How much do you know about breakfast?

When you wake up in the morning and start your day, it can often be a rush to get organised and out to work, to school or to your chosen activity. In the bid to get out of the house as quick as you can, you may skip breakfast or grab something convenient to eat on the go.

However, do you know if having breakfast is really that important? What types of things are the best to eat to help you through your day? How can you juggle a busy morning routine, but still have breakfast? These are some of the questions we’ll answer here, putting you in the picture about the ‘most important meal of the day’.

The benefits of breakfast

It is widely documented that breakfast is indeed, an important part of your daily food intake and requires some thought and attention. Whilst it is understandable that the morning rush means breakfast is an easy meal to skip, it is not advisable to do so, as when you wake up your blood sugar levels are low after resting. 

Your body needs its morning fuel to get it kick started and the sooner you have your breakfast from waking up, the more energy you will have. Studies have also shown that this meal can help to increase concentration and memory across the day.  The body reaches a balanced state as it has the fuel needed to function and this can have a lasting effect across the day. 

What to choose

Having established that breakfast is important, it is now worth considering what it is you are going to eat for this important meal of the day. Remember that this meal gives your body the energy it needs to get it started for the day, so having healthy fruit, grains and dairy are always a good choice. 

It is an easy way to get your healthy options in, and as it becomes part of your routine, you will be guaranteed of starting your day the best way possible.  Fruits such as bananas and apples are both an excellent choice, as they are easy to eat if you are in a rush.  However, if you have time to sit down, then choose foods such as breakfast cereals (those low in sugar are better), as these often contain essential fibre, iron and other nutrients.  Porridge is a great slow release food and it can gradually increase your blood sugar levels.  It will keep you feeling full for longer and you can even enhance the taste of it by adding chopped fruit. 

It is important to note that choosing breakfasts that are high in sugar will boost your blood sugar levels quickly, however, they won’t necessarily provide the same long-lasting feeling of being full. Also, an excessively large breakfast may keep the hunger pains away but may leave you feeling lethargic as your body has to digest a large amount of food.  

What this means is that just because breakfast is an important meal, it is not one where you can just choose whatever you want with the view to ‘burning the calories’ over the day. Breakfast that contains carbohydrates will give you a quick energy boost, proteins will increase your energy later on and fibre along with healthy fats will help you to feel full. If your breakfast contains these food groups, you are kick starting your day the best possible way. 

The benefits of choosing the best breakfast

As your breakfast should keep you feeling full until lunchtime, the choices you make will stop you snacking throughout the morning. If you skip breakfast altogether, you are also more likely to snack on high sugar foods to keep your energy levels up. Obviously, a better alternative to this is to make time for your morning meal. Studies have shown that people who have a healthy breakfast snack less throughout the day, especially high-calorie snacks.  
 

Each person is different and it is important for each individual to determine how much food they need for their breakfast.  While a banana on the go may be enough for one person, a bowl of porridge and fruit may be necessary for another.  The key is ensuring that breakfast is eaten, as, without it, it affects the body’s ability to function properly throughout the day.