Breakfast anyone?
Most of us have heard that, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. Some of us have wondered if it was true. Well, like with many health and wellness topics the answer is not always easy to find. Any answer is confounded by two simple facts. There is no right or wrong way to eat and there is no “average person”. What, when, why, where and how you eat is as unique as the person you are. Our needs and preferences are based on our unique combination or genetics and nurture. (To learn more about the 5Ws of our relationship with food and eating check out my course “How to Eat Mindfully and Mindlessly lose weight”.) That said there are some things about breakfast worth noting.
Breaking the overnight fast
Like the name implies, breakfast is the meal at which we break the overnight fast. It is the first meal of our day. We tend to think of it in terms of time of day. Often tie it to the morning but that does not have to be the case. Second, we often define that meal by the foods we think we are expected to eat. We think of cereal, bagels, eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles and bacon as the “official” breakfast foods. We forget what “breakfast” really means, “to break fast”. Instead we think of it as the thing you eat with your coffee as you hurry out the door to get to work. Unfortunately, we lose something important when we focus on the time and contents instead of the intent of the meal.
When we go to sleep at night our metabolic processes shift gears along with everything else. Energy is used differently when we sleep, than where we are running around during the day. Stored energy is used since there is not steady supply coming in. We go into a “fasting” mode. When we wake-up we start to shift back into active mode. We notice things like hunger cues, as our metabolic processes start to shift gears, to provide our muscles and body systems the energy they need. Breakfast is an opportunity to “refuel the tank” and get everything in gear for the active day ahead. Sounds simple and makes perfect sense, right? Except for a tiny problem. There is no set “standard” for how long a body takes to “wake” up and be ready for the processing of food.
Breakfast anytime
Some people go to bed and wake up 8 hours later, ready to go, ready to eat and get on with their day. Others take some time before they can get moving in the morning let alone think about breakfast. Some cannot even stomach the thought of eating and food until a few hours after they start moving around. Person A may get up, get ready and be ready to eat a meal within 30 minutes of waking. While person B may take an hour to get ready enough to start thinking about food. Finally, person C may be up and about for a couple of hours before they start to think about food. Regardless of when they actually eat, each one of them will have breakfast at some point to “break their fast”. Based on their perspective “breakfast” may be first thing in the morning, mid-morning or even around lunch time.
What to eat?
Let’s look at expected breakfast foods. This one is pretty simple, not everyone is a fan of eggs, bagels, cereal, oatmeal and other breakfast foods. They may also not be practical if you eat breakfast at noon and access to those foods is limited. Not every culture eats those as breakfast foods. I grew up on breakfasts of open face sandwiches, rye bread, ham or sausage, cheese, tomato slices and so on. Weekends we ate loaded scrambled eggs with bacon or sausage, peppers and mushrooms. On Sundays there was more time for everything and that meal was a treat. Honestly, even now I will take an open face, artisan cheese, sandwich topped with sliced tomato for breakfast any day. When we focus on breakfast being comprised of specific foods it is easy to not say there is no time. There is no “right” food to eat for breakfast. The important part is to give your body the fuel it needs to get going.
Is eating breakfast important?
So, having blown some holes in “breakfast” how important is it to eat breakfast? And is breakfast the most important meal of the day? Breakfast is an important meal because it is your first opportunity to fuel your body after a long fast. It is important in that its quality can make a tremendous impact on how the rest of your day goes. That first meal can provide the fuel to keep you going for hours. It also helps to ensure you do not overeat and mindlessly snack your way to the next pant size.
Breakfast does not have to happen in the morning or right after you wake up. It is not necessary to make yourself eat if you are simply not ready. But skipping breakfast, when you are hungry can make it harder to get going. Starting your day hungry can lead to overeating later in the day. For kids going to school hungry can impact their academic achievement. Because we are talking about the first meal of the day after a long fast, quality matters. It’s not enough to eat some calories in the shape of a donut or a muffin. Breakfast needs a balanced plate. You need some protein to replenish essential amino acid stores for vital functions; you need fruit, veggies and grains (preferably whole) for fiber and other micronutrients and energy from carbohydrates. Dairy (or other calcium source) is a bonus to help maintain your bones. That first meal should to be substantial and balanced enough to replenish and get you going for the day.
There are plenty of reasons to eat breakfast. There are also many ways to enjoy it while fueling your body. Stop thinking of breakfast as the morning meal or snack. Think of breakfast as the important FIRST MEAL of the day (regardless of the time you eat it). Take time to make it something that satisfies the needs of your body, palate and mind.
Learn more
There are many ways to fit breakfast into your life. My programs help you discover ways that you can seamlessly fit healthy eating into your unique situation. My on-demand course “How to Eat Mindfully and Mindlessly lose weight” is designed to help you discover your unique relationship with food and find ways to eat healthy. You can discover even more through my other currently available programs found on the Programs and Services tab. You can also preview course content and register on my online school dashboard.
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