Breakfast is not just for children. Breakfast is important because after a long night’s sleep your body is low on energy, so that’s a good reason to eat breakfast, but there are five more reasons why you should include protein in your breakfast:
Skipping breakfast is linked to being overweight.
Some studies indicate that people who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight or obese. One study found that those who skipped breakfast had 4.5 times more excess weight compared to those who didn’t. Obesity is also related to the number of meals that were eaten away from home, so it is recommended to eat breakfast and prepare snacks at home.
Breakfast helps balance protein intake.
Enough protein is consumed, but you tend to eat more of it at lunch or dinner. Protein is essential for building and maintaining muscle mass, but if we’re not getting enough protein throughout the day, muscle maintenance isn’t at its peak. When we finally get some protein at lunch or dinner, much of it is wasted because the body can only use a limited amount at a time. Therefore, including protein at breakfast such as eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, and lean meats is necessary.
You will be full for longer.
Another benefit of protein in the morning is that it will keep you full for longer, as shown in another study. Those who ate protein at breakfast said they felt full compared to those who ate the same amount of protein split at other meals.
In addition, breakfast foods, such as whole-grain cereals, milk, fruit, yogurt, eggs, and whole-grain toast, help meet the daily requirement for vitamins and minerals. Those who skip breakfast tend to have lower levels of calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous and zinc, vitamins A, E, B6, C, and folate.
Eating breakfast benefits blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
A small study found that when healthy, lean women skip breakfast, fasting blood sugar and cholesterol levels are higher, thus increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Skipping breakfast caused women to eat more food during the day than when they ate breakfast.
Skipping breakfast won’t save you calories.
It may seem that eliminating a complete meal leads to weight loss, however, it is quite the opposite since there will be a greater sensation of hunger, and the probability of consuming food only to cover the need to eat, not to be nourished, increases.
Remember to talk to your doctor. To contact our ABC Nutrition & Obesity Center call:
Observatorio Campus: 5230-8199
