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The benefits of breakfast
Many dietitians and nutritionists consider breakfast to be the most important meal of the day. After a number of hours without food, our bodies literally need to break the fast to renew our energy reserves and re-fuel the brain and body. There is considerable evidence showing many health benefits to those who regularly eat breakfast.
Breakfast can provide you with essential nutrients that the body needs, such as fibre, vitamins and iron. It has been shown that people who eat breakfast have more balanced diets than those who skip this meal, are less likely to be overweight and have reduced risk of certain diseases.
Evidence shows that missing breakfast may lead you to snack on less healthy foods later on in the morning and you don’t necessarily catch up nutritionally later in the day either. Other benefits of tucking into a good breakfast in the morning include improved mental performance and concentration and better mood – something we could all do with in the morning.
According to a European online poll, 38% of people skip breakfast everyday with a further 36% skipping breakfast sometimes. Nearly two thirds of people said that they skipped breakfast more than once a week. The reasons given included having too little time, trying to manage weight and not liking eating in the morning.
Despite this, up to one third of us regularly skip breakfast1 and this rises to 40% for teenagers. People on average skip breakfast 20% of the time – 71 breakfasts a year. The British are worst, skipping 113 breakfasts a year. One in six children regularly skips breakfast2.
So, why not set yourself the simple challenge of improving your health and wellbeing with a regular breakfast? If you cannot face eating as soon as you get up, at least set yourself a target of eating breakfast within two hours of waking. It really will make a difference to you.