Why is Breakfast So Important?
Eating in the morning is beneficial because it affects important processes within your body, including:
- Metabolism: Eating breakfast jumpstarts your metabolism, helping
your body burn calories. - Adequate Nutrient Intake: When you skip breakfast, that’s one less meal to contribute to necessary daily nutrients.
- Concentration/Alertness: Eating breakfast stabilizes blood sugar, which helps improve your memory, cognitive ability, and attention span.
- Mood: Eating breakfast can improve mood by providing glucose to your famished brain. No one likes to be “hangry”!
Eating breakfast also prevents unhealthy eating later in the day: When you are hungry because you skipped breakfast, you are more likely to binge eat or consume convenient, unhealthy foods. People who eat breakfast tend to be healthier and have fewer weight problems and associated issues like diabetes.
To ensure you have time for breakfast, think “Plan & Prep”:
- Plan: Plan your meals for the week ahead of time so you are not scrabbling for something as you run out the door.
- Prep: Put everything in containers the night before so there is no hassle in the morning.
Not a breakfast person? It helps if you plan meals you actually enjoy eating. Try some overnight oats topped with fruit or make a breakfast bowl with turkey bacon, eggs, a little cheese, and maybe some veggies. Or break away from traditional breakfast foods altogether: Can you eat soup for breakfast? Of course! Spring rolls? Go for it! The important thing is . . . when you wake up, eat up!
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