HEALTH AND NUTRITION

Breakfast Strategies

BREAKFAST REALLY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY. YOUR
body runs on glucose, which provides the energy (calories) you need to fuel your body. After 12 or so hours of no food, your body needs new energy.

Human energy is spent (you burn calories) in three ways:

1. On basal metabolic processes - these include all the involuntary vital functions that your body needs to live (heart, liver, lungs, nerves, etc.) This accounts for approximately 70% of your energy expenditure!
2. On voluntary activities - walking, running, working, kissing, etc.
3. On digesting, absorbing and metabolizing food.

Breakfast is designed to rev up your body, stimulate your metabolism, and keep eating patterns even throughout the day. By skipping breakfast you are sending the wrong message to your body; your body will actually slow down your metabolism in an attempt to preserve what energy it has left. As a result, your metabolic rate is lowered and your overall need for calories is reduced. When you finally do eat, your body will store the new energy (as fat!) rather than burn it as protection against the next "short-term famine". It is no wonder that people who skip breakfast are constantly in the weight loss mode.

So why do so many people skip breakfast?

A classic excuse people give for skipping breakfast is often that they are dieting. They feel that not eating in the morning reduces their daily caloric intake and thereby, promotes weight loss. In addition to lowering their metabolic rate, these same people find that they snack later in the day to fight off the low energy they feel in the afternoon and evening. They become tired and hungry and this often leads to a lack of control, poor food choices and overeating. In fact, eating a healthy breakfast improves mental performance, memory and mood. Ultimately, it helps control weight and maintain healthy daily eating habits.

Lack of time is another reason people don't eat breakfast. Choices like cold cereal or yogurt with fruit, or a simple egg sandwich on whole-wheat toast take less than ten minutes to prepare and eat. Whole-wheat toast with peanut butter or fresh fruit smoothies are easily transportable and are good for even the most time crunched people. Eating regularly throughout the day, especially in the morning, helps your body burn additional calories.

A good breakfast strategy is to eat food high in complex carbohydrates and fiber and low in fat with a small amount of protein. Complex carbohydrates tend to be more satisfying and release energy more slowly and evenly throughout the morning. Proteins take longer to break down, thereby providing a feeling of fullness for several hours. Avoid refined carbohydrates that contain sugar and fat, such as donuts, pastries and many popular children's cereals. These simple carbohydrates are digested quickly by the body, resulting in a "sugar peak" rush and then a related slow down and hunger.

TOP BREAKFAST CHOICES

Choose:

1. Whole wheat breads, waffles and pancakes (spread with fruit or nut butter or jam)
2. Reduced fat or skim milk
3. Hot or cold cereals (high in fiber and low in sugar and fat, such as oatmeal)
4. Yogurt and fresh fruit
5. Fresh fruit smoothie
6. Egg and bacon sandwich (1 egg/2 bacon slices/2 slices toast = 300 calories; if cholesterol is an issue, use egg whites or egg substitutes and forgo bacon)

Tips:

1. Eat breakfast to kick-start your metabolism
2. Think about what you are going to eat for breakfast the night before
3. Make sure you leave enough time to eat
4. Smoothies and whole wheat toast can go with you
5. Shop regularly
6. If you don't want to eat it, don't bring it into the house—even if it is on sale!!
7. Think portion size (avoid oversized foods like big muffins and bagels)
8. Read food labels
9. Breakfast and granola bars are high in fat and sugar (they are like cookies)
10. Avoid refined simple carbohydrates:

    Donuts
    Bread, pancakes, and waffles made with only refined white flour
    Pastries, muffins, biscuits
    Many popular cereals like Special K

The following is a list of common breakfast choices. Notice that popular breakfast choices eaten at restaurants tend to contain more fat, more calories, and less fiber than breakfast items from home. Remember that moderately active women should eat 2000 calories and 65 grams of fat per day. Denny's Grand Slam Breakfast has over half the day's calories and 2/3 of the fat.

BREAKFAST CHOICES

ﾩ2003 by Claudia Pillow and Annalise Roberts

Health and Nutrition Archive
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