes a good breakfast, too. You might want to try a new yogurt flavor or add some peanut butter or applesauce to a toasted waffle. For the person on the run, a blender smoothie—milk, frozen yogurt and fruit or juice—might hit the spot.

"I’m trying to lose weight." If your idea of breakfast is a donut and coffee with sugar and creamer, you have a good reason to be concerned about the nutritional value of the calories you consume. However, the answer isn’t to skip breakfast, but to select foods that provide nutrients and satisfy your hunger. Studies reveal that breakfast eaters are actually less likely to be ravenously hungry by mid-morning or lunch and less likely to overeat when they do eat again. And overall, breakfast eaters tend to eat less fat during the day.

Remember, breakfast can be simple or elaborate, cooked or uncooked, eaten sitting down or on-the-run, boring or varied. The main thing is to make it part of your morning routine. And when it comes to children, if the breakfast routine is not firmly established by the time children reach adolescence, it’s unlikely they will become breakfast eaters as teens and adults.

So where do you stand when it comes to breakfast? Are you a skipper, skimper, or eater? Keep in mind that eating breakfast is a way to promote your overall health and well being. It’s a habit worth keeping (if you currently eat breakfast) or developing (if you’re not a breakfast eater). Once again the choice is up to you. Make your choice count! Start the day the healthful way—eat breakfast!

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