Another Reason Not To Skip Breakfast

Posted on April 17, 2010 by Lolita Carrico

It’s well known that skipping breakfast is a bad idea, but here’s another reason to make sure you get in that morning meal: studies show that people who eat breakfast, kick start their metabolism and weigh less than those who don’t.

And as important as it is to eat breakfast, it’s also important to be aware of what you’re eating as well. The American Dietetic Association “graded” some popular breakfast options:

Grade: C — Fast food egg and cheese sandwiches, toaster pastries, sugary cereals.
Why: The types of fat in these foods are bad fats and they certainly are not balanced meals. They’re high in sugar and carbohydrates and low in fiber and protein. So essentially, they have little of what you need and lots of what you don’t need for a balanced breakfast.

Grade: B — A bagel, morning shake, breakfast bar or pancakes with syrup.
Why: Although these are decent choices, they aren’t quite there. Many people blend up some milk and fruit for a morning smoothie, which isn’t necessarily unhealthy, but to make it a balanced breakfast, add protein powder or opt for a waffle-sandwich: take a high fiber waffle (or even better, a flax waffle) and top it with peanut or almond butter. Or, choose a whole wheat bagel and swap the cream cheese for peanut butter.

Grade: A — Breakfast of champions? Oatmeal with low-fat milk, nuts and berries and a glass of orange juice.
Why: This is the perfectly balanced breakfast. You’ve got whole grains in the oatmeal, protein in the milk, good fats in the nuts, and antioxidants in the berries. Adding the OJ rounds out the meal with vitamin C and potassium.