Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN
American Institute for Cancer Research

Q:   How important is breakfast for weight control?

A:   It might seem logical that skipping breakfast would mean fewer calories and easier weight control, but it doesn’t seem to be true most of the time.  Studies show that frequently skipping breakfast is linked with higher body mass index (BMI), a measure of overweight.  Of course, it’s possible that skipping breakfast doesn’t cause overweight; perhaps this is how people who are already overweight try to lose weight. 

Research suggests that people who eat breakfast are less likely to snack impulsively later on, and tend to do less overeating throughout the rest of the day.  Some of the studies show that high-fat, high-calorie, meat-centered breakfasts are also linked with greater overweight. But a good breakfast will energize you, satisfy hunger through the morning, and provide antioxidant vitamins and phytochemicals that add up to help protect you against cancer and heart disease.  Start the day with whole-grain bread or cereal, some fruit or vegetable, and a modest amount of protein.  You can get protein from peanut butter on whole-grain toast, nuts added to cereal, low-fat cheese melted on an English muffin, yogurt, or milk, to name just a few options.

Q: Is vegetarian eating really the best way to lower cancer risk?

A: People who eat an abundance of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans, and who don’t focus their eating around meat, have the lowest risk of cancer.  A vegetarian diet is one way to accomplish this, but not the only way.  Fruits and vegetables supply vitamins, minerals, cancer-fighting phytochemicals and fiber. 

Daily consumption of whole grains (such as whole-wheat bread) is linked with lower risk of heart disease and provides cancer-fighting nutrition. However, lack of meat doesn’t make a vegetarian diet healthful if it’s loaded with deep-fried foods, sweets, white bread, and chips.  Some studies show a lower cancer incidence among vegetarians than meat-eaters, but that can also reflect  differences in exercise or tobacco use.  Vegetarians are less likely to be overweight, which also affects cancer risk. Yet becoming a vegetarian is certainly not crucial to maintain a healthy weight. Meat’s impact varies with portion size, fat content and even cooking method. For lower cancer risk, AICR recommends eating no more than 3 ounces of lean red meat per day, and limiting other types of animal protein, such as skinless poultry, fish or low-fat dairy products, to 3 ounces per meal (this limit does not include low-fat milk). Avoid grilling and frying meat at high temperatures, which produce cancer-causing “heterocyclic amines.” The bottom line is that overeating meat is not healthy, in part because it crowds out nutritious fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Use it as a garnish for meals that are mostly plant-based.