You should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and dinner like a pauper. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We know we should eat breakfast daily, yet 18 percent of Americans over age 2 regularly skip breakfast. Mornings are full of chaos and calamity, stumbling our way out the door is the priority. Breakfast tends to be placed on the back burner and too many of us wake up without an appetite.
Most breakfast research has been done on teenagers. Results find that breakfast skippers end up consuming 40 percent more sweets, 55 percent more soft drinks, 45 percent fewer vegetables, and 30 percent less fruit per day than those who eat breakfast.
More: Breakfast: The Most Important Meal of An Athlete's Day
Should I Skip Breakfast to Save on Calories?
No, eating a morning meal is a healthy habit to follow. Research shows that regular breakfast eaters tend to be leaner.
So what should you do? Eat something. Choose a moderate, balanced meal that contains at least 1 cup of whole grains, fruit and a little lean protein.
More: Are you Eating the Right Breakfast?
I Don't Have Time
Losing weight is not only about what you eat but when and how. In a recent Spanish study, participants who ate a bigger meal later in the day lost less weight than those who ate earlier.
Eating within 30 to 90 minutes of waking can jumpstart the metabolism and regulate blood sugar. We tend to produce hunger hormones according to meal schedule and circadian rhythms. Skipping breakfast or waiting to eat may affect the blood sugar, and can potentially temporarily lower your tolerance to carbohydrates, which will increase carbohydrate cravings.
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