Is breakfast the most important meal of the day?

For years we have been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It's the meal that breaks the night’s fast and gives sustenance and energy for the upcoming day activities. Eating breakfast holds benefits for our health, well-being, and cognitive performance. If you are looking to lose weight, then consuming breakfast in the morning might be especially important. One-day dietary recall data from the 2011-2012 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey found that people that skipped breakfast had the highest mean body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, the lowest intake of wholegrain foods, fruits and vegetables for the day, and the highest intake of discretionary foods. Persons who consumed breakfast cereal had the lowest mean BMI and waist circumferences and had healthier diets at both breakfast and throughout the rest of the day. They also consumed the lowest added sugar intakes. However, not all breakfasts are created equal. Consuming breakfasts that are high in sugar can be more detrimental than skipping all together.

It is recommended that we consume around 15-25% of our daily energy intake at breakfast time. So what should we eat for breakfast? The key is to eat a substantial well-balanced breakfast, one that delivers its energy slowly over the course of the morning. A good breakfast should have a balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat and contain components from various food groups. Eggs, breakfast cereal, and toast with various toppings are the obvious breakfast choice, but as we move away from processed cereals oats are becoming more popular.

Not only do they oats hold many health benefits, but they are also fast and east to prepare. Oats are a great choice for a healthy, quick and easy meal. Oats a unique fiber called oat beta-glucan which not only makes you feel full but also reduces cholesterol. Oats are also full of antioxidants and are great for your digestive health. Rolled oats rather than processed, quick oats which are cooked at heat are considered to be a healthier version. This is because during the mechanical processing of quick oats, some of the fibre is lost.

If you have a bit more time on your hands, our nutrition and recipe development team has come with some delicious recipes using oats. You could try our protein bircher muesli which uses our coconut protein water, or our choc chip protein oat slice made with our WPI.

We know that we tend to make healthier eating decisions if we are in a good mood, so it’s time to start being a morning person and get your oats handy the night before. We also think more logically in warmer temperatures as opposed to making emotional decisions when in colder temperatures, so turn on that heater in the morning before you get out of bed. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.