Youโve probably been told for years and years that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And maybe youโre sick of hearing this because youโre not someone who is really a breakfast eater. If thatโs the case, then let me assure youโno, you donโt need to eat breakfast.
Let me explain.
Do I really need to eat breakfast?
Those in the pro-breakfast camp believe that by getting up and eating a good breakfast right away, you โwake upโ your metabolism and set yourself up for a healthy day.
But what makes a โgoodโ breakfast anyway? Traditional breakfast foods such as cereal, toast, and bagels tend to be wickedly high in simple carbohydrates. And when introduced to an empty stomach, these foods can cause blood sugar to spike, then crash, resulting in out-of-control eating later in the day.
Liquid breakfasts such as smoothies are often much more loaded with sugar than we realize, and they clear the stomach quickly (up to four times faster than solid food does), often leaving us hungry again sooner than weโd expect. If youโre a fan of smoothies for breakfast, be sure to add some protein and healthy fats to help slow your digestion, moderate your blood sugar levels, and increase satiety.
Breakfasts high in protein, such as eggs, are more likely to fill us up so we can keep going until lunchtime. They help us avoid blood sugar crashes and maintain satisfaction for longer. So if youโre a breakfast eater, go for some morning protein.
Those in the no-breakfast camp are typically skipping the โmost important meal of the dayโ either because theyโre trying to shorten their eating window or theyโre just not hungry yet.
What about intermittent fasting?
In recent years, intermittent fasting has become popular, and advocates suggest that longer periods in which your body goes without food are better for you. Indeed, digestion does take up an awful lot of resources and giving your body a break from a constant onslaught of food can be a good thingโespecially when the food is not that healthy.
If you had an early dinner and then skipped breakfast, youโd be fasting for a good chunk of time. Meanwhile, your body would be going into ketosis, where fat stores are burned and your brain is fueled by triglycerides rather than the usual glucose. Some people feel really good eating this way; others do not.
Some breakfast-skippers do so because they feel that once they โbreak the sealโ with breakfast, they canโt stop eating for the rest of the day. By skipping breakfast, they shorten their eating window and reduce the number of eating hours each day. This can become a form of moderation for those folks.
And then there are some who just donโt feel hungry in the morning. I know plenty of people who like to wait for several hours after waking up. Thereโs a lot of pressure to eat breakfast as a healthy way to start the day, but why cram food in when youโre not ready for it yet?
Some studies have confirmed that breakfast skipping contributes to weight loss, although the amount is minimal, and there seems to be an associated increase in LDL cholesterol levels [source]. However, there is conflicting evidence in studies of individuals with obesity, demonstrating that they tend to make up the missed calories later in the day [source].
If youโre prone to skipping breakfast for one reason or another yet constantly find yourself out of control with snacking later in the day, then youโd likely benefit from a nourishing, high-protein breakfast.
But, if youโre choking down breakfast just because you think you should, give yourself a break. No, you donโt have to eat breakfastโas long as your meals are healthy, you will be able to maintain a state of good nutrition.
Practice listening to your body, and let your hunger be your guide.
This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Gina Jansheski, a licensed, board-certified physician who has been practicing for more than 20 years. Learn more about Hello Glow’s medical reviewers here. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
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Thanks for this very important article. I have been practicing intermittent fasting for the past year and have found it to be very beneficial. I am a former diabetic who knew I needed to change everything in order to heal and I have spent a lot of time and effort to make those changes and the results have been nothing short of amazing. I now have A1c numbers in the normal range and all of my other “formerly very bad” numbers have also fallen in the normal range. I also severely limit my carbs and feel better than I have in over 30 years. It requires a total change in lifestyle but a good place to begin is to stop eating breakfast!
Thanks for writing this post.
The most important meal of the day myth only ever existed thanks to lobbyists for the cereal industry. Their efforts on this campaign were incredibly successful.
Sadly when it comes to mainstream health education, there is a lot of bogus information out there with funding connections to the big food companies. Coincidence? I think not. The greed of these companies knows no limit!