Having a healthy breakfast is important for many reasons. It boosts your metabolism, keeps you full for longer and helps you maintain a healthy weight.
Eating breakfast can also improve your brain function, including memory and concentration. It may even improve your creativity, reasoning, learning and speech skills.
1. It boosts your metabolism
After a long night of fasting, your body needs a meal to replenish its supply of glucose. Without it, you can get zapped of energy and feel hungry later on in the day.
Having a healthy breakfast is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Eating it regularly can help you control your weight, reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes, and keep your immune system strong.
Make it a point to include foods that are high in fiber, protein and healthy fats. This helps keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer, so you won’t reach for snacks throughout the day to fill your stomach.
2. It keeps you full for longer
Having a healthy breakfast is important because it helps you feel full for longer. It also helps you avoid snacking on junk foods later in the day, which can lead to weight gain and health problems.
A healthy breakfast should be balanced, including nutrient-dense foods that contain complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein and healthy fats. These include whole-grain cereals, eggs, fruit, yogurt, and a breakfast wrap with vegetables.
While processed meats, such as bacon and sausage, are delicious options for breakfast, they are not the healthiest. These meats are high in saturated and trans fats that can elevate your cholesterol levels, which can increase your risk of heart disease.
3. It helps you maintain a healthy weight
Eating a healthy breakfast helps you maintain your normal weight and reduces your risk of developing health problems later in life. Having a healthy weight is especially important for older adults, as it can decrease their risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Nutritionists recommend eating whole grain bread, oatmeal and cereal that are low in sugar and high in fiber for a healthy breakfast. They also recommend adding a lean protein like peanut butter, eggs, Greek yogurt or cottage cheese.
Nutritionists also suggest adding fruits and vegetables to your diet for vitamins, minerals and extra fiber. Fruits and vegetables are filling and satiating foods that can help prevent you from overeating at other meals.
4. It prevents heart disease
Having a healthy breakfast can prevent heart disease, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. The researchers found that people who ate little or no breakfast were 87 percent more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who eat a nutritious morning meal.
To keep your heart healthy, choose foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins for your breakfast. A wholesome, balanced breakfast can help you regulate your blood sugar, lower your blood pressure, and give your body all the nutrients it needs to power through your day.
5. It prevents diabetes
Eating a healthy breakfast is important because it helps you maintain your weight, improves your energy levels and keeps you full. It can also help prevent diabetes.
Researchers have found that people who regularly eat breakfast have a lower risk of developing diabetes, even if they are overweight or obese.
A healthy breakfast should contain a complex carbohydrate, such as whole grain bread, oatmeal or cereal, and protein, such as eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, peanut butter, nuts (walnuts, almonds), or fish. This combination helps delay digestion and absorption, so any spikes or plummets in blood sugar are more controlled.
Including fruit in your breakfast can keep you full for longer, too, which can help prevent overeating later on in the day. Try adding a handful of blueberries or other antioxidant-rich fruits to your morning bowl of cereal.