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You have probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In part, this is because some research suggests that eating a daily breakfast may help you to maintain a healthy weight or, if you are overweight, lose some pounds and keep them off. The research is not definitive on the question of breakfast and weight control, but breakfast has another important potential benefit.
“Breakfast is an important meal because it sets you up for the rest of the day,” says Alice H. Lichtenstein, director of Tuft’s HNRCA Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory and executive editor of Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter. “That does not mean the first meal of the day needs to be what we traditionally think of as breakfast. However, it does appear that people who regularly consume breakfast have a better dietary pattern throughout the day and may avoid overconsuming calories later in the day.”
The Research: In scientific circles, the formal definition of breakfast varies. But the word helps to define itself: at breakfast, you break your overnight fast. The first meal of the day is typically consumed within a few hours of waking.
A number of studies have found hints of various benefits of regularly consuming breakfast. They include a healthier body weight and diet quality in adults and better attention to school work in children.
Weight: Most of the studies that suggest eating breakfast daily helps maintain a healthy body weight are observational in nature: they compare weight loss or gain in people who skip breakfast and people who don’t. In many studies, the skippers are more likely to be overweight.
But this doesn’t mean that breakfast-skipping “causes” weight gain. Indeed, the experts who reviewed all studies on this topic for the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans concluded that the evidence was lacking to determine whether skipping breakfast leads to weight gain.
One reason for the uncertainty is that observational studies can’t conclusively rule out other possible reasons why eating a daily breakfast is associated with a healthier weight. For example, breakfast eaters may exercise more regularly or eat a better diet in general.
A recent “scientific statement” by the American Heart Association (AHA) came to similar conclusions. The AHA’s review of evidence concluded that it remains uncertain if breakfast helps people to maintain a healthy body weight or lose weight. However, the committee added, a daily breakfast may contribute to an overall healthier eating pattern that is associated with a lower risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Diet Quality: One way breakfast contributes to diet quality is by supplying a variety of essential nutrients. According to the Dietary Guidelines, breakfast in the United States typically consists of 20% of the day’s calories but a higher percentage than lunch or dinner of key nutrients such as fiber, folate, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium.
Besides helping to provide the basic nutrients you need every day, a good breakfast can also be part of an overall healthy eating pattern, which helps to prevent chronic diseases and supports a healthy weight. According to the Dietary Guidelines, a healthy dietary pattern is:
- higher in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
- includes low- or non-fat dairy, seafood, legumes, and nuts
- moderate in alcohol (among adults)
- lower in red and processed meats
- low in sugar-sweetened foods and drinks and refined grains.
Breaking Your Fast: There is not one perfect breakfast. Around the world breakfasts vary dramatically—from the French chocolate croissant with coffee to a full English breakfast with eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, hash browns, beans, mushrooms, and fried tomato.
Whatever you choose, remember the big picture. “What’s really important is what you eat during the whole day,” Lichtenstein says. “Some people eat right when they get up in the morning and some wait. Some people eat a traditional three meals a day, some people graze. Adding breakfast to a poor dietary pattern is not going to help and may only lead to weight gain.”
And don’t forget that eating breakfast needs to be coupled with other positive lifestyle behaviors, including regular physical activity.
What’s A Healthy Breakfast?
You have many breakfast options with generous amounts of nutrients per calorie—a measure called nutrient density. Here are a few healthy choices.
- Eggs. Scramble an egg or two with tomatoes, spinach, mushroom, or other vegetables, cooked with canola, soybean, or olive oil.
- Yogurt. Top a portion of plain yogurt with unsalted nuts and fruit, such as sunflower seeds, sliced bananas, or berries.
- Cereal. Instead of yogurt, top a high-fiber breakfast cereal or unsweetened granola (containing at least 8 grams of fiber per 40 grams of carbohydrate) with nuts and fruit.
And don’t forget those dinner leftovers tucked into your fridge. Cooked meats and vegetables from
the night before can also be incorporated into a healthy breakfast.
You have many breakfast options with generous amounts of nutrients per caloriea measure called nutrient density. Here are a few healthy choices.
- Eggs. Scramble an egg or two with tomatoes, spinach, mushroom, or other vegetables, cooked with canola, soybean, or olive oil.
- Yogurt. Top a portion of plain yogurt with unsalted nuts and fruit, such as sunflower seeds, sliced bananas, or berries.
- Cereal. Instead of yogurt, top a high-fiber breakfast cereal or unsweetened granola (containing at least 8 grams of fiber per 40 grams of carbohydrate) with nuts and fruit.
And dont forget those dinner leftovers tucked into your fridge. Cooked meats and vegetables from the night before can also be incorporated into a healthy breakfast.