Why is Breakfast so Important?

“Eat your breakfast!”

We all remember our mothers telling us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. They were right. It breaks the overnight fast, the longest period that our bodies go without nourishment, and refuels us for another day. A proper breakfast helps keep our energy levels up through the day. It helps replenish your supply of glucose and nutrients essential for high performance.

Those that eat a proper breakfast function better and are healthier. Studies suggest that those who eat a healthy breakfast perform better. That holds for adults and kids. Breakfast elevates our mood and helps stay alert and optimistic. Fiber at breakfast ends to reduce fatigue through the day. Kids that eat breakfast are able to better pay attention and maintain an interest in learning--they do better in school.

People that eat a proper breakfast tend to eat better through the rest of the day. They are less ravenous at lunch and tend to eat more sensibly. They are better able to resist snacks. Some studies have shown weight gains, not losses, among those who skip breakfast. Children, especially, tend to make poorer food choices if they skip breakfast.

There are more than physical reasons to fix breakfast. Breakfast is an important family time. Families that eat meals together tend to do better. There is a bonding with other family members and an emotional recharging that tends to occur at the breakfast table. Eating breakfast with the family gives a kid a sense of emotional support—it’s not him against the world on that particular day.