Importance of Eating Breakfast – For and Against

Everybody knows the old saying:
“Have breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper.”

I am not sure if everybody realizes that the healthy breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you ask me, I am for eating breakfast.

Why eating healthy breakfast is beneficial

It is scientifically proven that fat burning processes are most active in the morning, and fat storage – in the evening. So if you eat a healthy breakfast in the morning, you will boost your metabolism to burn fat and calories, and will give your body a good energy start for the day.

What is more, eating healthy breakfast will help you maintain normal and healthy body weight. You will avoid making bad food choices for breakfast – poor quality and quantity of breakfast meals, which are the main reasons for overweight and obesity.

That reminds me of the reverse diet solution, but with a few differences. The reverse diet advises you to eat your dinner for breakfast and your breakfast for dinner. But I believe you can be more selective and make smarter choices with your healthy breakfast.

What is a healthy breakfast and what is not

A healthy breakfast contains whole grain foods, plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as a cup of skim milk or yoghurt, tea, fresh fruit or vegetable juice, or mineral water.

Eating breakfast containing all these foods, or at least a small quantity of them, is much healthier than eating fatty bacon sandwiches, salami or cheese burgers, or hot dogs with mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard.

Actually eating whole grains for breakfast is much more beneficial to your body weight than fried, pastry and sugar foods, high sugar drinks or any of the fatty foods I mentioned above.

Wholegrain foods

Whole grains include wholemeal breads, wholegrain breakfast cereals, wheatgerm, brown rice, puffed whole grains, bulgar, couscous, popcorn and oatmeal.

Wholegrain foods contain compound carbohydrates, such as starch and fiber. They are constant suppliers of glucose and fructose – the main sources of energy for body metabolism.

Benefits of wholegrain foods

Fiber-rich foods, such as wholemeal breads and breakfast cereals, take longer to digest and create a feeling of fullness for long period of time. They control peristalsis and gut flora, as well as help in excreting of toxins and excretory products produced during the metabolism.

Grain foods for breakfast are great sources of vitamins, such as:

• B-1, B-3 (also vitamin PP), B-6, folic acid
• as well as the fat-soluble vitamins – A, D, E

They are naturally low in saturated fat and contain beneficial polyunsaturated fatty acids, also contain phosphorus, potassium, and calcium, which activate the metabolic processes that control the body energy balance.

In conclusion…

If I have to classify the best foods for healthy breakfast, I should start with wheat grain, rye, popcorn, and oatmeal. And for best nutrition balance, you should combine your favorite grains with milk, yoghurt, tea, or fresh juice, as well as plenty of fresh fruits or vegetables.

The answer to the question: “Do you need eating breakfast?” is “YES“. But you must make smart choices with your breakfast foods, having in mind all the benefits of whole grains.