Huge significance has been placed on having the proper breakfast.
But is it really that important?
“One should not attend even the end of the world without a good breakfast.” - Robert A. Heinlein.
The “perfect” morning routine seems to centre around the “perfect” morning meal. There are numerous opinions on the internet regarding the size, the timing and the nutritional composition of breakfast; or whether to eat it at all.
There’s a common adage…
“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” - Adelle Davis
Often interpreted as “eat a big breakfast, and medium lunch and a small dinner”…this saying focuses on the size of ones meal and neglects the nutrition value and cultural influences of eating habits; which can lead to frustration and guilt in those whom don’t subscribe to this “perfect” way of eating.
Breakfast has changed in form and importance throughout history and varies around the world. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that breakfast should look different for all of us, depending on our dietary needs, lifestyle, age and health requirements.
Instead of “eating breakfast like a king”, let us view the first meal of the day as a royal opportunity to feed and honour our bodies the best way we know how.
Why Do You Struggle to Eat Breakfast?
Do you identify as a breakfast consumer, breakfast skipper or irregular breakfast eater? Breakfast is probably either a no-brainer or a daily battle for you. I personally sit somewhere is between.
Before we even contemplate addressing the steps of creating a breakfast habit, it’s important to look at the factors that influence our breakfast decisions. Here are some common reasons that both breakfast skippers and breakfast consumers struggle with this particular meal.
You Have No Time: Our busy lives often don’t allow us the time to sit down and consume a big breakfast. Historically, breakfast was a meal of convenience and comprised mainly of ingredients that required little to no preparation or leftovers from the night before. In our rush to leave for work or send the kids off to school we often don’t have the time to prepare a meal, let alone sit down and eat it!
You Have No Appetite: “I just don’t feel hungry” is a common excuse used by breakfast skippers. This can be due to a number of reasons, such as; impaired digestive function, triggering of the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response), meal size or timing the night before. No appetite is no excuse, sorry.
You Have No Energy: Sometimes you just can’t be bothered! Sliding out of bed and staggering to the coffee machine is enough of a challenge. Although waking feeling unrefreshed may be your “normal”, it is not healthy and may be an indication of poor sleep or an underlying medical condition. If you wake feeling tired then eating breakfast is one of the most beneficial actions you can take.
You Don’t Like The Taste: Modern society has packaged breakfast food into a sugary cereal box or fatty plate of bacon and sausages. Your tastebuds may not been keen on either of those options, but it’s important to remember that the world is full of amazing breakfast recipes waiting to be discovered. Look at the traditional Japanese Ichiju Sansai, the Russian Kasha and the Turkish Kahvalti. Don’t limit yourself to “the norm”, try something new.
You Don’t Want The Calories: If you are trying to lose weight, then skipping the added calories of breakfast may seem like a smart idea. Unfortunately, the research says otherwise. Instead of reducing caloric intake, skipping breakfast can increase the chance of snacking throughout the day, over eating at lunch and dinner, and choosing unhealthy and/or carbohydrate dense foods that increase weight gain.
You are Intermittent Fasting: This is a huge subject that requires far more time and research to unpack than we have space for in this newsletter. Intermittent fasting governs on the time and duration of eating, largely focusing on skipping the morning meal to achieve a number of health benefits. Intermittent fasting isn’t inherently good or bad, and has been practiced for centuries in some form or another.
You Don’t Having The Skills: Unless you had a food obsessed grandmother like mine or retained the cooking skills you learnt at Home Economic class at school, it’s likely that you weren’t taught/remember many culinary skills. Most adults don’t have confidence in the kitchen. Everything looks so complicated and we’re scare to put the time and money into creating something that may turn out to be a flop. It’s okay to be scared and overwhelmed, but it not okay to let it control you and stop you from eating delicious healthy meals.
Should You Eat Breakfast?
Now that you’ve identified some factors that may be stopping you from eating breakfast, you may be wondering “is this a habit worth changing?” and “should I be eating breakfast everyday”?
This is where I want to insert a link to the scientific evidence that you 100% should eat breakfast. Unfortunately, the research is not so black and white. Although most studies confirm that breakfast is beneficial there is still plenty of room for debate as to whether it is essential. There are a number of problems that occur when studying the health benefits of breakfast.
Firstly, there is no universal definition for “breakfast”. As you can image, every household around the world serves up a different concept of what breakfast looks like and when it is eaten. Each scientific study either has their own definition or no definition at all.
