Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?

Has the decision to eat breakfast always been this complicated?!

Some people feel sick if they eat it.  Others turn into monsters if they don't.

Some say ‘breakfast like a king’.  Others preach we should fast until lunch time.

So… is it the most important meal of the day?

Well, like so much in health, the answer is…‘it depends’.  Here’s how to make the decision for yougiven where you are in your life now.

Are you hungry in the morning?

• Yes? Eat a balanced breakfast focusing on protein and fibre.  Get it right and you’ll go another 3-5 hours to lunch without even registering there is a biscuit tin.

• Yes, but…?  Here are the most common ‘buts’ I hear and why they backfire…

… I’m trying to lose weight.  Does it feel like it’s working well? Look at snacking, mood, focus and energy levels for clues.  Can you sustain this for the time it’ll realistically take to lose the weight? What about maintaining the weight loss after that? Eating a balanced breakfast, when you’re hungry, is a foundation stone in any sustainable weight loss plan.

… I’m too busy.  Again, is that working well? If not, there are easy prep ahead/grab and go options you can try.

… I should be intermittent fasting.  A big topic for another email, but just sense check - this isn’t working if you’re just pushing all your eating along in the day and eating late into the evening, overeating in general, or it’s spoiling your mood, focus or energy.  And in midlife, some people report increased appetite following delayed breakfast so find what works for you.

• No? No problem, skip it. Eat your first meal when you’re ready.

• No, but…?  Consider these and sense check before you settle with your ‘no’.

….Won’t last til lunch? If you expect to first be hungry at 11am, what will you be doing then? Travelling? Out with the kids? Back-to-back meetings? Plan ahead.  Would it serve you better to have a small breakfast now to tide you over to lunch time? Could you prepare a balanced snack you can eat at 11am?

….Snacking in the evening? You’d do better eating something helpful in the morning than something unhelpful in front of Netflix at midnight.

….Struggling to sleep?  If stress, young children, or hormonal changes are stealing your sleep, or your sleep/wake cycle is out of whack (hello late nights and unpredictable routine), then your lack of morning appetite could signal that you need a little support to get your rhythm back on track.

However you answered these questions is absolutely fine.  What works for you, works.  Just check that it really is working rather than following the latest trend.

Let’s make healthy simple

1. Check your hunger levels in the morning

2. Notice how you feel later (e.g. mood, energy, focus and cravings)

3. If either of those aren’t quite right, consider the content and timing of your breakfast

4. Many people struggle with breakfast, so if you’d like to chat with me about yours, hit reply