The Importance of Breakfast

Breakfast is not only the most important meal of the day, but it is also the most neglected. Common reasons for not eating breakfast include lack of time, not feeling hungry, traditional dislike for breakfast, and dieting.

Breakfast simply means "break the fast". Your body spends at least 6 to 12 hours each night in a fasting state. In the morning your body needs energy for the day's work ahead.

A good breakfast should provide up to 1/3 of your total calorie needs for the day. On average, we eat 400 less calories for breakfast than for dinner. If breakfast doesn't appeal to you in the morning, try eating a lighter dinner earlier in the evening or save half your dinner for breakfast in the morning.

If you still aren't hungry in the morning, start with something like juice or toast or have a nutritious mid-morning snack later when you are hungry.

So, you say you're on a diet. Some people fear eating breakfast will make them hungrier during the day and they will eat more. It is true that eating breakfast is likely to make you feel hungry throughout the day. That's because your body is working correctly. Although you may feel as if you are eating more all day long, in reality you are probably not.

Not eating breakfast can also cause you to overeat, since a fall in blood sugar often makes you feel very hungry later. To make matters worse, since your body is in a slowed state it will not be able to bum those extra calories very efficiently. If you feed your body healthy snacks and meals throughout the day, you are less likely to become hungry and stuff yourself as soon as you begin to eat.

Since breakfast is the first and most important meal of the day, choosing the right fuel is important. The best breakfast foods are fruits, juice, lean meat, and grain products such as bread, rice, noodles, and cereals.