Breakfast as the most important meal of the day. Said no researcher ever.

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!” How often did we hear this growing up and how often do we still hear it? Is breakfast the most important meal of the day? I would say it’s not. You really can’t pin your whole day on one meal in my opinion.  There are times when I say it’s important to eat something within an hour, but most of the time I recommend eating when you feel hungry and go from there.

Let’s look at times when you should consider being diligent at eating breakfast. First, when people have blood sugar regulation issues. This looks like the term “hangry”. Think hungry and angry combined = hangry. This happens when your blood sugar falls too low and you can become overly emotional, want to eat anything and everything in sight and feel shaky. While this is normal for some folks, it really shouldn’t be a daily or even weekly occurrence. Eating breakfast can help your body regulate its hormones, giving your body the cues that the day is going and we’re ready to conquer. It should be noted that I’m not talking about frosted mini wheats. I’m talking about oatmeal with nuts and berries, eggs with vegetables and fruit, or if you’re in a hurry, some quality bread with nut butter. What the goal is with these meals, is low sugar, and quality, complex carbohydrates, protein and fat.      

Another time I recommend eating breakfast within an hour of waking is if you workout at a greater intensity in the morning.  People often report feeling really good doing cardio in a fasted state. This means they've had no food and are walking/running/hiking etc.on an empty stomach. Once you introduce weight training into the routine, people tend to feel less good in a fasted state.This obviously doesn’t apply to everyone and that’s where knowing and listening to your body comes into play. If you are doing high intensity interval training (HIIT) or resistance training, I do recommend eating beforehand even if it’s a ½ banana with peanut butter, yogurt, or a piece of toast then having a more hearty meal post workout.  

Those 2 instances aside, the most important thing to remember is, eat when you’re hungry. Stop when you’re not. Focus on protein, carbohydrates, fats and vegetables each time you eat and eat your total calories for the day by the time you go to bed. People love to overcomplicate and overthink things. While there are some scenarios where meal timing is necessary, the majority of the time, that’s just not the case. 

Interested in learning more?  Schedule with our knowledgeable nutritional therapist, Hannah Roeter BS FNTP.

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