Why is breakfast so important?

One of the top contenders for “worst nutrition cliché” has got to be: “Always eat breakfast.” Lame.

If someone takes the aforementioned advice and stockpiles donuts, sausage biscuits, Go-Gurts, and/or Pop-Tarts for breakfast – they’re way off. They’d probably be better off passing on meal #1 and hoping the Food Fairy grants them good sense by the time lunch rolls around.

However, when we venture to the land of “nutritious breakfasts” – over time, we might notice:

• Less body fat
• Less chronic, non-communicable disease
• Improved learning/retention
• Improved mood
• Better food choices later in the day
• Improved energy
• Muscle preservation
• Increased strength
• Lower cholesterol
• Improved bowel movements
• Balanced blood sugars

Translation: A nutritious breakfast is probably a good idea.

What you should know about breakfast

But what are healthy people eating for breakfast? Isn’t that the type of meal we should be mimicking? Well, certainly they’re not eating the Denny’s Grand Slam or mom’s timeless scrapple recipe.

Breakfast is a near disaster in North America as many people base their selection on convenience and stimulation rather than nutrition and how they feel afterwards.

In America, the average adult spends 32 minutes each day on food prep and clean up. Divide that by 3 meals, and it means about 10.7 minutes are dedicated to breakfast. Worse yet, the average college male will dedicate less than 7 minutes to the first meal of the day. (And it’s often cold pizza from a box he found on the beer-bottle-littered floor.) That’s barely enough time to microwave a “Bagel-ful.”

If you only have 3 minutes to heat up a Bagel-ful, and can’t quite squeeze in 4 minutes to make a super healthy shake, you might need to clear your schedule.

You’ll find that most of the meals healthy people are eating require more than a few minutes (unless it’s prepared ahead of time). Accept it.

If you’re too busy to eat a nutritious breakfast, you’re too busy to be lean and healthy. And while some people intentionally skip breakfast to drop body fat, it doesn’t seem to work in the long run, as those who skip are up to 5 times more likely to be obese than those who make it a daily habit.

Nearly 90% of Americans acknowledge that breakfast is a good idea, still, about half don’t eat it.

And of those eating it, what are they choosing? When I last checked, sales for the fast-food breakfast market reached about $31 billion in 2005, so I’m guessing that people aren’t choosing healthy stuff.

When people eat breakfast at home, the most popular items include:

• Ready to eat cereals
• Cow’s milk
• Coffee

When people eat breakfast away from home, the most popular items include:

• Eggs
• Bacon
• Sausage
• Pastries
• Coffee
• Bagels

Who usually skips meal #1 altogether in North America?

• Those between the ages of 12 and 29
• Low income families

What are healthy people eating for breakfast?

At Accelerate we’ve long encouraged “thinking outside of the donut box” for breakfast. You’ll see that the healthiest nations do too. Developing breakfast habits might be critical, as nearly half of the people that eat breakfast each day claim that their choice is driven by routine.

We’ll highlight the healthiest nation and what they choose for breakfast. This nation is the leanest, longest lived, least depressed, lowest cancer rates, lowest heart disease rates and best digestive health. As you read thorough the options, notice similarities and differences, then consider how your choices compare.

Okinawa

• Longest life expectancy on the planet
• Low levels of various chronic diseases
• Active into old age

Typical breakfast selections:

• Steamed rice, rice porridge, rice cakes
• Seaweed & sea vegetables
• Green tea
• Miso & noodle soup
• Veggie stir-fry
• Tofu
• Broiled/grilled fish
• Egg

North America

• 70% overweight/obese
• 1 of every 2 deaths from heart disease or cancer

Typical breakfast selections:

• Coffee
• Donuts/pastries
• Bagels
• Eggs
• Sausage
• Bacon
• Cold cereal
• Cow’s milk