By Adrian Kohrt
Mornings can be a roller coaster. Jump out of bed to your alarm clock, run through the shower, get dressed and run out the door to work or school. It is easy to skip the most important part of your morning – breakfast. Our bodies are fueled by glucose, a simple sugar stored in the liver, which is released when we need it. After a full night of sleep, glucose stores are depleted by mid-morning, and our energy levels fall. That is one of the reasons why eating breakfast is so important. It helps restore our glucose levels so that our energy level does not crash.
What are some of the benefits of eating breaking?
Breakfast provides fuel and nutrients that your body needs for the day. When people eat breakfast, there is a greater chance they will meet their overall nutritional requirements. People who eat breakfast drink more milk, eat more fruit, and consume less saturated fat than those who do not. By skipping breakfast, key ingredients they would get in the morning, such as iron, protein, and calcium, are not made up later in the day.
Starting your day with a healthy breakfast may even help prevent obesity. “Research supports that those who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight than those who do not. The theory is that breakfast plays an important role in regulating appetite, hormone levels and the number of calories we burn throughout the day,” according to the Children’s Hospital of Richmond.
Breakfast plays a vital role in brain function. Youth who eat breakfast perform better in school. People who eat breakfast have improved memory and focus, are less likely to be tardy, and have better test scores.
Parents need to be good role models for children. Parents who eat breakfast with their children decrease the probability of their children skipping breakfast by almost two-thirds. Families skip breakfast for many reasons, such as time restraints, lack of hunger, and expense. Realizing the importance of breakfast for you and your family makes it well worth the effort it takes to make it.
What can we do to make breakfast a healthy part of the day?
Go for 100% whole grains, including cereal and bread. Some whole grains include oatmeal, whole wheat, brown rice, whole rye and many more. Sixteen grams per serving is considered an excellent source of grains, and 8 grams is a good source.
Fiber is another essential dietary need. Eat 5 grams of fiber at breakfast by eating fruits, vegetables, bread, cereal, and beans. Fiber helps prevent heart disease and cancer.
Another vital nutrient is protein. Protein provides amino acids, the building blocks that maintain, repair and build body tissue.
Low-fat milk and cheese are good sources of protein. You also can add lean ham or turkey, eggs, nut butter, hummus or beans.
Breakfast can seem like a superfluous meal when trying to get out the door to work and school. But by missing breakfast, you are cheating yourself on the most important meal of the day for your body and brain. Plan and get yourself set up with breakfast each morning. Your body will love you for it.
Adrian Kohrt is a family nutrition coordinator for Cooperative Extension Service, a part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, working in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Contact her at amkohrt@alaska.edu or 907-474-7930.
