I don’t skip breakfast. I mean, how could I when pancakes, hash browns, and egg bennies exist? Then, there’s that saying, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” that stays in the back of my mind during those early morning wake-ups or inevitable 8 am classes, and I just know that I’m not going to function correctly if I don’t get any food in me. While there are plenty of other breakfast fanatics out there just like me, there are also plenty of people who choose to skip breakfast and get through the day just fine. So, is it true that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” or is that saying just a myth?
Metabolism
When it comes to your metabolism, breakfast works differently with everyone. Many people assume that there is a one-size-fits-all solution for boosting your metabolism, but that is not the case. For people who eat breakfast every day, they should continue doing so. For those who don’t, their habit of eating meals other than breakfast may fit well with their daily routines. It is simply a matter of them allocating their calories to later meals.
Recent research has shown that people should time when they eat to be ten to eleven hours out of the day. As a result, the earlier you wake up, the earlier you should stop eating in the evening (i.e. 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.). Similarly, the later you wake up, the later you should stop eating in the evening (i.e. 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.).
Energy Levels
However, research has also shown that eating breakfast is a prime way to jump-start your day. Breakfast activates thermogenesis -- the body’s metabolic process of digesting food. Without it, thermogenesis remains stagnant and your body isn’t running at full capacity, which can lead to you feeling sluggish throughout the day. And since people are typically more active during the day than during the night, getting through the day while feeling fatigued is much more difficult.
Feeling sluggish or "hangry" can result in some unhealthy behaviors, like reaching for that doughnut or chugging that Redbull. These particular foods and drinks are especially high in sugar and only provide a brief energy-high before you crash. Having a filling breakfast, on the other hand, offers a healthy balance of vitamins and nutrients that will leave you feeling satisfied for a longer period of time. If you're feeling fatigued throughout the day, it very well may be because you chose to skip a wholesome breakfast.
As a result, the saying “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” is not a myth. Eating breakfast can do wonders for your metabolism and energy levels. So, next time your morning alarm goes off, try to give yourself just a couple of minutes to fuel yourself. Trust me, you’ll feel a lot better while you listen to that boring lecture.