Eating breakfast is considered extremely important. In fact, it's often called the most important meal of the day by health experts. This morning meal "breaks the fast" of the body being without food during sleep — hence, its name. Breakfast fuels the body for the day's activities ahead.
In a healthy diet, breakfast should contain a variety of nutritious foods. Healthy morning carbohydrate choices include fruit or fruit juice as well as a whole grain starch such as oatmeal. Whole wheat toast is another popular healthy breakfast option. Cereal such as granola, which contains oats as well as other grains, plus nuts, seeds or dried fruit, makes a quick breakfast option. Sprinkling some granola on top of plain, nonfat yogurt is another quick, yet healthy way of eating breakfast.
Many people make the excuse that they don't have time for breakfast, but keeping yogurt and granola on hand can help change that. However, many health experts assert that enjoying a large breakfast is better than eating a lot at the evening meal, so taking the time to prepare a variety of morning foods can be a good idea. Some people who leave early for work during the week tend to get into the habit of eating breakfast quickly, but then eat larger morning meals on the weekend.
A nutritious way of eating breakfast is including a variety of foods from all of the food groups. For example, whole wheat blueberry pancakes with orange juice and a glass of milk is a hot breakfast that has vitamins and healthy grains. If butter and syrup are used on the pancakes, they should be included in the total fat and carbohydrate choices for the day. A bowl of oatmeal with milk and cinnamon is low fat and includes no sugar. Such hearty breakfast choices can make a person start the day feeling full and be less likely to overeat later.
Studies have shown that people who skip eating breakfast tend to be more tempted to eat "junk" foods high in sugar or fat during the rest of the day. Not having breakfast has also been associated with poor concentration and energy levels. Blood sugar levels can become unbalanced when the morning meal is skipped. Diabetics especially must be sure to eat breakfast or their blood sugar could become a dangerous level; if it's too high or low, it could lead to coma or death.
