Breakfast: no reason to skip it

Breakfast is considered to be the most important meal of the day – it’s a nutritious ‘bomb’ which helps us to start a joyful day. Doctors also insists us to eat it regularly every day and don’t use excuses of being too busy to prepare it, feeling not hungry early in the morning or trying to loose weight. Missing breakfast, warn experts, is a recipe for raiding the office vending machine later and putting on the unnecessary pounds. Here is a good research to support these claims.

Findings

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that neither obese people who eat breakfast, nor those who miss it, lose weight. These are similar findings to the team’s earlier study of lean people, who were found to have consumed in excess of 500 calories more a day on average if they ate breakfast. People don’t catch up on the calories they skipped at breakfast, but instead compensate by preserving energy – they fidget less at their desk or take the lift over the stairs, which, over the days, mounts up as burning fewer calories.

The already mythological link between missing breakfast and overeating later is further contradicted by another randomized controlled trial of 283 people that found no difference in weight gain between those who ate breakfast and those who didn’t.

The breakfast issue is part of the ongoing debate around. Project initiator says evidence is emerging that the idea of grazing little and often is not that healthy: fasting can make people more sensitive to insulin (and so protect them from diabetes) and increase the levels of good fats in their blood (reducing the risk of heart disease). It also restricts calories and can (despite inducing lethargy) promote weight loss.

A combination of a food industry pushing breakfast goods and the media misreporting science have combined to create a mythology around the morning meal. If easing your hunger when you wake up is important to you, then eat breakfast. If you are not hungry and especially if you are overweight then don’t eat out of some misguided notion that breakfast is essential. As a rule of thumb, don’t eat unless you are hungry. If you are doing something where you need to perform well, or you’re an athlete, then breakfast will be useful. Children may also benefit – they may not be hungry when they wake up, but often don’t have the free choice to self-regulate what they eat during the day.

Breakfast ideas

If you are in the same boat with  people who have numerous reasons not to eat breakfast, take a look at some simple and healthy meal ideas that might change your mind. Breakfast can be easy to make!

 #1 Oatmeal with raisins and selected fruits

If you don’t have time to spare in the morning, you can make the oatmeal the night before and refrigerate. Microwave it for 1 to 2 minutes to reheat, add your favorite fruits and it’s done.

#2 Papaya and banana smoothies

Combine small amount of milk or yogurt, tea spoon of vanilla extract, 1 small banana, 3 slices of papaya and ice cubes in a blender. Blend it all until smooth. If consistence is too thick add a splash of water.

#3 Love toast

It’s a lovely idea for the family! Spread mayonnaise on both sides of 2 slices white sandwich bread. With medium heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut centers from bread. In a nonstick pan, melt butter on medium. Add bread and cook 5 minutes or until golden brown. To each heart-shaped hole, add 1 large egg, sprinkle eggs with pinch of salt, pepper or other spices. Cook 5 to 7 minutes or until whites are set.

#4 Scrambled eggs and cheese

This dish can be done in both – pan or a microwave. In a pan (or heat resistant bowl) combine 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of milk, a bit of onion, pepper, and salt. Bake (or wave) until eggs are almost set. Remove from pan (or microwave). With a clean fork, stir in shredded cheddar cheese; cover with a paper (or clean kitchen) towel. Let stand until cheese has melted and eggs are set, about 1 minute. Top with grape or cherry tomato, and serve immediately.

#5 Fruit salad with yoghurt

Cut 3 strawberries, 1 slice of fresh or canned pineapple, 1 kiwi, 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar and add 2 teaspoons of  Vanilla extract. However, you can change fruit choice as preferred.

Adapted from The Guardian and Easy Recipes