“Breakfast is the first meal of the day that breaks the fast after the longest period of sleep and is consumed within 2 to 3 h of waking; it is comprised of food or beverage from at least one food group and may be consumed at any location.”
Secondly, studies vary in size and design. This makes it hard to compare and contrast findings, resulting in some studies concluding that skipping breakfast negatively affects certain health factors while other studies find that these habits have no negative affect at all (it’s all very confusing).
Thirdly, the question “is breakfast good or bad” or “is breakfast essential” neglects that fact that health is a complex and multifactorial concept. We should be asking questions like…
Is breakfast a societal construct or an innate biological behaviour?
Is it simply to achieve satiety or an unconscious craving for nutrients that enable our body to function?
Does it impact our weight gain/loss, glycemic control and cardiovascular health?
Does it improve energy and/or mental clarity?
Most studies support the conclusion that eating breakfast improves nutritional intake and that skipping breakfast has a negative affect on nutrients imputes and eating behaviour.
Likewise, breakfast seems to improve glycemic control and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and excessive weight gain.
The International Breakfast Research Initiative cites many other studies that support the role of eating breakfast to improving each area of health and wellbeing.
But is the research enough to convince you to eat breakfast?
Well guess what! Surprisingly, I’m not here to convince you or tell you what to do.
Scientific proof is great, but it’s not the “be-all and end-all”. Most of the time it will give you more questions than answers. Which is good! We want to be people that ask lots the questions and desire to learn and understand even when there is no hard evidence to be found. That’s why there are so many questions and opportunities for reflection in this newsletter.
It’s up to you to decide what’s best for you and your body in this season. According to the literature, breakfast seems to be a beneficial habit. And if the only reason you’re not eating it is because you identify with one or more of the seven struggles (e.g. time, energy, appetite) listed earlier, then perhaps there is no good reason not to embrace this morning meal.
How to Eat Breakfast
Now that you’ve identified why you struggle to eat breakfast and potentially decided to create a healthy breakfast habit, it’s time to prepare a personalised strategy for success.
“Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.” - Alexander Graham Bell
It’s important to note that your lifestyle, health requirements and personal preferences will have a huge influence on how you choose to approach this change.
Step 1: Address Why You Struggle To Eat Breakfast
Time: Preparing your breakfast in advance is the easiest way to address your lack of time in the morning. Meal-prep and the freezer are your best friend and closest ally. Choose two different breakfasts (e.g. wholegrain porridge with fruit; quiche with meat and vegetables) and either prepare in part (e.i. get the ingredients ready to make in the morning), prepare in full (e.i. prepare the day before and place in the refrigerator) or prepare in advance (e.g. make a large supply that can be frozen to last a few days or weeks).
Appetite: Your lack of waking appetite may be due to a number of reasons. The three best strategies to regaining morning hunger are eliminating/postponing your morning coffee (an appetite suppressant), stimulating the digestive system with bitter food or beverage (e.g. apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, fruit) and starting with a small meal. A small cup of yogurt and fruit is a good first step. Then over time you can add foods rich in protein and healthy fats. Regaining your morning appetite may take time, so be patient. Seeing your Doctor and/or Naturopath for guidance is also recommend.
Energy: I know it’s temping to head straight to the coffee machine (I know you’re going to hate me for saying this), but stop! If you must have a coffee have it with or directly after breakfast, and then slowing increase the time between meal and beverage until it is at least an hour after. This will not only help with insulin regulation, appetite signalling and nutrient absorption, but also sustained energy throughout the day. As much as you love it, coffee isn’t the answer to low energy levels…balanced nutrition and a proper sleep is.
Taste: Experiment with different sweet and savoury breakfast recipes. Choose three that you like and make them your go-to meals. “Variety is the spice of life”, so having a few options will prevent you from getting bored, whilst also increasing the variety of nutrients you're consuming. Look to other cultures for inspiration; particularly those with nutrient dense, traditionally fermented foods.
Calories: Instead of skipping breakfast to dodge the calories, choose foods that are naturally low in simple carbohydrates and high in fibre, complex carbs, proteins and healthy fats. Foods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts and lean meats will sustaining you throughout the day, modulate your hunger signals and allow you to meet your calorie goals.
