Why Should You Eat a Healthy, Nutrient-Rich Breakfast?

Breakfast is one of the most important meals for the body. However, due to work pressure or lack of time, many people often skip or forget breakfast, which can have negative effects on their health. Let’s explore why you should have a healthy, nutrient-rich breakfast in the following article.

1. Is Breakfast Important? Does It Affect Your Health?

Before discussing what a healthy breakfast should include, let’s understand the role of a nutritious breakfast for health.

Breakfast plays a crucial role in maintaining human health. It kickstarts the metabolism, helping the body burn calories throughout the day, and provides the necessary energy for you to complete your work or studies. That’s why it’s considered the most important meal of the day. Many studies have shown that eating breakfast can improve memory, increase concentration, reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol, and lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

Although it’s unclear whether it’s breakfast itself that promotes healthier habits or whether those who eat breakfast already lead healthier lives, skipping breakfast can disrupt the body’s biological rhythm. When you wake up, your blood sugar levels are low, and breakfast helps replenish energy so that your muscles and brain can function more efficiently. Without the energy from breakfast, you may feel fatigued and are more likely to overeat later in the day.

Breakfast also provides an opportunity to get essential vitamins and nutrients from healthy foods like milk, cereals, and fruits. If you skip breakfast, you may not get enough of the necessary nutrients. Many people skip breakfast due to a hectic schedule, but this is a mistake. Your body needs to refuel early; otherwise, you’ll be more inclined to eat unhealthy, high-fat, and sugary snacks later on.

Children also need a nutritious breakfast every day. Growing bodies require lots of nutrients and energy. If they skip breakfast, they may struggle to concentrate, feel fatigued, and become irritable, which can affect their learning. Research shows that children who eat breakfast tend to score higher on tests compared to those who don’t.

Most children do not get enough vitamins and minerals from lunch and dinner alone. Skipping breakfast can also lead to weight gain in children due to increased snacking throughout the day. One study showed that teenagers who regularly eat breakfast have lower BMI scores than those who skip breakfast or only eat occasionally.

2. Why Should You Eat a Healthy, Nutrient-Rich Breakfast?

2.1. Replenishing Energy 

The body’s energy source is glucose, which is broken down and absorbed from the carbohydrates you eat. Most of the body’s energy is stored as fat, but it also stores some glucose as glycogen, primarily in the liver and a smaller amount in the muscles.

During fasting periods (like overnight), the liver breaks down glycogen and releases it into the blood as glucose to maintain stable blood sugar levels. This is particularly important for your brain, which relies almost entirely on glucose for energy.

By morning, your glycogen stores are low after going without food for 12 hours. When all your glycogen is depleted, your body starts breaking down fatty acids to provide the needed energy. However, without carbohydrates, fatty acids are only partially oxidized, which can reduce your energy levels.

Eating breakfast helps boost your energy levels and restore your glycogen stores to maintain your metabolism throughout the day.

Skipping breakfast might seem like a good way to reduce your caloric intake. However, research shows that even though breakfast eaters may consume more calories, they tend to be more physically active in the morning compared to those who fast until midday.

2.2. Providing Essential Vitamins, Minerals, and Nutrients 

Breakfast foods are rich in important nutrients such as folic acid, calcium, iron, B vitamins, and fiber. Breakfast provides a significant portion of your daily nutrients. In fact, those who eat breakfast are more likely to meet their daily recommended intake of vitamins and minerals than those who skip it.

Essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients can only be absorbed from food. So, even though your body may have enough energy until your next meal, you still need to replenish vitamins and minerals to maintain health and vitality.

2.3. Breakfast Helps You Control Your Weight 

People who regularly eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight or obese. Ongoing research is exploring why this is the case. Some suggest that breakfast helps with weight control because:

• It prevents large fluctuations in blood sugar, which helps control appetite.
• Breakfast makes you feel full before real hunger sets in, reducing the chances of grabbing any nearby food (such as energy-dense, high-fat foods with added sugars or salt).

2.4. Breakfast Boosts Brain Power 

If you skip breakfast, you might find yourself feeling sluggish and having difficulty focusing. This is because your brain hasn’t received the necessary energy (glucose) to function.

Studies show that skipping breakfast affects your mental performance, including attention, concentration, and memory. This can make certain tasks more difficult than usual.

Children and teenagers who regularly eat breakfast also tend to perform better academically compared to those who skip it. They also feel more connected to teachers and other adults at school, leading to more positive academic and health outcomes.

2.5. A Healthy Breakfast Can Reduce Disease Risk 

People who regularly eat breakfast tend to have a lower risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes than those who skip it. There’s also some evidence that skipping breakfast may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

2.6. Breakfast Helps You Make Better Food Choices 

People who eat breakfast generally have healthier diets, better eating habits, and are less likely to snack during the day compared to those who skip breakfast. Children who don’t eat a sufficient breakfast are more likely to make unhealthy food choices not only for the rest of the day but also in the long term.

Those who skip breakfast tend to snack in the mid-morning or afternoon. This can be problematic if the snacks are low in fiber, vitamins, and minerals but high in fat and salt. Without the added energy that breakfast provides, some people may feel lethargic and turn to high-energy snacks and drinks to get through the day.

If you skip breakfast, try a nutritious snack like fresh fruit, yogurt, vegetable sticks with hummus, or a whole grain sandwich to get through your mid-morning hunger.

3. What to Eat for a Healthy Breakfast?

Breakfast plays an important role in both physical and mental well-being. So, what should a healthy breakfast consist of to promote good health? Here are a few suggestions you can consider:

• Porridge made from rolled oats – when choosing oats, opt for regular ones and add your own fruit afterward, as flavored varieties often contain added sugars.
• Whole grain cereals (such as bran cereal or whole wheat biscuits) with milk, natural yogurt, and fresh fruit.
• Fresh fruit and raw nuts.
• Whole grain, whole wheat, or sourdough toast, or an English muffin with baked beans, boiled or poached eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, salmon, cheese, avocado, or a few spoons of spreads like hummus or 100% nut butter (such as peanut butter or almond butter).
• Smoothies made with fresh fruits or vegetables, natural yogurt, and milk.
• Natural yogurt with a little fresh fruit for sweetness and some raw nuts for crunch.

If you don’t have much time, need to leave early, have a long commute, or a busy morning schedule, it can make it difficult to have breakfast before starting your day. However, regardless of the reason, there are solutions to ensure you don’t skip breakfast. A few ways to guarantee you have a healthy breakfast include:

• Preparing quick breakfast items the night before or over the weekend, like healthy muffins, zucchini slices, or overnight oats (oats soaked in milk and left in the fridge overnight – in the morning, just add fruit or nuts). With pre-prepared breakfasts, you can take them to eat at home, on your way to work, or once you arrive.
• You can also stock some breakfast items at your workplace (if allowed) to eat when you get to the office.
• Try setting your alarm 10 to 15 minutes earlier to give yourself enough time to eat breakfast at home.
• Eliminate time-consuming morning habits like checking emails or browsing social media, and instead, use this time for breakfast.
• Prepare everything for the next day the night before, so you have extra time for breakfast the following morning.

Source: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/breakfast

In conclusion, a healthy and nutritious breakfast will help you replenish essential vitamins and minerals beneficial to your health, as well as provide the energy needed to work, study, and perform effectively. Therefore, you should start taking care of your health now by planning balanced and nutritious breakfasts to improve your overall well-being and longevity.

References: Betterhealth.vic.gov.au, Webmd.com