Are you a breakfast skipper or do you enjoy the meal religiously every day?  It’s a yes or no question but the answers will vary widely as to why.  Personal preference, trying to lose weight, trying to maintain weight, morning workouts, the reasons are many for and against. In a modern world where skipping meals is becoming popular, we wonder: Are we missing the “most important” meal of the day?   

Whether you are pro-breakfast or choose to stay away from the table until noon, both sides can agree that eating the right foods to keep our bodies fueled for the day is important. And, let’s face it, a day filled with work and all the other activities in our non-stop, busy lives, breakfast just might be the right time of day to fill up on nutrients, protein, and fiber. And bonus alert – eating in the morning just might help you to control afternoon snacking! Many studies show that you are more able to avert cravings later in the day if you have had a breakfast that was high in protein and fiber.

You probably don’t need us to cite a study to tell you this, though. It’s common sense and we’ve all experienced it – cruising through your day low on fuel will make you more likely to grab “something quick”. And, that something quick may not be the healthiest choice. Worse, you overeat to compensate for your hunger. There are no positives with overeating, no matter what meal-time we are discussing!

Wondering what the benefits are to your body by eating breakfast?

• It may help you burn more calories through the day
• Breakfast-eaters tend to have lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol
• It is easier to meet fruit and veggie consumption guidelines
• Better performance in memory and attention – especially important in school-aged children – well, for all of us actually!
• You will be in a better mood – a UK study found that the drop in blood sugar caused by skipping a meal causes irritability. Skipping meals puts stress on the body and stress affects dopamine and serotonin levels. Eating regularly supports happy feelings.
• Breakfast eaters tend to have healthier habits, in general

On the other hand, are there any benefits to skipping breakfast???

• Intermittent fasting (like when you skip breakfast) has been shown to effectively reduce calorie intake
• It can increase your weight loss
• Skipping breakfast may improve metabolic health

Looking at both sides, you can conclude that breakfast can benefit us, depending on many factors in our lives. Clearly, personal preference comes into play but if you find yourself “hangry” before lunch or want to extend your calorie burn for your weight loss journey the concept of breakfast is food for thought.

What do you think?  Are you a breakfast person who now wants to try breaking the fast at lunch or are you a skipper who might start adding a protein smoothie before the next morning meeting? Either way, we hope we got you thinking about whether this meal is the most important one of the day for you. And, now that you are cogitating on this,  here are 6 healthy breakfast ideas for you to consider.  Don’t go away breakfast-skippers – you’ve heard of breakfast for lunch or dinner haven’t you?

Blueberry Protein Pancakes

Avocado and Poached Egg Toast

Healthy Brown Rice Pudding

Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie

Honey, Lime Quinoa Salad

Breakfast Risotto with Fried Eggs

See you in the next blog!

Deb Fries is a freelance designer and writer, she has worked with Julianna Rae in graphics and customer service, now she writes lifestyle pieces for the blog at juliannarae.com/blog.