Breakfast: Is it really a must?

by Martha Edwards (Subscribe to Martha Edwards's posts)
May 7th 2008 8:15PM

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Most people will agree, but there are two side to every story. Diet Blog recently discussed the other side to the breakfast debate, based on the fact that most research on the importance of breakfast is funded by companies with a vested interest in your early AM food consumption -- namely companies who sell things like cereal, orange juice, frozen waffles and so on. They give a number of reasons why breakfast might not be as essential as we think -- you can check them out there.

I'm a staunch breakfast eater, if for no other reason then I am really freaking hungry when I wake up. I don't eat a lot -- a protein smoothie or a bowl of cereal will do -- but I have to have something or I won't be able to concentrate on anything for the first few hours of the day because I won't be able to hear anything above the growling of my stomach.

What about you? Is breakfast essential to your morning? Do you think we're being misled on the breakfast front?

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Comments (8)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

abby 5-07-2008 @ 9:54PM

i think breakfast is essential to jump start the metabolism and prevent overeating at night, but it needs to be a low sugar, high protein meal without excessive caffeine or fat. many people are setting themselves up for diabetes when they consume a sugary danish and coffee, because it causes an overload of insulin to be released into the bloodstream to deal with the sugar and caffeine and this is hard on the pancreas to deal with.

Kristen 5-07-2008 @ 9:23PM

I'm totally a breakfast eater, and my husband is totally not (unless it's a day off and we have pancakes or something special). I, too, am really hungry in the morning, and I feel a lot better if I have something, even if it's just a banana, within the first hour or so I'm awake!

Jacinta 5-07-2008 @ 9:36PM

I MUST have breakfast. If I don't, I get a headache that can last all day long and that doesn't go away with anything!

Darren 5-07-2008 @ 9:44PM

No breakfast for me, ever. I feel really bogged down if I eat anything before noonish.

marcie0305 5-07-2008 @ 10:18PM

Abby is right, but I also think everyone is different. I am not hungry at all when I wake up, therefore, I listen to my body. I tend to have a glass of soy milk to tide me over and sometimes some coffee. I'm not a morning person either, I think this has something to do with it. I tend to eat a healthy lunch and a little more "heavy" dinner - and I do my best work in the afternoon/evening :)

~Marcie
http://feedingblackmail.blogspot.com/

Pete Physique 5-07-2008 @ 10:26PM

Personally, i feel so much better now that I no longer eat breakfast. I have more energy and i sleep less.
If i *do* get a bit hungry i make it very light (an apple or a couple carrots).
Overall, we as individuals should simply listen to our bodies. If it is asking for food upon waking up then feed it. It's common sense to stay away from junk food regardless of *when* we consume food.
Sugar, caffeine..........bleeeech!-lol

On a side note:
Our physical bodies have memory cells which conform to habits which include eating. We can train it to feel hunger at specific times if we choose to. Many have their cells accustomed to eating upon waking up so it will take a bit of discipline if one should decide to hold off until a later part of the waking state. That's a whole other can of worms though.

Judy 5-08-2008 @ 10:18AM

Pete has a point, and it might be possible for some people to "retrain" themselves to not eat breakfast, or to eat breakfast.

I'm generally of the breakfast-is-good mindset. I cannot function if I don't eat in the morning. Within a few hours I will be so shaky, moody and unable to think clearly at all. My husband suspects I may be hypoglycemic. When I get up in the morning, I put the water for oatmeal on to boil, start a pot of coffee, and get the paper. I've usually eaten within half an hour of waking, and I feel fine.

I agree that a lot of the crap that passes as breakfast (who exactly decided that sugar-covered grains counts as breakfast?) is not worth eating, but a good breakfast is important to many people.

karkar 5-08-2008 @ 1:42PM

I was a breakfast eater most of my 34 years, then I tried intermittent fasting. I feel so much better not eating breakfast! I have more energy and I'm not as hungry around lunchtime. Only took a few days to get used to it and I love it!