Why is Breakfast Important?

Your alarm goes off in the morning after hitting snooze a couple of times. Now you need to get moving, or you will be late! Whether you live by yourself or you have a family; in the midst of a busy morning, breakfast can be the last thing on our minds, or you find yourself falling into the same breakfast routine. However, even in the heat of a busy morning, eating breakfast is a great way to jumpstart your day and provides many benefits to your health. In the article “Break the Fast with Breakfast” (2020), written by Melissa Wdowik, assistant professor at Colorado State University, indicated five benefits of eating breakfast:

1. Improved blood sugar regulation-as found in several studies. When breakfast-eaters were compared to non-breakfast eaters, the breakfast-eaters had more stable blood sugar levels after other meals throughout the day. Insulin sensitivity seemed to improve (throughout the day) when individuals ate within two hours of walking up.

2. Protection against heart disease- research has shown that those who skip breakfast have a higher chance of gaining weight and have higher cholesterol/blood pressure levels, possibly relating to overeating later in the day.

3. Less overeating- when someone eats breakfast, they have a higher likelihood of feeling satisfied and are less likely to over eat throughout the day.

4. Better nutrition-studies have shown that breakfast eaters eat more fruit, veggies, dairy, and whole grains not only at breakfast but throughout their day.

5. Enhanced brain power- eating breakfast can boost reasoning, learning, and verbal skills, in addition to enhancing attention, memory, and creativity.

If you have a busy schedule and breakfast is a challenge, try having some easy grab and go items on hand such as fruit, yogurt, or protein bars. If you find yourself having a couple of extra minutes in the morning, try oatmeal, scramble a few eggs, or have a yogurt parfait. If you plan, make some overnight oats the night before or meal prep on the weekend and try freezing breakfast burritos or sandwiches to have on hand. Your breakfast possibilities are endless!

What’s important is finding what works for you and your schedule. The full article written by Melissa Wdowik can be found at https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food- safety-health/nutrition-news/nutrition-news-break-fast-breakfast/.

For more information, check out the Richland County Nutrition Coalition Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/1rcnc1, and the Pinterest page at http://www.pinterest.com/1rcnc1.

 

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