Fasting: If you are intermittence fasting then technically you will still be eating breakfast, it will just be much later in the day. Aim to use this first meal (whether it’s at 8am, 10am or 2pm) as the best opportunity to meet your nutritional requirements. It’s harder to do this later in the day because your hunger signals will be much stronger and it’s easier to succumb to the craving of unhealthy foods. Have a plan in place to avoid afternoon binging (e.g. meal preparation; having a small snack earlier in the day) and eating late into the night.
Skills: You don’t have to be a chef to create a delicious breakfast. Quick oats in the microwave, topped with frozen fruit and a dollop of yogurt and nut butter is a perfectly acceptable breakfast for someone learning to cook. Start small and simple. Just a piece of fruit is a good start. You can add ingredients and cooking skills to your arsenal as you go. The important part is to establish the habit first, then increase the quantity and improve the quality later. Bonus Tip: Youtube Everything! You can learn anything from cooking porridge to baking sourdough.
Step 2: Find The Path Of Least Resistance
What does your current morning routine look like?
Do you wake up late, have a quick coffee, then race out the door?
Do you do shift work and every morning looks different depending on whether you are working night duty or not?
Do you have a number of mouths to feed and often forget to feed yourself?
Whatever your circumstances, aim to work with them, not against them.
Prepare your meals when you have the time (e.g. night before or days in advance)
Coincide breakfast with an established habit (e.g. have some yogurt and fruit while you brew your coffee; eat your breakfast while the kids are getting dressed).
Learn to eat on the go…it’s better than not eating at all. Smoothies, healthy muffins and sandwiches, nuts and fruit are easy options for eating amidst the morning chaos.
Let’s Eat!!!
Having spent time reflecting and preparing a plan of action, it’s time to start eating!
Remember, we’re not aiming for perfect. We’re embracing the motto “practice makes progress”, instead.
As you practice, fail, try again, fail again, tweak, experiment and continue to make progress…you’ll eventually find a rhythm that works for you.
My Personal Breakfast Rhythm:
I am not a morning person! Therefore breakfast needs to be as simple as possible.
I don’t wake up hungry, so water with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar is usually my first port of call to waking up my digestive system. Then I’ll prep breakfast before going to get ready for the day.
A smoothie or wholegrain porridge are my two favourite breakfast options, for three reasons: Firstly, I have the ingredients prepared and frozen so all I need to do is add them to a blender or pot, add water, then blend or heat up. Secondly, the smoothie and porridge are packed full of nearly identical healthy ingredients (e.g. fermented fruit, soaked seeds and grains, kefir milk, nut butter or tahini with oil) that provide a balanced amount of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fibre and probiotics. Thirdly, they are quick to consumer and easy to take on the road (especially when I wake late and have to rush out the door to work).
On days that I’m feeling particularly hungry or know that I have a strenuous day ahead, I’ll opt for a breakfast higher in protein and fats (e.g. eggs on toast with avocado; lamb chops with fried veggies; last nights leftovers). These meals take a few more minutes to prepare, but are totally worth it for the extra energy I’ll need.
I don’t drink coffee or tea until later in the morning to allow for optimal absorption of all the nutritious food I’ve just eaten. I use it as a treat for once I’ve arrived at work or an opportunity to go to a cafe with friends.
Your rhythm should be personalised to your lifestyle and values. You are going to have unique challenges to overcome and will need to spend some time reflecting and researching the solutions.
Everyone seems to be scared of failing and relapsing to their old habits, but they forget that failure is still progress if you continue to push forward and experiment with new approaches. Maintenance of a healthy habit doesn’t look like a consistent upward curve on a graph. It has many ups and downs. As long a you try a little bit every day, over time you will forge a habit that will continue to strengthen and become so engrained in your life that you’ll hardly notice it.
Digital Consumption (bits and bobs)
Do we really need breakfast?
Three meals a day versus snacking
Three high protein breakfast ideas + more
A Naturopathic way to rethink breakfast
Quick breakfasts if you’re over oats and smoothies
Table Manners
Most children learn their eating habits from their parents; then as they mature, friends, work and social media often have their influence. You may have learnt good habits such as chewing with your mouth closed and trying new foods even if they smelt weird….or you may have learnt questionable habits such as scoffing your food instead of chewing it down to a paste and mindlessly eating in front of the TV. Either way, it’s important to acknowledge and question the different influences in your life and whether they encourage healthy or unhealthy habits.
What breakfast habits can you recommend? Or are struggling with at the moment?