While it is often quoted as ‘the most important meal of the day’, we’re giving lunch and dinner a seat at the dining table and have consulted our in-house nutritionist, Will Cook, for the answers. Here’s what we found out about brekkie….
Breakfast literally means ‘breaking the fast’, as you have had no food or ‘fasted’ since the day before, it helps top up the energy stores you have used up each night whilst your body repairs and renews itself and it also gives you energy for your morning activities.
Skipping meals, whether it be breakfast, lunch, or dinner, is not advised and Will says that having a regular eating patterns has shown to improve glycaemic control, which reduces the likelihood of weight gain and curb hunger pangs. He also says that eating breakfast may also help to improve mental performance, concentration, and mood – three more good reasons to eat something in the morning.
Despite this, about one-third of us still regularly miss breakfast, and mostly, it’s because we prioritise the snooze button. Sure there are often time pressures in the morning, but with a little planning, you can find a choice to suit your lifestyle, whether that be a green smoothie as you walk to the train, overnight oats pulled straight from the fridge or something you’ll actually look forward to preparing and eating, like our TRASHED French Toast!
If you can’t face eating first thing in the morning, Will recommends that you try to eat something within two hours of getting up and remember to include at least three of the four main food groups on a regular basis: starchy foods, fruit and vegetables, milk and dairy foods and meat, fish, eggs and non-dairy sources of protein.
As for the breakfast foods to avoid, anything high in fat and sugar as these are often low in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Remember to include a non-caffeinated (sorry flat-white-fiends), water-based drink too as being well hydrated will help you to concentrate throughout the day!
Hmmm. Sounds like a lot of good stuff comes from the first meal of the day… Maybe it is pretty important after all…
