Trying to keep the weight down? Many dieters skip breakfast in an attempt to limit calories, but that strategy is likely to backfire. Breakfast eaters have a lower overall fat intake than those who skip the morning meal.
Breakfast jumpstarts the body's metabolism, which helps to cut the urge to snack at odd times later in the day. Even people who aren't dieting often treat breakfast as the most optional meal of the day. Nearly three-fourths of Americans skip breakfast at least once a week. "It's really the easiest meal of the day to prepare," says Chris Rosenbloom, a nutrition professor at Georgia State University. "I think many people just need to make it a habit again."
Why is breakfast so important? by Sharon Howard, R.D.
Q: Is breakfast really important? If so, why? I am not a breakfast person, mainly because I don't have the time. When I do eat breakfast, I still feel as hungry as if I didn't eat at all. Why is that?
A: Breakfast is important. First, it is an opportunity to eat healthy foods -- grains, fruits and dairy products -- to start your day. Digesting it also gets your metabolic rate up and it provides fuel for morning activity. If you are not hungry, you might just wait a few hours to eat. Often people who are not hungry in the morning are larger eaters in the evening. By distributing your food intake more evenly over the course of the day, you are less likely to gain weight and experience lulls in your energy level.
If you feel hungry a few hours after you eat breakfast, you can make some changes in your breakfast. Your body will quickly digest an all-carbohydrate, low-fiber breakfast -- your blood sugar will rise, your body will secrete insulin to lower your blood sugar and you will feel hungry in a few hours. If you add some protein, such as eggs or cheese, a little fat such as cream cheese or butter, or more fiber, such as bran cereal instead of Rice Krispies or an orange instead of orange juice, your breakfast can take you all the way to lunch.
Give breakfast a try. You can find very quick solutions to breakfast -- try a breakfast bar, milk and a banana as you get ready in the morning.
Which breakfast cereals are best? by Dr. Bruce Hensel
Q. My favorite breakfast food is cereal. But I've heard that some cereals are good for you and others aren't. Which are the best?
A. The labels are so confusing, it's hard to tell which breakfast cereals are the best. These suggestions should help:
Read the fine print.
Choose a cereal that's high in fiber, since fiber may lower your risk of intestinal cancer. Oat bran is a good fiber. It may lower your cholesterol and your risk of heart attack. But keep in mind that many oat bran cereals contain a lot of fat, as well.
Look for cereals that contain folic acid. This vitamin may prevent heart disease and birth defects.
Add milk. That'll give your bones a good dose of vitamin D. Your best choice is low-fat or non-fat milk. If you prefer, low-fat soymilk may be a healthy alternative to milk.
Watch the sugar in your cereal! Many cereals are low in fat but have a lot of sugar and a lot of calories.
Eating the right breakfast cereal with the right ingredients may help you live a long and healthy life.
Make the Grade with Breakfast! by Sharon Howard, R.D., M.S., C.D.E. FADA
If you could include one thing in your child's school day that would boost his or her chances of achieving higher grades on tests, what would you add? An hour tutoring session? A computer-assisted learning program? A state of the art science seminar? Instead of relying on these expensive programs, why not make breakfast a consistent part of your youngster's school day? We have known for years that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but now we have proof that breakfast and learning go hand in hand in the educational process.
Results from a recent Minnesota breakfast study concluded that breakfast eaters scored higher on math and reading tests. Tuft's University issued a statement on the link between nutrition and cognitive development and noted that inadequate nutrient intake significantly impacts school performance and learning ability.
Besides academic improvements, eating breakfast can help to squelch some behavioral problems at school. Students who skip breakfast may be more easily distracted in the classroom and become more irritable and disruptive. They may also complain more often of headaches, stomach pains and nausea. It is no wonder the nurse's office is a hectic place in the morning hours -- up to 25 percent of children skip breakfast each day. Of the children who do eat breakfast, up to two-thirds prepare their own breakfast, resulting in a meal of questionable nutritional quality.
To help combat the problem, 70,000 schools in the United States offer a convenient, affordable, nutritious breakfast each day for students unable or unwilling to eat at home before boarding the school bus. School breakfast has been judged to be nutritionally superior to many home- prepared morning meals.
So the next time you see your child dashing out the door to catch the bus without eating breakfast, toss him a bagel with peanut butter and a container of milk or juice. Even a leftover slice of pizza and orange juice will do. You just may notice a difference at report card time.
